I need advice and help.

If the water actually comes to a boil that is much too hot. Boiled water starts cooking meat. This can also occur being under a heat lamp. If the meat of the feeder gets cooked your snake will not be able to digest it correctly.

As Zina10 said your snake may know something it not right with a feeder if it has started to spoil. Thawing and leaving it out all day and then heating gives the feeder plenty of time to start the break down of the feeder.

I thaw all of my rats at one time in a small tub. These are feeders from small rats to XXL rats. I add how water to start the thaw. In 45mins to an hour I refresh the water with fresh hot water. At this point most all the feeders are ready but the XXL usually needs a bit more. After that second time I give it another 45mins or so and then again change the water to make it hot again. I then go feed. I carry the tub with the rats and some hot water into the snake room and feed straight from the tub.

Your small feeders would take no time at all to thaw and then warm.

I wouldn't trust that petstores word on anything when it comes to that snake eating.

It looks like it hasn't eaten in a long while...

I know you don't want to feed live food. I don't either. But sometimes, just to get one started, you have to. You have to do whatever it takes. That includes a possible vet visit.

However, for now...try some of the other tricks. I feed frozen/thawed just like KMG. The only difference, I "dry" the rats off a bit. Well...I don't actually dry them. I have a few "rat" towels (only used for that purpose) I put the hot/wet rats in the towel, roll them up and by the time I'm in the reptile room and unroll the towel, the rats are mostly dry. I like it that way because my snakes are on substrate, and this way less substrate sticks to the rats. I only have 6 to feed, though, so its not to much trouble.

Try a nice fresh frozen thawed one. Defrost it quickly using cold water, then the hot water (NOT boiling) a couple times...and def. try the holding the fuzz's head into the hide. Or leaving it if no strike. If you can, get a rat fuzz, too. Mice fuzzies are seriously tiny and I find that snakes have a harder time moving something tiny down their throat, as they cannot "walk" their teeth along it.

If none of that works, though...time to move it up to live or vet visit...

Good luck :)

Most of my snakes are on substrate as well. I used to dry the rats off a bit but over time I found the rats didn't really pick up much substrate and now feed them after letting the water drip off briefly before offering them. I think what usually happens is when my snake strikes the rat they quickly wrap them up and squeeze the water off of them. By the time they start eating the rats have had most of the water squeezed off.


How often have you been offering food? Trying often can add to stress and turn them off even more. I always stuck to the regular feeding schedule.

i have a 55 gallon aquarium that is 36 by 18 by 24 tall but I'm trying to figure out the heat bulb watt size and a heating pad for heat before i get anything any ideas

i have a 55 gallon aquarium that is 36 by 18 by 24 tall but I'm trying to figure out the heat bulb watt size and a heating pad for heat before i get anything any ideas it would really help looking into a bp and need to know something to setup

I would lower the hot side as it seems a bit high. I don't like saying this as it can be hard to know for sure that nothing is medically wrong, but I usually don't worry about a Ball Python not eating especially right after acquiring it. They can be picky anyways and adding the stress from the move can make it worse. Just monitor the snake and make sure it isn't losing weight. If it is then consult a reptile veterinarian. Continue to offer feed on a routine basis whether it eats or not.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk