I'm New!

ok, ya, i wont touch him for a while after he eats. I guess i will wait until Thursday when i try and feed him again to take him out and handle him just to put him in a seperate place to feed him, and then once he has eaten, i will take you up on the suggestions and do different handling times per week. Also, when do you know to increase the amount of food i am giving him? Thats if i can even get him to eat!

oh ya, and he pooped! good sign right? it was big!!!

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Originally Posted by sp1133

oh ya, and he pooped! good sign right? it was big!!!

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Lmao, I think he'll deff. be a lil hungrier :D

from what ive heard, putting them in a diff tank to eat because they will bite you in their own cage is a myth, i guess whatever blows your hair back though, give us some info, what size is he? what ae you trying to feed him, etc, everything is in the details, another suggestion if you can't get him to eat, try feeding at night, they love to hunt at night if your feeding live

I personally didnt handle mine for 2 straight weeks until he ate for me. Get the husbandry down pat and i would suggest not handling until he does eat. Just because he "seems" fine doesnt mean he is. Since he is new I would judge fine on if he eats for you, but thats just me.

Welcome to BPNet and to the world of being owned by your ball python. :)

If you could describe your setup for the snake and a little about how big it is and it's feeding history that might help with some suggestions about getting it eating. It's suggested you leave the snake completely alone other than basic cage maintenance until it's eaten at least 2 or 3 times for you. You have about 20 years or more with this snake, so this settling in period as hard as it is to leave them be, it really is very worthwhile.

Ball pythons are by their very nature shy, nocturnal snakes. They can be gently handled but overhandling can lead to stress and stress is often expressed in a reluctance to eat. Feeding f/t is a learned response as they are naturally live prey eaters. They are also ambush hunters so feeding them in their home enclosure where they feel most secure, have their hides to use as "cover"...often helps a snake be a confident, aggressive feeder.

Refusing to eat really isn't a problem, it's usually a symptom of a problem. Things like overhandling, snake is not settled in well, husbandry is off, snake is ill, prey is a type the snake does not recognize, method of feeding is not the one the snake is used to....that sort of thing.

Did your snake pass a feces or a urate? Sometimes new keepers confuse that.