My ball python isn't eating.

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Originally Posted by Leda

That mouse is gonna be a problem. I can see it already.
I laughed pretty hard today. At Christmas dinner my grandpa says "Do you HAVE to feed your snake, mice? Can't it eat hotdogs or something?".

Haha. It was pretty funny. Mostly because he was serious.

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Haha. My dad asked me if we could feed him chicken and also there was a gift under the Christmas tree for "The Snake," which was a rubber mouse. hah

thats wicked funny, my dad asked me the other day if i have ever had snake meat. sad thing was he was serious and i was holding both my new BPs! I said nothing in reply and walked upstairs to put them away. hes a hardcore texan, hes shot a few rattlesnakes in his days. I guarantee that he will inflict no harm on my snake.... I wish my grandparents were still alive... :salute::tears::snake:
good luck with feeding, i just got my bigger bp izzy to eat 2 small mice! so im happy first time hes eaten for me!

What was the deal about the mouse bitting the snake. That may have something to do with your problem. It is also winter and normal for off-feeding behavior. At any rate give it two weeks and try again, with feeding live if the snake isn't responding to the mouse within a minute of putting the mouse in there remove it and try again in two weeks. Just what I would do don't sweat a ball python going off feeding as it is common.

Chuck

WELL. The mouse died. >.>

Don't ask how. I don't even know. I had him in a :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: thingy with food and water. It was fine, then I woke up. Well. You know how it goes.

I'll buy her a new one next week or so.


Uh and does anyone know why uhh...

Like if I put my snake on my shoulder or whatever, it's like she's..."massaging" me. :confused:

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Originally Posted by Leda

WELL. The mouse died. >.>

Don't ask how. I don't even know. I had him in a :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: thingy with food and water. It was fine, then I woke up. Well. You know how it goes.

I'll buy her a new one next week or so.

Uh and does anyone know why uhh...

Like if I put my snake on my shoulder or whatever, it's like she's..."massaging" me. :confused:

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Did the pickle jar have air holes?

She's not massaging you, she's simply moving around on you and it feels like a massage.

If she's young, she should not be off feed. How often were you offering the mouse? It sounds like you were leaving it in with her for long periods of time each day?

Not eating is a symptom of a problem, you need to find out what it is.

• How often are you handling him and for how long?
• How often are you offering food?
• What are your temps and what do you use to measure them?
• How snug are your hides? They should be touching him on all sides when he's in them.
• What size is the enclosure?
• Is it in a high or low traffic area?
• How long did you allow him to acclimate?

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Originally Posted by Leda

WELL. The mouse died. >.>

Don't ask how. I don't even know. I had him in a :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: thingy with food and water. It was fine, then I woke up. Well. You know how it goes.

I'll buy her a new one next week or so.


Uh and does anyone know why uhh...

Like if I put my snake on my shoulder or whatever, it's like she's..."massaging" me. :confused:

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If you keep snakes you are going to have the occasional refusal. If you choose to feed live you need to plan ahead and have a proper housing set up for the rat or mouse to keep it over for a week or two. A pickle jar isn't going to be ventilated enough even with airholes to stop a very quick and nasty ammonia buildup, especially with a mouse in it. You can easily find a used ten gallon tank, buy a proper rodent safe wire mesh lid for it, a water bottle, a food dish and a bag of rodent food plus some bedding to keep a live setup ready for when you need it.

Bp's can go off feed for the littlest reasons...
My BP has been off food for over a month now, and it's not the first time! And it's because of the temps being all wackey. If they fluctuate too much or if you don't have a warm enough side.

But give ur snake time, and don't freak out. He/she will eat eventually as long as everything is set correctly. And only try once a week the same day, and try every day or two. That won't help!

I think ur rat died because it was in the pickle jar! LOL... I don't know why you would put him in a pickle jar! Even with holes in the jar lid, you would need a LOT of holes depending on the size of the jar I guess...
I once had like 5 little rats in a little rubbermaid container and I had drilled maybe 10-15 little holes (about the size of a pencil). And they almost died on me too. It was because they didn't have enough ventilation and the humidity levels inside the container went through the roof in less then 12 hours...
I opened the lid and they were all moist and smelly so maybe u didnt have enough ventitlation. But they did live!
Now I use little hamster cages...

anyway, Good Luck with ur snake and your rats!

Her hiding places are snug. She fits perfectly into them. Temps are all sufficient. I use a digital and regular thermometer to measure them.

I only put the mouse in there when I am able to spend time around the tank, because I don't want any biting to take place. (My friends unattended ball python got its EYES eaten out by a rat).

It was a really small mouse, in a giant, ventilated pickle jar. Haha. I didn't have some giant rat in a tiny pickle jar. I fed it, gave it water, etc.

As for my snake, I handle her everyday, it's been about three/four days in attempting to get her to eat, the only thing that's changed is her environment. She's had to switch tanks twice.

Stop handling your snake for a week and try feeding again. The new environment + your frequent handling is probably stressing the snake out. If by three/four days of attempting you mean that you offered the mouse 3 days in a row then that is probably stressing her out even further.

One week with no handling and no feeding attempts and I think you'll be alright given that the temps and humidity are accurate.

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Originally Posted by Leda

Temps are all sufficient.

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Sufficient? What are they?

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I only put the mouse in there when I am able to spend time around the tank, because I don't want any biting to take place. (My friends unattended ball python got its EYES eaten out by a rat).

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Wow, your friend left that rat in a LONG time for it to eat the eyes out of it's snake.

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As for my snake, I handle her everyday, it's been about three/four days in attempting to get her to eat, the only thing that's changed is her environment. She's had to switch tanks twice.

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Why have you had to change tanks twice? Did you allow her 7 days to acclimate after each change? Whenever any of mine go off feed - they don't get handled again until after they eat. Handling is for your pleasure, not the snakes. Try not handling her, let her settle in, and offer her a mouse again in a week.