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Usually you guage the prey size by feeding your snakey a rodent that's about the same size as the thickest part of her body.
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What Cody said, but at that size, generally small adult mice are going to be just the ticket. :)
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I have heard that fircefeeding can actually be more stressful to the snake than going without food, and it can lead to regurgitation. If I were to resort to it, I;d get some of that liquid food from a vet and use that; I guess they feed it via needleless syringe.
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I'm going to take him to the vet anyway; he didn't go for a live week old mouse today although I waited for 30-45 minutes. Had to whack the poor mouse myself. I hate doing that.
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Assist feeding was what I meant, but it would also be very stressful for him and I've never done it. I wonder what the other baby died of then, if not starvation?
I know this may be offensive, but not all babies are born to live. sadly many snakes do not make it, even with the best of husbandry.
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Am I the only one thats heard of assist feeding?
You don't shove the food down the throat, but you place it in the snakes mouth, and let it take it down.
Thats what the reptile shop did with my baby!
Not so much a good idea, and as Marla pointed out that is way to much moving around. I wonder if they (the petstore) knew the snake wouldn't eat on it's own before you bought it, that may be why they offered an assist feeding. When force or assist feeding many times the snakes' teeth become damaged and can at times become loose and cause a nasty abscess in the animals mouth.
I hope this may help.
Rusty
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Originally Posted by Rustysdragons
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Assist feeding was what I meant, but it would also be very stressful for him and I've never done it. I wonder what the other baby died of then, if not starvation?
I know this may be offensive, but not all babies are born to live. sadly many snakes do not make it, even with the best of husbandry.
Quote:
Am I the only one thats heard of assist feeding?
You don't shove the food down the throat, but you place it in the snakes mouth, and let it take it down.
Thats what the reptile shop did with my baby!
Not so much a good idea, and as Marla pointed out that is way to much moving around. I wonder if they (the petstore) knew the snake wouldn't eat on it's own before you bought it, that may be why they offered an assist feeding. When force or assist feeding many times the snakes' teeth become damaged and can at times become loose and cause a nasty abscess in the animals mouth.
I hope this may help.
Rusty
Hey Rusty, I have a question ... how soon do ball pythons start eating by themself? Do they ever need to be assist feed?!
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I think I can answer that. In all the knowledgeable sites I've read in the past 3-4 months(80-90% of that knowledge being from this site..thanks everyone :D) preparing for a ball python, I've always read that they can feed on their own right from the start. I mean, in the wild who would be there to "assist feed" them? lol. So yeah, usually right after they come out of the egg, you wait until they shed, then try offering them a prey item. You don't have to assist feed them. They already have the instinct to strike and coil and stuff. So next feeding time, don't bring him to the reptile shop or anything for feeding. Just thaw a mouse real good, put it under a light for a few minutes to up the body temp a bit so the snake will recognise it easily with its heat pits, and it should take it.(if it already hasn't been turned off from feeding with the "assist feeding" thing. :()
Hope that helps at all. And sorry if you just wanted Rusty's advice. I know Rusty's the best for the pro advice. I'm just a newbie. ;)
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a few tree boa shots
I know that out of a litter not everyone survives, but this was not my litter, I got them from a Swedish breeder. I got so many at once (16) that there might have been a couple of "rotten eggs" in there, as they were indeed very young and perhaps not that well started when I got them. But most of them have been doing great, and these two were just the smallest ones who perhaps aren't "supposed" to survive. I've prepared my mind for his possible death, but I still have hopes, let's see what the vet thinks.
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but I still have hopes, let's see what the vet thinks.
Please let us know what happens with the vet visit. I also hope these guys pull through for you.
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Hey Rusty, I have a question ... how soon do ball pythons start eating by themself? Do they ever need to be assist feed?!
Normally (From my experience) Bp's hatch and averagely within 7 days they have their first shed. Then they will begin to hunt. Of course that is only an average, there are always exceptions.
In certain situations an animal may need to be assisted in feedings. I would never recommend doing this without a properly trained vet to either do it for you, or instruct you in person.
Hope this helps
Rusty
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Originally Posted by firedragon
I've prepared my mind for his possible death, but I still have hopes, let's see what the vet thinks.
Definitely think positive! Keep us updated, i'm pullin for the little guy.
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