almost a successful feed!

I got my ball python almost a week ago, he is an 08 albino. I tried feeding him for the first time today and it was almost successful! I took him out and put him in a feeding container. First i just put the f/t adult mouse in the container with him. He struck and latched onto the mouse, held onto it for about 5 seconds and then just let go... I then used tongs to wiggle it in front of him and he struck but missed. After that he just kept trying to climb out so i put him back into his enclosure. I still had a feeling he might take it so i put the mouse on a paper towel in enclosure and left it in there. Came back an hour later and it was still there so i just got rid of it. He also was previously feeding on f/t adult mice before I got him. I am going to try again in a week next Monday, any suggestions please?

Kevin

Leave the snake in the enclosure and attempt.

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Originally Posted by Buttons

Leave the snake in the enclosure and attempt.

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Yeah, it could be stress from the move and its only been a week, so handling to move him/her may have caused him to be stressed. Also, if you watched, sometimes they may be shy

Second what they said. I'd leave it alone for a bit and try again. I had this happen once with mine as well, he got scared/annoyed/ashamed after three tries of not getting it and he gave up. I ended up braining the mouse (which I am convinced is something I hopefully won't ever have to do again) at the get-go when I tried a few hours later and that he got it.

If he's striking and missing, it might be because the prey's not warm enough. Heat it up with a hairdryer or warm it in warm-hot water.

=) Good luck!

Also, how did you warm the food? Maybe it was not warm enough. I would give him a few more days before you try and feed again.

Thank you for the replies everyone!

I am going to wait a week before trying again. I'll try not handling him before feeding him too. I want him to eat, but I also want him to become "tame" so he's not afraid when i take him out, but getting him to eat is obviously most important!

If I try feeding him in his enclosure next time, how should i do it? He is always in his hide, should i wiggle the mouse in front of his hide? Should i just drop it in front of his hide?

You can see the pretty little guy in my avatar!

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Swingline0.0.1

Also, how did you warm the food? Maybe it was not warm enough. I would give him a few more days before you try and feed again.

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I just left the mouse thaw for about an hour... maybe it wasnt warm enough like some of you mentioned.

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Originally Posted by nivek5225

If I try feeding him in his enclosure next time, how should i do it? He is always in his hide, should i wiggle the mouse in front of his hide? Should i just drop it in front of his hide?

Thanks!

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I just wiggle it in front of the entrance to the hide or about 2-3" away.

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Originally Posted by nivek5225

I just left the mouse thaw for about an hour... maybe it wasnt warm enough like some of you mentioned.

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After letting it thaw I usually put the baggy I thaw them in under hot running water to warm it up.

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Originally Posted by nivek5225

I just left the mouse thaw for about an hour... maybe it wasnt warm enough like some of you mentioned.

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Yep, thaw it out it in a tub of hot water and he will eat it.

I agree that your initial attempt was early. When I got my ball, he had been eating at best once every two weeks, which was not enough for his youth and size. I had had him for three weeks before I got him to eat, and yes, I was beside myself. I found that making sure the food was warm enough was really important. With smaller rodents, warming in hot tap water was OK, but once I got into larger feed (I'm feeding baby rats now) I wondered if I was getting the food warm enough. Sometimes I just couldn't get his attention.

So I tried something different. I poured hot tap water into a bowl, then microwaved the water (NOT the rat) to what the microwave deemed hot enough for coffee/tea. Then I immersed the rat, in a Ziplok freezer bag, in the steaming water. I used an infrared thermometer (which I originally bought to ensure his enclosure was sufficiently warm) to measure the temperature of the rat. When it showed to be in the high 80s or low 90s, I presented it - and he hits on it hard! I rarely have to present for more than five minutes, and sometimes for no more than thirty seconds (depending on his initial level of activity) and he's all over it.

I offer this as someone who initially had some challenges getting my ball python to eat. Initially, I think it was just the newness of his surroundings - arguably far better than the original, where he was in a pet store sharing a ten-gallon aquarium with another ball. But I still experienced challenges for a while, and I think the warming regimen has made a big difference. Remember, these animals track more through smell than vision. I present the food with a pair of hemostats (unlatched) and he snatches it free. Sometimes he misses the first time - not sure why that is - but I keep the rat in front of him, in motion, and he never fails on the second strike.

I know there are some people who swear behind having a separate feeding enclosure, but I never succeeded in getting him to feed that way. I've also never had a problem with him distinguishing between food and ME.

FWIW - an Old Hippie with a BP

Did you have all of the lights on when you were feeding?

Were you standing right over top of him/her watching?

I have had some take but when they see you they let it go because they get scared.. Also, if they let it go, just leave it in there, don't mess with it, they may look around for a bit before actually eating.

Cheers,

Mike

I put the rodent to defreeze only 30-60 minutes before feeding. I feed as late as possible.

I feed in the enclosure. Once they are thawed, I put them in ziplock bags and in hot warm water (no boil just hot water from the tap). My bigger snake doesn't refuse it. If they do, I leave them in the container and they are usually gone when I wake up. If it happens they are not, I put that rat under a lamp for a few minutes and offer it to another one. If not taken, it's trashed.

For the smaller one, I kinda do the same. But if they don't tag it when I present them, I put them under a lamp for a few minutes or even seconds (really close), mostly on the head and present it back right away to the snake. It will usually tag it, just giggle a little bit etc... If after a little while he doesn't go for it, I leave it in the container. If not eated the next morning, I reheat it under the lamp and offer it to another one. Just like I do with adults.

Hope this help !

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Originally Posted by piper

Did you have all of the lights on when you were feeding?

Were you standing right over top of him/her watching?

I have had some take but when they see you they let it go because they get scared.. Also, if they let it go, just leave it in there, don't mess with it, they may look around for a bit before actually eating.

Cheers,

Mike

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Yes, and Yes. That is probably exactly what happened, he grabbed the mouse, but then saw me and got scared! Next time i'll have to try warming the mouse more, and feeding in his enclosure at night.

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I wish i could try feeding him now and not waiting another week, i'm excited to see what happens!

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Originally Posted by nivek5225

Yes, and Yes. That is probably exactly what happened, he grabbed the mouse, but then saw me and got scared! Next time i'll have to try warming the mouse more, and feeding in his enclosure at night.

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I wish i could try feeding him now and not waiting another week, i'm excited to see what happens!

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An hour of just plain air-thawing doesn't sound like enough. Make sure to feel the mouse through for any cold points inside. I suggest running it under hot water for about 20-30 minutes to get it pretty well thawed.

Once he grabs the mouse, just leave and turn off the lights. If he doesn't grab, leave it in front of the hide and come back in about an hour or so.

Ah, one more thing, it may be the way you're wriggling it--my newly acquired female gets scared it if I'm dangling it but will go for it if I'm shaking it side to side, or "walking" it on the floor. There also seems to be less of a miss as well when it comes to striking--although I don't know if this is simply an individual characteristic.

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Originally Posted by p3titexburial

Ah, one more thing, it may be the way you're wriggling it--my newly acquired female gets scared it if I'm dangling it but will go for it if I'm shaking it side to side, or "walking" it on the floor. There also seems to be less of a miss as well when it comes to striking--although I don't know if this is simply an individual characteristic.

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Yes, I find it helpful to add an audible cue by dragging the rat's feet across the astroturf along the bottom of the enclosure. I concur that dangling didn't work for me - hey, since when do rodents fly? :D