Won't eat :(

We've had our ball python, Kaa, for a little over a month now, and he hasn't eaten since August 1, 2009. I've tried everything I can think of in terms of feeding him. I've left him alone for a week, then tried feeding him, I've tried blow drying the fuzzy to make it dry, I've tried heating up the fuzzy in chicken broth, I've tried dragging the fuzzy around the cage, I've tried leaving it there for hours, I've tried feeding him out of his cage, in the dark, everything I can think of. Any time I've tried feeding him lately, he smells the fuzzy, then starts slithering up towards my hand, like he wants me to hold him. Maybe he's just not interested in eating?? Any suggestions would be great.

Have you tried feeding LIVE? I guess I am assuming you are attempting F/T, but IDK.

My suggestion would be no contact whatsoever (making sure the enclosure is in a no traffic area of your home) for about 5 days, then in the night, with all the lights off, gently drop a live fuzzy or hopper in with your Ball, and walk away for a few hours.

Temps/RH type of housing... these are things we need to know along with if it's frozen thawed or pre-killed prey. How EXACTLY are you offering it... more details please.

i know this sounds like a stupid question.. but you are wiggling it around like its live right?
some balls wont go for the whole dead mouse thing. so as the post above says live would be an option.

Can you describe, in detail, your setup? A picture would also be very helpful.
temps? Humidity? how are you measuring the two? Heating source? Heating control? Substrate? type of hides and how many? Tank/tub size?

Usually snakes go off feed when their husbandry is off.

Sounds like you have tried everything in terms of offering prey, but not in terms of husbandry.

husbandry:
he has two hideaway's one on the cold side, the other on the warm side. the temperature is b/n 90-95 on the warm side using a red heat lamp and a heating pad under the tank to keep the bottom warm, the cool side just has a heating pad on low under the tank. i'm using the fake grass stuff they sell at pet stores that can be washed again, there are a couple of rocks, a log with some covering, and a water dish that is constantly filled.

yes i've tried wiggling it, i've also tried cutting up the skull and exposing the brain, it's a frozen fuzzy that i thaw. don't know if that helps. i've heard that using live prey can really scare the snake since they're used to eating thawed frozen prey. he's captive bred. i pick up the fuzzy with pliers, put it in the cage near the snake and then move it around, dragging it along the ground, up onto his log, around him, everything i can think of.

I guess if no one else can think of anything, live will be the last option...

Your set up sounds decent, but I would definitely offer live if he won't take a brained fuzzy. That's usually a good indicator that the f/t isn't cutting it for them.

When i bought my Bp they said it was on a F/T diet, but i couldn't seem to get etnie to eat f/t. So i was suggested to try live and he ate it with no problems at all.

ok, so then dumb question, what kind of live prey should i get? he's a baby so i don't know in terms of size. and also, where's the best place to get live prey?

What kind of thermometers are you using to measure the temps? Are you controlling your heat sources with anything? What KIND of hides are you using? Yes it makes a difference.

Can you maybe describe your ball pythons normal day to day behavior?

Hi,

Just one thing to rule out.

You said you had tried using a hairdrier to dry the fuzzy.

What temp was it when you offered it? I just wondered if he was moving towards your hand because that was the warmest thing he could see.

Also what size/ weight is the snake?


dr del

I think all the snakes I have had and seen would look at me as if I were on drugs if I offered them a fuzzy (they only seem to accept hopper+ for me)

Also you want the prey item to be warmer than you and than the environment. As balls need 80-90 degree surroundings on their warm side they need prey that is mid 90s and up, I find that one of my girls will only strike if the prey item is around 102.

when i warm up the fuzzy it's in boiling water, and then i used a hair dryer to just to get it dry. and the hides are a half log, and something i made out of cardboard. i'm using a thermometer on the side of the tank, and i would adjust it as i saw fit earlier on when i was trying to dial in the temperature. as for his daily routine, since i'm normally up when he is, he normally spends most of the day in his hide, or playing in the water, and when he comes out he comes out for 15mins to an hour and then goes back in. so he comes out and lays on the log to warm up, cools down in the water, just does that a lot. then at night he sniffs around the top of the cage (probably looking for a way out) and spends a good amount of time exploring. is that normal?

Before you try live, have you tried braining an f/t pinky? It's pretty nasty but it's a trick I learned from corns. =)

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by p3titexburial

Before you try live, have you tried braining an f/t pinky? It's pretty nasty but it's a trick I learned from corns. =)

Good luck!

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You must've not read the whole thread, he stated he tried that.

He might not be eating the f/t mouse if you warmed it up too much in the boiling water and cooked it. Just use really warm water, but not anything that's boiling. Also, half logs don't give the security a BP requires. Try getting some plastic bowls from the dollar store, or wal-mart and cutting a hole in the side of them.

Don't warm it up in boiling water, you will cook the mouse. Just use hot tap water.

What kind of thermometers are you using? You should be using a digital thermometer with a probe right on top of the UTH (on the glass).

You should also have two IDENTICAL tight fitting hides. Half logs just don't cut it. You need hides that are low and have a small opening. Rock cave type hides are best. One for the cool side and one for the hot side.

Reusable substrate doesn't really work so well. You can never fully disinfect it and it gets smell fast. Think about switching to aspen or paper towels.

A fuzzy is probably way to small for your snake. Hatchlings are started on hoppers and quickly move to adult mice.

Ah, no I did, I meant BEFORE trying live since someone suggested live first when the OP probably prefers to keep feeding f/t--considering if he tries modifying everything else.

Whoops. I see what you mean. Sorry. ^^;;;

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Originally Posted by p3titexburial

Whoops. I see what you mean. Sorry. ^^;;;

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Lol, no worries :P

i thought the rule of thumb for size of prey was the size of the snakes biggest part? if so, then it's the perfect size. i made a smaller hide for him on one side and i'll see if he likes that better. although, i still haven't gotten the answer to what live prey i should get? also, will feeding him live prey make him more aggressive towards me?

No, it won't make him feel more aggressive towards you. Once they get a set feeding schedule down and if you pre-scent the room, they know when it's feeding time and when it's not.

Just get live mice. Hoppers if you can, pretty much (I think) the ones that just started moving around.

i would try a live hopper mouse. they're small (so not too threatening), some snakes prefer mice, and if it is too small, at least u got her eating!! and that can only mean good things to come correct? lols =p

ok, so again, where is the best place to get said hopper? petsmart, petco, local pet shop?

Also, remember that they are called hopper mice for a reason. (little boogers can really move!)

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Originally Posted by balactm@jmu.edu

ok, so again, where is the best place to get said hopper? petsmart, petco, local pet shop?

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depends. where i am, petco / petsmart dont care live hoppers. altho, about an hour away, there was a petsmart that had them, but they were small mice.. some of the smaller local pet stores here carry hoppers tho. just gotta call and ask :gj:

I've called around to petsmart and petco to see if they carried live feeders, and the ones here don't. We have another little local pet store, they do. Check around your town to see if there's a local pet store, they might carry them.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Also, remember that they are called hopper mice for a reason. (little boogers can really move!)

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HAH, you're tellin' me! I've almost lost a couple cuz I was dumb enough to try and pick 'em up by the tail with the traveling box NOT over the tank. Oof. :rolleyes:

I just fed my 3 Ball Pythons tonight. Adult Mice From Petland live. Ive only had the 3 of them for about 5 days and i fed out of the tub racks in a seperate tub. Took all the First male a while to get attracted to the mouse and i had to dangle it with tongs for a min till he locked on lol. But once i dropped it he struck and nailed it perfect. Then the second male made me dangle the mouse he was too scared of it when it was runnin around. But he eventually struck and took it perfect. The female gave me quite a problem though. She struck at thsi mouse probably 20 times and just wouldnt constrict. Shes really aggresive though. And they werent defensive bites i wasnt dangling abover her id let her come to the mouse and she would strike and back off couldnt figure it out. She didnt end up eating though. I guess it really depends on your snake though i would forsure try live if your scared of the mouse hurting the snake dangle it with feeder tongs. You'll probably get a hit pretty quick.

Dangling a live mouse/rat doesn't really do anything. If you dangle it too close to the BP it'll make him/her nervous, and possibly scared. In my experience, the best thing to do is to drop it in, and let the BP's stalking instincts kick in. It's really fascinating to watch, too.

Try switching to live then preferably rat. But whatever it will eat. You can always try and switch back later once you get it up and running. Make sure you prescent and feed in the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by trott

Try switching to live then preferably rat. But whatever it will eat. You can always try and switch back later once you get it up and running. Make sure you prescent and feed in the enclosure.

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how does one prescent the enclosure?

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Originally Posted by balactm@jmu.edu

how does one prescent the enclosure?

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when you buy a live rodent, they should put it in a little carrier box with air holes...

For a tank: simply place the box on top of the screen or place it in the tank, on the opposite end from the snake. Make sure the box is closed good so the mouse can't get out. This allows the snake to smell the mouse and get into "feed" mode. They will usually come out looking when they are ready, or at least they will be very alert, with alot of tongue flicking in their hide, setting up the ambush. Once you see they are ready, you can either offer the mouse with tongs, or just let it out and let the snake do it's thing...

For tubs: simply set the carrier box w/ mouse in front of a fan, or use a blow dryer on the Low/Cool setting to blow the scent to the tub...


Good Luck

Rob