Will a BP starve itself to death?

I'm starting to get a tiny bit anxious because of all the threads and care sheets and what not that talk about how difficult a BP is to convert from live to f/t.... When I bought her yesterday, the people at the pet store told me she (I've decided to name her Artemis) wouldn't eat f/t. I just assumed that that was because they were a petstore and besides 6 baby bp's, they had all the other animals to care for and couldn't stand around for hours dangling dead mice in front of snakes... I also thought that surely I could wait her out, I mean, starving dogs eat sheet rock and gravel, so SURELY a snake would eventually eat it if it got hungry enough.... But am I wrong? WILL a snake literally starve itself to death before it will eat an f/t if it REALLY doesn't want to? I mean, I suppose I wouldn't have a problem eventually (I would really have problems at first) feeding live to it, my parents would probably disown me because the f/t thing was one of the only selling points that convinced them to let me have one.... I am an animal lover and though it would hurt me a LOT I could feed live if it absolutely came down to that or death for my beautiful Artemis..... But..... That would be my last choice.... What do you think.... And please be nice, I don't want to read "If you don't want to feed live animals to something, why'd you get a carnivore?" People don't want to feed live chickens and fish to their cat, but they don't have a problem with owning THAT carnivore, they just found a way around it.... I was of the understanding that snakes could and would eat f/t when I decided I wanted one 8 years ago. And let me reiterate something, I will not let my snake starve herself to death or go without food, but I would really hate to have to feed her live, but I WILL do it if it's the only course of action available....

I am sure some one with more expirience will chime in soon, but i have heard Bps will starve them self if not comfortable. So check you temps hides ect. Also make sure you are heating the mouse up enough for bp. So tips i read before was to warm it up with a hair dryer or warm water. Another was not to dangle it by its tail but some where on the back. <-- might want some one to try and clarify this because im not to sure about it. Well i hope this helps, im also new and learning the ropes of hunger strikes.

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

I'm starting to get a tiny bit anxious because of all the threads and care sheets and what not that talk about how difficult a BP is to convert from live to f/t.... When I bought her yesterday, the people at the pet store told me she (I've decided to name her Artemis) wouldn't eat f/t. I just assumed that that was because they were a petstore and besides 6 baby bp's, they had all the other animals to care for and couldn't stand around for hours dangling dead mice in front of snakes... I also thought that surely I could wait her out, I mean, starving dogs eat sheet rock and gravel, so SURELY a snake would eventually eat it if it got hungry enough.... But am I wrong? WILL a snake literally starve itself to death before it will eat an f/t if it REALLY doesn't want to? I mean, I suppose I wouldn't have a problem eventually (I would really have problems at first) feeding live to it, my parents would probably disown me because the f/t thing was one of the only selling points that convinced them to let me have one.... I am an animal lover and though it would hurt me a LOT I could feed live if it absolutely came down to that or death for my beautiful Artemis..... But..... That would be my last choice.... What do you think.... And please be nice, I don't want to read "If you don't want to feed live animals to something, why'd you get a carnivore?" People don't want to feed live chickens and fish to their cat, but they don't have a problem with owning THAT carnivore, they just found a way around it.... I was of the understanding that snakes could and would eat f/t when I decided I wanted one 8 years ago. And let me reiterate something, I will not let my snake starve herself to death or go without food, but I would really hate to have to feed her live, but I WILL do it if it's the only course of action available....

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i dont think a bp would starve itself, as one of the methods of switching a bp from live to f/t is "tough love" which is basically, attempt f/t one week, if it doesnt accept, try again the next week, and so on until it accepts f/t. i imagine it'll just give up and take wut it can get at some point.

and well, although the pet stores might not have time to dangle a dead mouse in front of a snake bc of the other animals, i imagine u have better luck :gj: YOU can spend the extra time switching to f/t, dangling a dead mouse in front of it. GL on ur attempts btw. they can be very stubborn :P

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Originally Posted by j_kszb

I am sure some one with more expirience will chime in soon, but i have heard Bps will starve them self if not comfortable.

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this has some truth to it, they will sometimes refuse to eat bc they do not feel secure enough to eat, which can be a result of por husbandry.

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Originally Posted by j_kszb

Another was not to dangle it by its tail but some where on the back. <-- might want some one to try and clarify this because im not to sure about it. Well i hope this helps, im also new and learning the ropes of hunger strikes.

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by "the back" u mean the scruff :gj: where the spine is (behind the neck)
for holding a dead mouse with tongs, i just grab it by its side fat, i find it easier to zombie dance that way :D

The reason I ask this is because so many people are like "my ball python hasn't eaten in 2 months" and some people say that's okay as long as the snake seems healthy and active still and not losing too much weight, but I don't know what is okay and what is TOO long and..... Just a little nervous. You can tell I've never owned a snake before, can't you? I'm probably going to be fretting over a LOT of things in the future................ OH!!!! another thing, when I got my snake, the bedding was this white little ball things that I thought was tiny gravel, come to find out, via Artemis herself, that it was in fact White Proso Millet!!!! OMG WTF? She had 4 little seeds stuck in her mouth, which I removed with some tweezers, the mouth looks okay, but a small blood spot where one had poked her, will she be okay? She's acting like she's feeling better though, she yawned a couple times and flicked her tongue a lot when I put her back in the tank and was generally more interested in the tank... Probably was hurting my poor baby's mouth!

A healthy BP will not starve itself to death but may go off feed for a while.

An unhealthy BP (notably youngsters) have been known to die after never eating, or get to the point where assist feeding is needed to give them a chance to survive.

99% of the time peoples snakes go off feed or don't eat because their husbandry is off. Two months is not a long time for an adult ball python. Breeding females will fast yearly for up to 8 months with no ill effects. It is mostly a problem when people get baby snakes and THEY go off feed. People don't know how to take care of them right and they get stressed and that can lead to sickness and even death.

If you want to double check your husbandry, post some details or a picture of your setup. We are all more than willing to help you refine your husbandry to prevent your snake from going off feed.

As for the millet seed, get the snake off of that and onto aspen, paper towels, or newspaper. I am sure she will be okay though as long as nothing is profusely bleeding.

Generally, over activity is a sign of stress. Slow cruising at night or around feeding day is normal. But day time roaming, climbing the walls, and general "get me out of here" movements are usually an indicator of improper husbandry.

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Originally Posted by h00blah

this has some truth to it, they will sometimes refuse to eat bc they do not feel secure enough to eat, which can be a result of por husbandry.



by "the back" u mean the scruff :gj: where the spine is (behind the neck)
for holding a dead mouse with tongs, i just grab it by its side fat, i find it easier to zombie dance that way :D

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I can see how this would help, lol, live mice don't hop around on their heads, so I'm sure a more horizontal prey shape would fool them into thinking it was more alive than it actuallly way, :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

99% of the time peoples snakes go off feed or don't eat because their husbandry is off. Two months is not a long time for an adult ball python. Breeding females will fast yearly for up to 8 months with no ill effects. It is mostly a problem when people get baby snakes and THEY go off feed. People don't know how to take care of them right and they get stressed and that can lead to sickness and even death.

If you want to double check your husbandry, post some details or a picture of your setup. We are all more than willing to help you refine your husbandry to prevent your snake from going off feed.

As for the millet seed, get the snake off of that and onto aspen, paper towels, or newspaper. I am sure she will be okay though as long as nothing is profusely bleeding.

Generally, over activity is a sign of stress. Slow cruising at night or around feeding day is normal. But day time roaming, climbing the walls, and general "get me out of here" movements are usually an indicator of improper husbandry.

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Oh, no no... *I* don't have her on millet, lord not, the PETSTORE did... I have her on aspen. I have her in a 10g tank with 2 small hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side, I have a large glazed terra cotta water dish to soak in (it's big enough for 3 snakes her size all balled up) I have a grapevine reptile limb thing for climbing. During the day she does stay in the hides, she only explored the tank today because she was soaking some and I noticed one side of her mouth looked funny (which was the millet)... I currently have a heat lamp which will be donated to my iguana when I get a heat mat which will be very very soon.... I also only have little stick on thermometers, one reads 82 and the other reads 78, but again, I don't know how accurate they are, I'm going to walmart in the next couple days and will get one of those acurite things everyone mentions..... I only got her yesterday and have not had to feed her yet, since they fed her yesterday (they SAY) so I don't know if she'll eat for me or if she's even that against f/t, I don't know, but I wanted to get some info before I freak out on feeding day and she doesn't eat or something... just trying to be prepared.

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

I currently have a heat lamp which will be donated to my iguana when I get a heat mat which will be very very soon.... I also only have little stick on thermometers, one reads 82 and the other reads 78, but again, I don't know how accurate they are, I'm going to walmart in the next couple days and will get one of those acurite things everyone mentions.....

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make sure u get a thermostat / rheostat or dimmer to control that UTH (undertank heater) and yes, stick ons are notorious for being HORRIBLY inaccurate.

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

I only got her yesterday and have not had to feed her yet, since they fed her yesterday (they SAY) so I don't know if she'll eat for me or if she's even that against f/t, I don't know, but I wanted to get some info before I freak out on feeding day and she doesn't eat or something... just trying to be prepared.

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i would wait a week anyways to let her get used to her enclosure before a feeding attempt. that way, she'll be hungry (which could increase ur chances of a successful feeding), and hopefully she'll feel more secure.


EDIT: the BP is not a climbing snake. it could potentially harm the snake if it climbs and falls. u can always swap that out for some nice looking foliage! looks nice, AND it can clutter up an enclosure to add bonus security!

I'm going to go to bed, guys, any of your information will be read when I wake up, but please be gentle, I have this really bad habit of getting my feelings hurt EASILY and then end up not taking advice. I know this is a problem, but I can't help it.... Please don't just jump onto me, I know that some (or most, probably) of the things I have are the wrong things, but I was trying to cover the basics with a salesperson hovering and my stepdad in a hurry to get out with the snake before he changed his mind... I tried my best to get good stuff, I know I could have done better, but I was really excited and didn't want my stepdad to change his mind suddenly so I was picking the first things that did the job i needed (heat, temp gauge, hides, climbing, soaking, tank, topper, and substrate).... I know I wasted a lot of money, but that's my lesson, don't be too hard on me... Although I WANTED a snake for 8 years, my parents were vehement in their NO answer, so I didn't have any hope and didn't DO 8 years of research, only here and there, just basic stuff you know....

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Originally Posted by h00blah

make sure u get a thermostat / rheostat or dimmer to control that UTH (undertank heater) and yes, stick ons are notorious for being HORRIBLY inaccurate.



i would wait a week anyways to let her get used to her enclosure before a feeding attempt. that way, she'll be hungry (which could increase ur chances of a successful feeding), and hopefully she'll feel more secure.


EDIT: the BP is not a climbing snake. it could potentially harm the snake if it climbs and falls. u can always swap that out for some nice looking foliage! looks nice, AND it can clutter up an enclosure to add bonus security!

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Well I saw on a LOT of care sheets that they needed SOMETHING to climb and rub on when they shed, so I just kinda stuck it in there, she seemed to like going over in to break up the terrain, but I suppose a plant could break it up too...

Wow I'm suddenly feeling like the worst ball python beginner ever..... Gee... lol... low self esteem combined with slight set backs really put a wallop on you...

EDIT: Depressed moment over, I'm not the worst... I could have her in a tank with sand and no soak bowl and... no hides and... a heat rock... I COULD not care enough to ask about her and her set up and feeding her.... I probably COULD use her as a trophy pet just to show everyone how cool I am..... BUT I don't, so I'm doing ok... Just got some of my info from the wrong source... I'm willing to fix it too.

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

Wow I'm suddenly feeling like the worst ball python beginner ever..... Gee... lol... low self esteem combined with slight set backs really put a wallop on you...

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omg, at least u started with a 10 gallon and two hides!!

i started with a 40g, 1 hide, 1 uth (with no t stat), stick on thermometers, a heat lamp, and he was right next to my walk in closet (high traffic area)

not to mention he was in shed, and had stuck shed (bc i didnt really care bout humidity) and retained eye caps, causing him to go off feed (due to stress)

u started well, and ur making appropriate adjustments

ur well on ur way :gj:

not to mention u found us =D

Here's another question, should I reset my "leaving her alone week"? Since I DID have to handle her today to get the seeds out of her mouth, do you think I should wait until a week from TODAY or a week from YESTERDAY when I actually got her before I start handling and/or attempting to feed her etc.? Just wondering if it mattered.

ADD: Okay, maybe i'm not going to bed just yet, haha... Stinkin' addictive forum!! And thanks so much for being so patient and kind to me, I am always imtimidated when I decide I want to join a forum, I think the Veterans will think I'm so stupid and say mean things (or things perceived by my apparently sensitive sensibility as mean anyway) to me about how I'm doing.... I really AM trying to do the best for them I can and it does hurt my feelings when people talk down to me or talk like I'm really ignorant... this hasn't happened in any forum but in a reply to an email I sent to someone about dogs.... It really upset me and even though the information might have been good, I got hurt and deleted it without reading it all....

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

Here's another question, should I reset my "leaving her alone week"? Since I DID have to handle her today to get the seeds out of her mouth, do you think I should wait until a week from TODAY or a week from YESTERDAY when I actually got her before I start handling and/or attempting to feed her etc.? Just wondering if it mattered.

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some ppl do, and some ppl dont.

IMO, i would just wait til the bp is on a feeding pattern. i didnt handle my new additions until after the 2nd feeding with me. i dont really handle my QT animals often after purchasing the. i dont have a large collection, but that just makes each one more precious to me ;)

but ya, i would suggest 2nd feeding, others may say 1st feeding. its gonna be hard, but it'll save u AND ur bp some stress :gj:

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Originally Posted by h00blah

some ppl do, and some ppl dont.

IMO, i would just wait til the bp is on a feeding pattern. i didnt handle my new additions until after the 2nd feeding with me. i dont really handle my QT animals often after purchasing the. i dont have a large collection, but that just makes each one more precious to me ;)

but ya, i would suggest 2nd feeding, others may say 1st feeding. its gonna be hard, but it'll save u AND ur bp some stress :gj:

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Hey I have a large collection, and i still have issues on feeding some hatchlings, As i have posted on this forum as well. But we try not to handle them after the 2nd or 3rd feeding. If we do it is quick and just to clean or weigh the snakes.

Hang in there.
We got our live feeders on to f/t by placing a live in the cage to get a feeding response, like when they get alert and hone in on the prey, Then swap live with a f/t quickly and zombie dance it and about 90% of the time they take the F/t. We do that a few feedings and then they get use to eating f/t. hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by cornball252

Hang in there.
We got our live feeders on to f/t by placing a live in the cage to get a feeding response, like when they get alert and hone in on the prey, Then swap live with a f/t quickly and zombie dance it and about 90% of the time they take the F/t. We do that a few feedings and then they get use to eating f/t. hope this helps.

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hey thats a tip ive never heard before! VERY interesting :gj:

Hey you are actually doing a lot better than I did! And I researched so much stuff before getting a BP.

A few suggestions: Probably the most important part of shedding is humidity. I didn't see if you mentioned anything about it but I know it can be hard to keep up in tanks, especially with a heat lamp. At the home depot they carry aluminum tape. You can use this to cover 3/4th of the screen lid to help trap humidity. Leave a hole for the heat lamp though.

Also, cover the back and sides of the tank with some kind of dark paper to help the snake feel less exposed.

You are right about those stick on thermometers, they are junk and only good for getting a rough estimate of temps. Slightly higher or lower temps than recommended could make a BP go off feed. Good for you in going to get an accurite. They are really great for people who only have a couple snakes in tanks.


If you just took the snake out to do "maintenance", then just start the count from when you got the snake. After one week, offer food. If she eats, you can try handling her 48 hours after she ate (so you don't trigger a regurgitation). Hold her for short periods of time at first, 10 minutes or so. After she starts feeding consistently and has a strong feeding response, then you could start holding her more.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Hey you are actually doing a lot better than I did! And I researched so much stuff before getting a BP.

A few suggestions: Probably the most important part of shedding is humidity. I didn't see if you mentioned anything about it but I know it can be hard to keep up in tanks, especially with a heat lamp. At the home depot they carry aluminum tape. You can use this to cover 3/4th of the screen lid to help trap humidity. Leave a hole for the heat lamp though.

Also, cover the back and sides of the tank with some kind of dark paper to help the snake feel less exposed.

You are right about those stick on thermometers, they are junk and only good for getting a rough estimate of temps. Slightly higher or lower temps than recommended could make a BP go off feed. Good for you in going to get an accurite. They are really great for people who only have a couple snakes in tanks.


If you just took the snake out to do "maintenance", then just start the count from when you got the snake. After one week, offer food. If she eats, you can try handling her 48 hours after she ate (so you don't trigger a regurgitation). Hold her for short periods of time at first, 10 minutes or so. After she starts feeding consistently and has a strong feeding response, then you could start holding her more.

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Well right now I have a mutilated 3 ring binder and a bit of scrap plastic covering the top of the tank.... I sprayed the tank a bit when she was soaking today just to see how the humidity was doing (I don't have a humidity gauge, I didn't know or think at the time that I would need one with a snake....) Anyway just a spritz or two from the tank and the glass was moderately foggy for a good 60 minutes before it was burned away.... Plus the bowl I have is HUGE not even kidding you on that one... haha. I bought the bowl as an after thought after the cashier had rung everything else up, the snake was in the box I made mom hold it up front and I RAN back to the dog section and got a big heavy bowl, but I vastly over estimated my snake's size.... oh well, she'll just get to use it longer I guess...

LOL

when u get a chance:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=63

pictures are like crack to us :please:

OH OH!!! I also got a little suction cup and one of those pocket memo book spiral bound jobbies and a highlighter so I could write notes on, I could highlight things of interest that need to be watched (like I could highlight if she DID or DID NOT eat and when she's shedding and I can make notes of how she shed and eye caps and such and I suction cup hung it to the outside of the tank, good idea, huh?

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

OH OH!!! I also got a little suction cup and one of those pocket memo book spiral bound jobbies and a highlighter so I could write notes on, I could highlight things of interest that need to be watched (like I could highlight if she DID or DID NOT eat and when she's shedding and I can make notes of how she shed and eye caps and such and I suction cup hung it to the outside of the tank, good idea, huh?

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here ya go :gj::
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=98457

I don't have a printer, so I can't actually print the sheet off, but I can model my notes after it, haha... Many thanks though, because I was just kind of randomly jotting things down and didn't know how I was supposed to really do it... Just knew it was a good idea ;D

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

I don't have a printer, so I can't actually print the sheet off, but I can model my notes after it, haha... Many thanks though, because I was just kind of randomly jotting things down and didn't know how I was supposed to really do it... Just knew it was a good idea ;D

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i dont have one either lol, but i just write that stuff in a lame little old school notebook LOL. then i just fill in the blanks.
works for me :D

A snake will starve itself to death.
However, I don't blame the snake, I blame the caretaker.

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Originally Posted by h00blah

i dont have one either lol, but i just write that stuff in a lame little old school notebook LOL. then i just fill in the blanks.
works for me :D

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Now I'm wishing I hadn't mutilated that binder!!!! :rofl::weirdface hehe... Oh well, they're fairly cheap and I probably have a notebook laying around ANYWAY.... alright, now it IS time to go to bed, now that I'm assured the community likes me for the most part and I AM doing an okay job with Artemis, her doom is not imminant as of this second... Just got some things to tweak.... Thanks everyone sooooo so much, I swear you guys don't know how truly happy and excited I am to have this snake, EIGHT years of literally begging them to allow a snake into the house and FINALLY they relent... I was so thrilled I felt like shouting (honestly, I almost did) I want to do as much right as I possibly can for my new girl (by the way, it's unsexed, but i'm not breeding and I don't know if I'll get it probed, so I don't know that actual sex matters much, I'm calling it SHE!!)

H00blah, in my introduction on the..... introduction thread... dunno where it's at, it's a sub thread on one of the main ones.... You should know, you've been here longer.... There's some pics of my snake and set up before I put the other hide in there... they are both small cardboard boxes, one I got the snake in and one they put the frozen mice in because mom didn't wanna see them lol.... They are REALLY small, but she seems to like them, because she goes in and out of them easily and she curls up in them and sleeps all day...

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

A snake will starve itself to death.
However, I don't blame the snake, I blame the caretaker.

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Thanks for the honest if not slightly pointed answer, I appreciate it, but like I said, I will feed her live if after some time and trying every suggestion she still won't eat.... I would just rather not do it... And apparently I'm not alone in my sentiments...

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

Stinkin' addictive forum!!...

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She's a fast learner...

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

The reason I ask this is because so many people are like "my ball python hasn't eaten in 2 months" and some people say that's okay as long as the snake seems healthy and active still and not losing too much weight, but I don't know what is okay and what is TOO long and.....

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My big girl Mona hasn't eaten since August 11th, and is still quite robust and healthy... she was out the other night, cruising around and acting just as "happy" as usual (she's a nice girl ;)). She started her fast at 2056g, and as of last week was a bit over 1900 - for a large BP such as herself, that's really not much of a weight loss, or so I've been told. Her situation is a little different since she's most likely on a seasonal/breeding fast, whereas yours (I'm assuming) is still a baby. But either way, they really can survive without food for a LONG time, and I doubt they'd starve to death. Just be patient, keep offering the F/T once a week, and don't let yourself get too nervous... I know how you feel, since I was there less than a year ago. :D

P.S. If your BP does end up refusing F/T, to the point where his health is endangered, you WILL have to deal with feeding live. As a sensitive animal lover myself, I was afraid that would be difficult for me... but you get over that real quick, especially when it's about your snake's well-being. Heck, now I kind of enjoy watching them eat live - it's cool, LOL. :oops:

Hi and welcome to BP.net!

If you haven't had a chance to review our caresheet here yet, there's a great section on "Why Won't My Snake Eat?", which gives you a list of potential problems that can cause them to refuse to eat (improper set-up, improper temps, over handling, etc) - which goes back to what Kaorte said, that most food refusals are husbandry related.

Here's the care sheet:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

I personally feel that ball pythons have gotten a bad reputation for being poor feeders, when, in fact, young ball pythons tend to be (as a rule) fabulous feeders once their environments are set up correctly.

The refusals that I experience are with sexually mature adults during breeding season, and even then, most of mine are so conditioned to my feeding routines, that unless they are gravid females, will only miss a week or two at most. My males ate right through breeding season.

The other refusals that I experience are with some hatchlings. I did lose two normal males last year, due to them refusing to eat, and my not intervening sooner. They "appeared" to still be healthy and active, and not particularly thin, so I didn't intervene sooner with assist feeding them. Lesson learned.

I've got two hatchlings right now, a normal male and a possible het clown female holdback that haven't "figured out" what to do with their prey, that I'm assist feeding.

BUT, with that said, a well started, feeding baby ball python should feed for you as long as everything else is set up correctly.

You may have to offer live for the first few feedings, and then work on converting him/her. I don't recommend the "tough love" approach for babies, only for juveniles or adults that have a good body weight established. Coming from a pet store, I'm assuming that yours is a baby.

Like I said, *I* will be willing (even if I won't be happy about it) to feed her live if it comes down to that and no other options.... What my MAIN concern is is my parents, they won't even let me feed live minnows to my turtles =/.... My snake is in my room so they don't have to watch, but I'm pretty sure they'll hate me AND Artemis if it comes to that.... Fingers crossed.... Oh, and I put some dark colored shirts around 3 walls of the tank, now only the front and top are open.... Well... even the top is mostly covered with the binder cover.... So only really the front she can see out of, so I think that will calm her down... What all different things can I use to make humid hides out of? Right now I'm using halves of a hermit crab sponge soaked in water, I tucked them inside the hides and she's laying her head on the one in the hide she's in. ^^ So sweet.... So is that okay, or do I need to get moss or something? I dunno, just read I needed humid hides....

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

Like I said, *I* will be willing (even if I won't be happy about it) to feed her live if it comes down to that and no other options.... What my MAIN concern is is my parents, they won't even let me feed live minnows to my turtles =/.... My snake is in my room so they don't have to watch, but I'm pretty sure they'll hate me AND Artemis if it comes to that.... Fingers crossed.... Oh, and I put some dark colored shirts around 3 walls of the tank, now only the front and top are open.... Well... even the top is mostly covered with the binder cover.... So only really the front she can see out of, so I think that will calm her down... What all different things can I use to make humid hides out of? Right now I'm using halves of a hermit crab sponge soaked in water, I tucked them inside the hides and she's laying her head on the one in the hide she's in. ^^ So sweet.... So is that okay, or do I need to get moss or something? I dunno, just read I needed humid hides....

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sphagnum moss. i used aspen in the tank that i had, i just left a very thin layer of aspen, then put the moss on top, then the hide on top of that. made sure the moss was damp, but not wet (if u squeezed it, water didnt come out)

That is a bit extreme of your parents. Everything has to eat. Are they all veg heads or something?

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

That is a bit extreme of your parents. Everything has to eat. Are they all veg heads or something?

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No, they are your typical hypocritical carnivorous "animal lovers" As long as they don't see the chicken they are about to eat while it's alive, they couldn't give a crap... They are just overly sensitive to the way nature is... Mom MAKES me change off the discovery channel if a show about carnivores hunting comes on.... They just can't do it...

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Originally Posted by ranapipiens89

Well right now I have a mutilated 3 ring binder and a bit of scrap plastic covering the top of the tank.... I sprayed the tank a bit when she was soaking today just to see how the humidity was doing (I don't have a humidity gauge, I didn't know or think at the time that I would need one with a snake....) Anyway just a spritz or two from the tank and the glass was moderately foggy for a good 60 minutes before it was burned away.... Plus the bowl I have is HUGE not even kidding you on that one... haha. I bought the bowl as an after thought after the cashier had rung everything else up, the snake was in the box I made mom hold it up front and I RAN back to the dog section and got a big heavy bowl, but I vastly over estimated my snake's size.... oh well, she'll just get to use it longer I guess...

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did you say she was soaking? She might have mites and that could be why she is soaking and not eating. I'm having a little bit of a hard time understanding this thread, but i'm super tired.

- check for mites (look under her jaw, mites love the scales under the mouth and around the eyes).

- if mites are found (and it happens :) ) get a can of Provent-A-Mite (also known as PAM but not the kitchen PAM), and follow the directions.

- bam, mite problem is gone.

- try covering 3 sides of her tank with dark paper. This will help her feel more secure.

- feed her 2-3 times on the prey they told you she was eating at the store, once she is feeding for you regularly, then you can play around with switching her to F/T.

- the most common mistake made when switching to F/T is not making the prey item warm enough. Just defrosting the mouse/rat dosen't work, it needs to be warm. You can search how to do that using the search feature. I find that a hair dryer on low does the job very well.

good luck with your girl and dont feel bad! you are here and learning and that is the best thing you can do for your snake :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

99% of the time peoples snakes go off feed or don't eat because their husbandry is off. Two months is not a long time for an adult ball python. Breeding females will fast yearly for up to 8 months with no ill effects. It is mostly a problem when people get baby snakes and THEY go off feed. People don't know how to take care of them right and they get stressed and that can lead to sickness and even death.

If you want to double check your husbandry, post some details or a picture of your setup. We are all more than willing to help you refine your husbandry to prevent your snake from going off feed.

As for the millet seed, get the snake off of that and onto aspen, paper towels, or newspaper. I am sure she will be okay though as long as nothing is profusely bleeding.

Generally, over activity is a sign of stress. Slow cruising at night or around feeding day is normal. But day time roaming, climbing the walls, and general "get me out of here" movements are usually an indicator of improper husbandry.

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What's your source to that statistic?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

did you say she was soaking? She might have mites and that could be why she is soaking and not eating. I'm having a little bit of a hard time understanding this thread, but i'm super tired.

- check for mites (look under her jaw, mites love the scales under the mouth and around the eyes).

- if mites are found (and it happens :) ) get a can of Provent-A-Mite (also known as PAM but not the kitchen PAM), and follow the directions.

- bam, mite problem is gone.

- try covering 3 sides of her tank with dark paper. This will help her feel more secure.

- feed her 2-3 times on the prey they told you she was eating at the store, once she is feeding for you regularly, then you can play around with switching her to F/T.

- the most common mistake made when switching to F/T is not making the prey item warm enough. Just defrosting the mouse/rat dosen't work, it needs to be warm. You can search how to do that using the search feature. I find that a hair dryer on low does the job very well.

good luck with your girl and dont feel bad! you are here and learning and that is the best thing you can do for your snake :)

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I'm sorry, Cinderbird that this is all confusing. I just got her on friday, day before yesterday, they told me that they had fed her that day, I don't know if that's exactly TRUE, but she did have a nice big belly lump. She seems to be pre or post shed, pink belly and one eye cap (the other eye is clear with no cap) I have NOT tried to feed her yet, as I'm waiting until next friday, which will be her next feeding day if information I received it correct, or at least it will be a week since I had her anyway and feeding time anyway. I am simply trying to do as much research and be prepared for as many situations as I possibly can be... Please bear with me.

ADD: I also have already covered the back and 2 sides of the tank with black and dark purple t-shirts, it's rough looking, but it does the job for now until everything smoothes over with my stepdad, he's livid that he spent nearly 100 dollars on the animal that he despises the most except for spiders... But he did it because I wanted one, so give him a little credit... he may not be happy, but I sure am!