Not Eating

Okay, I am babysitting a 7-8 week old ball python. The owners bought him on Halloween and were told he was 2 weeks old. They fed him a f/t mouse fuzzy soon after bringing him home and he hasn't eaten since. He is 56 grams and 15 inches long. I brought him home last night and will attempt to feed him an african soft fur rat on Saturday so he has a little time to settle into his new cage. Since he hasn't been eating I can't decide whether to try feeding him in his cage or out of his cage. I'm pretty sure he has not shed since his owners have had him. They told me he is pooping and drinking just fine. I did observe him drinking last night. Here is a picture of the little guy. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on convincing him he wants to eat. Thanks!
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/DSCF8252.jpg

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Originally Posted by OgleRpets

Okay, I am babysitting a 7-8 week old ball python. The owners bought him on Halloween and were told he was 2 weeks old. They fed him a f/t mouse fuzzy soon after bringing him home and he hasn't eaten since. He is 56 grams and 15 inches long. I brought him home last night and will attempt to feed him an african soft fur rat on Saturday so he has a little time to settle into his new cage. Since he hasn't been eating I can't decide whether to try feeding him in his cage or out of his cage. I'm pretty sure he has not shed since his owners have had him. They told me he is pooping and drinking just fine. I did observe him drinking last night. Here is a picture of the little guy. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on convincing him he wants to eat. Thanks!
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/DSCF8252.jpg

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If you are "babysitting" this little one, I wouldn't suggest changing to ASF's unless the owners want to feed ASF's. If he has already eaten a mouse, let him settle in for a few days or so with you, let him get comfortable, minimal handling so you don't stress him out. He's very young so he will get stressed out easily.

Stick with the f/t mice, I thaw mine out with a ziploc bag and hot water, weigh it down with a butter nice or something and leave it for about 20 minutes, add more hot water for another 10 minutes or so and it should be nice and thawed out at that point. Also, try thawing the rodent out near the snake as the snake will get the scent of the rodent and allow him to go into feeding mode, grab some tongs and just kind of move it around a bit to make it look "alive" technically speaking, keep it about 3 inches away from his face and let him come to the rodent.

Trust me patience will be needed with ball pythons!

Cheers

They said they didn't care what he ate as long as he ate. Luckily though, I do have some mice fuzzies in the freezer. I'm working on convincing all my snakes that they want to eat frozen thawed so far most of them are doing just fine except for my bps they only want live.

He seems to be having fun in his 10 gallon, he has been roaming around off and on and right now is on. He is climbing all over his cage.

Do you think an in cage or out of cage feeding would be best to try first?

Cruising around the enclosure during the day time is a sign of stress. Ball pythons spend most of their time in hiding. Give him some time to settle in and no handling. I'm sure someone with more experience then myself will reply to this thread.

I'm sure he is very stressed currently, with his move and everything. He has settled into his hide as of now. I know his owners are very worried about him.

I'd be worried too, that's a pretty little pinstripe. I'm sure it was expensive, lol...

DO NOT FEED FROZEN. Hatchlings need to be fed live to establish a good feeding response.

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

DO NOT FEED FROZEN. Hatchlings need to be fed live to establish a good feeding response.

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That was something I was worried about. I have live asfs and live rat pinkies that I could use.

I agree with Flame, I would pick up a small mice fuzzies, and put them it in with him.

With the move i bet, that this guy is stressed out at this point.

Make sure his tank is nice and cluttered up. If you don't have fake plants in there, try crumbled up newspaper.

I agree with the live feeding. I have a baby pinstripe as well, and he's thriving on live food. Leave him be for 5 days, then try the ASF in my opinion.

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DO NOT FEED FROZEN. Hatchlings need to be fed live to establish a good feeding response.

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If this is the case, at what age do you switch a snake over to frozen/thawed?

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Originally Posted by Bhikku

If this is the case, at what age do you switch a snake over to frozen/thawed?

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you switch when you feel the sanke will still thrive with a good feeding response on frozen. He on frozen and becomes picky then you know to stay on live lil longer.

Sorry,

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

DO NOT FEED FROZEN. Hatchlings need to be fed live to establish a good feeding response.

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I have to call total BS on this one.

Virtually all captive bred BP's in the UK are started on frozen and eat perfectly well.

It might be easier to start them on live but it is absolutely not "needed"


dr del

My male hatchling ate f/t within 4 days of receiving him and has been enthusiastically eating them ever since. I think we were very lucky with that one. My new little female hatchling, however, refused her first offering of f/t. I am thinking we've got to go with live with her for awhile. My very minimal experience tells me it depends on the snake.

There is no evidence to support that all babies must be fed live. That is a false statement to make.

Can you maybe post a picture of the snakes setup? What are your temps? How are you measuring them? What are you using to control the heat source.

Wait one week from the day you put him in the new enclosure and then offer him a fuzzy. Pre-scent the room before hand and if possible, blast the mouse with a hair dryer for a few seconds before offering it to him. Offer it to him in his home enclosure preferably while he is hiding. Don't just shove it in his face. Let him smell it and then come out of the hide on his own.

Good luck!

If he would take it the rat pink would be better than the hopper.... I have a thing with my snakes if they dont eat they dont get handled until they do. Works for me if they are stressed not messing with em gives em time to relax and decide to eat when their next feeding comes

OK...they may not "have to eat live", but they are more likely to eat live. Get a live fuzzy mouse, put your snake in a 6 qt tub on Aspen bedding (100% must)and try and feed it at night. This will usually work if the temps are good. Since this snake is refusing f/t, you need to get it eating well before switching it back. Your best chance for that is to feed it live.:gj:

If you have live rat pinks I'd use those! better to get them started on rats early anyways.

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Originally Posted by Mike@OutbackReptiles

If you have live rat pinks I'd use those! better to get them started on rats early anyways.

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This is only the case if they eat right away. This snake may be starting to become weak from not eating. It's very small. It probably should be fed something small(mouse fuzzie) and then switched over to rat pups. They are much more likely to eat something with hair in BG's experience. This is why a mouse fuzzie is best.:gj:

Just tried feeding him and he ate a live hopper african soft fur within 10 minutes of being put into separate 27 quart container. He is now happily settled in his hide.

His owners are ecstatic and can't decide if they want me to let his tummy settle for a day or so and take him back or let me keep him and see if he eats again next week. I told them I thought he might be having space issues (meaning he is not ready for a big cage).

They are supposed to let me know later what they would like to do. :D

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Originally Posted by OgleRpets

Just tried feeding him and he ate a live hopper african soft fur within 10 minutes of being put into separate 27 quart container. He is now happily settled in his hide.

His owners are ecstatic and can't decide if they want me to let his tummy settle for a day or so and take him back or let me keep him and see if he eats again next week. I told them I thought he might be having space issues (meaning he is not ready for a big cage).

They are supposed to let me know later what they would like to do. :D

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They always have "space issues". They do much better in smaller enclosures where they feel secure. Even if they do eat, they'll eat better in a small enclosure most of the time. Especially when they are young.

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Originally Posted by OgleRpets

Just tried feeding him and he ate a live hopper african soft fur within 10 minutes of being put into separate 27 quart container. He is now happily settled in his hide.

His owners are ecstatic and can't decide if they want me to let his tummy settle for a day or so and take him back or let me keep him and see if he eats again next week. I told them I thought he might be having space issues (meaning he is not ready for a big cage).

They are supposed to let me know later what they would like to do. :D

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If he is eating where he is right now then I suggest leaving him there for a while. Maybe 3-4 feedings and then when he goes back to the original owners maybe he can stay in the same sized tub?

He is currently in a 10 gallon tank, he ate in a separate container. I just don't think he was ready for the rack tub that was bigger than a 20 long.

I called to tell his owners that he ate 2 ASFs today and she told me that he is my Christmas present. :banana: I'm so happy and excited that I don't know what to do!

Awesome Christmas present! I'm jealous of all these people getting morphs for Christmas!

congrats on that nice little pin!!!!!

Way to go! Congrats on your new x-mas present! My wife and daughters got me a High Contrast albino girl for my present! Whoo Hoo! It just goes to show that good karma, juju, whatever you want to call it comes back. You stepped in to help and in the end the reward was yours! Great Job.
Mike Kelly