Tiny Hatchling

6 weeks ago I picked up a baby albino. The breeder claimed she had been feeding on rats and shed, and she was in shed again when I got her. She looked pretty tiny but I took his word for it. After a bad shed I started trying to feed her. I literally tried everything on the menu in the past month, but she just didn't seem to want to eat. I weighed her a few days ago and was not happy to see she was only 50 grams. I looked up some methods on assist feedings and went ahead with that. It went really smooth and she seems to be more active already and looks better.

What size are babies usually when they hatch? Is it even possible for her to be that small if she had been feeding? I sort of feel like i was mislead and was sold a problematic hatchling. I got a good deal on her so it was sort of expected, i guess.

50+ grams is o.k. for right out of the egg, but if she has supposedly been feeding I'd think she'd be a little heavier. What was her hatch date? What was her hatch weight? Have you talked to the breeder you got her from? A pic would be helpful in determining if she looks skinny or not...

ask the breeder for her hatch date and hatch weight. its possible she was a twin or came from a boob egg and hatched at 35 grams or something.

Also.. if you've tried "everything" to get her to eat in the past month you're trying too much too fast. Slow down.

A live mouse hopper will usually get them going. Feed at night, in a dark quiet room and don't pester her. Check on her every 45 mins or an hour to make sure she is ok. and PRE SCENT. that way she starts getting into the feeding routine.

For more help, what are you housing her in, what are your hot/cool/ambient temps, what is humidity, what are you using to measure all this with, what are her hides, etc.

I haven't been able to contact the seller. I believe she was hatched in November. While trying different methods I had tried leaving her for a week then proceeding with pre scenting and introducing a live mouse hopper at night in the dark and leaving her. I found them cuddled up together approximately 45 mins later.

Anyway here are some pictures of her 48 hours after I assisted her with feeding, she looks alot better then she did before that.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...1/p1070375.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...1/p1070183.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...1/p1070157.jpg

My new boy did the same thing, the first rat I tried to feed him, him and the mouse also cuddled up. He looks kind of similar to yours now maybe a lil thicker and longer, anyways, It took him 4 weeks to eat anything. His first meal was last Friday. Thats when he finally ate. Yours looks fine to me, they are very instinctual animals. When they are hungry they will def. eat. Keep trying and I hope she starts feeding better for ya!

She could have been a very small hatchling. I had a hatchling last season who was not a twin but hatched out at around 35g. Of course, he didn't make it due to deformities but if she has been feeding on rat pinks or fuzzies then I could see her only being 50g if she hatched out small. You could try leaving her alone longer with the feeder. I have a bp that normally will not take f/t. Every time I feed f/t I have to simply put the feeder in the tub and I check the next day. It is gone by then. A fuzzy or hopper mouse will not harm your snake. You could try leaving it in for a few hours or even overnight.

What are her temps and humidity. It looks as if shes not drinking as her skin is loos and sagging. As long as shes eating she should rehydrate slowly. Whether its assist feeding to build up her confidence/strength she will get better over time.

Thanks everyone, I was worried for a while but I think she's going to be okay. I actually don't mind the experience for when I hatch some of my own.

She looks dehydrated to me.

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Originally Posted by Elise.m

She looks dehydrated to me.

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I do believe you're right. I hope the feeding will rehydrate her some, and I actually seen her take a drink recently. I think its getting better.

Yeah, feeding and drinking will fix that up quick. She's a cutie!

Don't have any new advice. Your snake looks beautiful. Hope everything turns out ok!

One time I acquired a really tiny (29g) hatchling. I received advice all over the board, but what made sense to me was to feed it meals that were a little on the small size, even for its tiny size, the idea being that any food was better than no food, and it would help build the snake's confidence. I went with that, and my "Tiny Baby" as I still call her, did and is still doing very well.

Here is a link to the thread I posted at the time. Some of the advice I received was in PMs and in person, but it will at least give you some ideas:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=75654

I don't think I mentioned it in that thread, but I got her from a breeder I trust, and was told she was eating fine, although I did not ask specifics about how many meals. So it is definitely possible for a "started" BP to be as small as yours.

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Originally Posted by kc261

One time I acquired a really tiny (29g) hatchling. I received advice all over the board, but what made sense to me was to feed it meals that were a little on the small size, even for its tiny size, the idea being that any food was better than no food, and it would help build the snake's confidence. I went with that, and my "Tiny Baby" as I still call her, did and is still doing very well.

Here is a link to the thread I posted at the time. Some of the advice I received was in PMs and in person, but it will at least give you some ideas:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=75654

I don't think I mentioned it in that thread, but I got her from a breeder I trust, and was told she was eating fine, although I did not ask specifics about how many meals. So it is definitely possible for a "started" BP to be as small as yours.

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Awesome, thanks a lot for the info.

Be patient assist feed til she starts looking good, it might take a couple feedings but as long as you do it right and the prey is small it won't be stressful. I hatched an ivory this season that weighed about 20g from an ugly clutch of small egg's he is now 65g and has been feeding on his own for a couple months. I'll check my records but I believe that I had to assist feed him about 5 times til he took a meal on his own.

And from the pic I'd bet that the meal you gave her was her first.

I did some investigating and found out she was from a clutch of 5 eggs, 3 duds, 2 good eggs, and one went bad. She was the only survivor, so that would probably explain something..

The assisted feeding was with a undersized mouse for sure. I didn't want to stress her out too much. It's been 3 or 4 days now, I'm going to try on the weekend and see if she eats. :please:

I just checked on her and she REALLY looks like she wants to eat. I may even try tomorrow. :)

wait a full week period.

I agree with Mike. You've got some food in her now. Don't stress her out by feeding too often.

alright, I shall wait till Sunday.

I had a similar problem. I purchased a little Pastel from a breeder I trust, but he and his other Pastel sibling weren't yet feeding. The whole clutch had shed, and everyone but the Pastels were on feed. The weather was getting really bad and cold, and I've had great luck with getting picky eaters to eat, so we agreed to have him shipped over. He didn't eat for weeks, despite my every attempt to get him fed. I had to assist feed, which went just fine, though he was a stubborn little guy about it. Two days after his first meal he was incredibly active, and four days after I offered a mouse hopper. It took him about ten minutes to get comfortable, but he grabbed it, killed it, and swallowed it down. I'm elated about how it ended up, and that he is now (knock on wood) willingly eating on his own. For reference he was 43 grams on arrival from the breeder. I hope it goes well for your little guy, but don't be discouraged. It takes some snakes several assist feeds before they get the idea. Good luck!

Cheers,
-Matt

Hey everyone just wanted to give an update. I tried feeding her a week later and she actually tried to hit it and missed and then didn't show any interest after that, probably being frightened I gave up for that weeks feed. This weekend I tried again and she hit it right away, perfect strike. I was so happy she was able to eat on her own. Hopefully i can get some meat on her. I do now believe it was her first time eating after I got her.

Congratulations. I hope she will continue to thrive for you..

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Originally Posted by nicktreb

Hey everyone just wanted to give an update. I tried feeding her a week later and she actually tried to hit it and missed and then didn't show any interest after that, probably being frightened I gave up for that weeks feed. This weekend I tried again and she hit it right away, perfect strike. I was so happy she was able to eat on her own. Hopefully i can get some meat on her. I do now believe it was her first time eating after I got her.

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Great to hear.;)

Congrats! That's great news.