Need a littel help

I got my ball at the pet store and come to find out they had never feed him a day in his life and they had no idea how old he was . I found this out after trying to feed him and he had no clue what to do he was rubbing the pinkie like hummmm u are nice and warm ...lol .
So after 2 times of trying to feed him I called the pet store and asked them how he had been feed and what I was doing wrong and they said that he had never eaten for them grrrr they knewthis when they sold him to me and they knew I h ad never had a snake befor .
So they wanted me to bring him back so they could force feed him I said hell no u guys to not have a clue I am not have yal shove something down him . So I made some phone calls and found a girl that came highly recomended and she force feed him well she got him to open his mouth and after we put the head in he took over wraped it up and went to town with it .

So I would really like someone to look at him and tell me how old and maybe what kind he is
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/.../9/4/0_1_1.jpg

He looks like a normal to me. Pretty skinny.

Lets start off with this. One reason he may not eat is cuz hes stressed. This can be due to incorrect husbandry.

First off start by listing the following

What you keep him in.
His temps
His humidity
How you measure these
His hides
How your heating this enclosure

All these will be key to making sure he has the right things he needs so she is not stressed.

Why did u make 2 threads?

Better to just have 1 so all ur replies are in 1 and not scattered between 2 threads. :gj:

Given the time of the year it's probably a CH baby that was recently hatch so I would say a few weeks old.

I would avoid force feeding him, force feeding should be done as a LAST resort and only if the animal has been losing a lot of weight and his heath is in jeopardy, even than assist feeding would be more like than force feeding.

Getting an animal to eat can be tricky especially for new owners, and even more so if they have a very young animal on their hand, but it can be done a lot as do do with husbandry so here are a few tips.

You best bet this is very important if this animal has never ate is to keep him tight and keep him warm.

I would recommend keeping him in a 6 quarts, 15 quarts (max) tub with (1) or (2) 6 inches plastic flower pot saucers for hides, aspen for bedding and temps of 78-82 and 88-92.

Once setup leave him alone for 5 to 7 days (NO HANDLING) and than try offering a live hopper mice (feeding the snake in it's enclosure)

here is his home

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...013_357840.jpg

That tank is too big for him. What are you measuring his temps with? Do you have a warm side and cool side?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ryssa

here is his home

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...013_357840.jpg

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Way to big. And as stated in the first post this information is still needed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

What you keep him in.
His temps
His humidity
How you measure these
His hides
How your heating this enclosure

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80/85 warm spot and 75 cool spot humidty 50/65 I also do some basking light during the day for an hour or two

i have a digital thermo with in side out side probes , he has a hide it blends in in the pic , he also has a heating pad under the yank on one side

I would raise the warm side to 90-92 and the cool side to 80-82

Alright, this is about how you should set it up:

1. Hot side- 90- 94 degrees and cool side- 80- 85 degrees
2. Humidity- 50- 60% regularly and 60- 70% when in shed
3. Two tight fitting hide, with only a small opening to get in and out. Put one on the cool side and one on the hot, this is so they can regulate their body temperature.
4. Being so small, a tub is probably best for now or a ten gallon tank. Then you can use your tank once he/ she has become an established eater and is comfortable.
5. Heat lamps and UV lighting are not needed unless your ambient air temperature falls below 75 degrees.
6. Put the tank in a very low traffic area, vibrations could cause the snake to become scared and once again not eat.
7. Last but not least, you should not handle your snake until you can get it to eat on its own. Doing so could possibly stress the snake out and make it continue not to eat.

Good luck, and if you have any more questions just ask.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ryssa

here is his home

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...013_357840.jpg

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I can only recommend you to follow what I suggested previously to get your new BP to start eating on it's own, he is very likely to keep refusing food it's current enclosure, and given the probable age and emaciated look of this animal, I would not recommend waiting too long before making the necessary changes to get this animal on track.

The key is a tight enclosure, being warm and secure :gj: