My suggestion on how to get ANY ball to eat

Hey guys.

Now, I dont have a ball python. I have a blood.

BUT even after my FIRST feeding of a snake in over 4 years (what I mean is I had a 6 foot corn 4 years ago), I can already see something interesting

This blood python has been wioth me 3 days and we have moved the tank several times due to space issues, and its obviously stressed.

BUT it still ate.

And heres why I think it did:

I put warm water in a ziplock baggie and put the mouse in to thaw. you will know its atleast getting fairly thawed when it floats to the bottom

Next, take it out and put it under a infrared heat bulb (or just put it onto the top of the enclosure)

If you have a screen top, put it right over where the entrance to your snakes hide is.

The water that covered the mouse/rat will drip there and will drive your snake crazy for food!

Heat it up using a blow dryer now if you havent got a heat bulb.

put it in and I am sure any fussy eater will take it



These are just my opinions, im going to try this several more times but this is generally a combo of pre-scenting and giving the thawed food item a heat signature.

double whammy

Anyway, from one newish snake owner to another, this is what has worked with me even with an EXTREMELY stressed snake. (like I said, I know ive only done it once, but after 1 or 2 more times it'll pretty much be confirmed in my eyes)

What if you feed live and feed rats you raise, then what? :P

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

What if you feed live and feed rats you raise, then what? :P

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Well then, you feed live and let the little snakey go to town :P :P :P

Your suggestion makes sense, pre-scenting and getting the mouse/rat to a good temp are great ways to trigger a snake into eating.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

Your suggestion makes sense, pre-scenting and getting the mouse/rat to a good temp are great ways to trigger a snake into eating.

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Thank you :D

your way works too LOL!!! :rofl:

Oh also, dont handle the mouse, drop it when the snake misses a strike then put your hand infront of the snake to pick up the mouse.

she almost tagged me thinking my hand was dinner

Only thing I would change is thawing the rat in warm water. This can cause the outside of the rat to thaw before the inside. When yu touch the rat it will be cold but really your cooking the skin.

I thaw at room temp for about 6-8 hours then place the rats in a ziploc bag in a bucket of hot tap water for about 30-45 min.

My balls are picky. If the rats wet, ain't touching it.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy78

Only thing I would change is thawing the rat in warm water. This can cause the outside of the rat to thaw before the inside. When yu touch the rat it will be cold but really your cooking the skin.

I thaw at room temp for about 6-8 hours then place the rats in a ziploc bag in a bucket of hot tap water for about 30-45 min.

My balls are picky. If the rats wet, ain't touching it.

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Yeah certain things can be changed. I thawed very well and I pushed around on the stomach to make sure the organs were properly thawed before feeding

Also about being wet, this also can be changed, you can blow dry it and rub itr down with some paper towels

Balls and bloods are two different snakes entirely, how many "my blood isn't eating" threads you seen lately? Those things are pigs, pretty much the opposite of a ball.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Balls and bloods are two different snakes entirely, how many "my blood isn't eating" threads you seen lately? Those things are pigs, pretty much the opposite of a ball.

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The point of this thread wasnt to say how "oh look they both eat the same"

no, it was to say, look ive had this blood for ONLY 3 days, and its EXTREMELY stressed, which could equate to a Ball python not eating/fasting

I then gave suggestions on how some new or newish snake owners may get thier ball python, or other snake, to begin feeding

Problem is you have no idea if the snake ate because of your method, or just because it's a blood and they are garbage disposals. I'm not real sure why you just didn't give the poor snake a week or two to acclimate rather than risk a regurge on an "obviously stressed" animal. A week without food isn't going to hurt anything and chances are high you could have just tossed a f/t rat in there and he still would eat just fine. A bp fasting is going to eat when it wants to and prescenting and heating the prey is the normal way to feed f/t anyways. People on here have prekilled, brained, scented, live, waving it around, different prey items, everything under the sun possible and still not gotten a response from a fasting ball.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Problem is you have no idea if the snake ate because of your method, or just because it's a blood and they are garbage disposals. I'm not real sure why you just didn't give the poor snake a week or two to acclimate rather than risk a regurge on an "obviously stressed" animal. A week without food isn't going to hurt anything and chances are high you could have just tossed a f/t rat in there and he still would eat just fine. A bp fasting is going to eat when it wants to and prescenting and heating the prey is the normal way to feed f/t anyways. People on here have prekilled, brained, scented, live, waving it around, different prey items, everything under the sun possible and still not gotten a response from a fasting ball.

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Okay first of all, you know nothing of my situation

If you have seen any of my other threads or bothered gazing at them for 1 second you would realize the blood python I got had been roaming the tank for the 2 nights that ive had her

she was hunting

she was obviously hungry


so I fed her

I dont care what anybody says, if a snake is roaming and hungry at night EVEN after you JUST got them, you can feed them. (again, this is my opinion)

however, it would be STUPID to offer food if they WEREN'T hunting around in thier enclosure and weren't hungry. then you would be correct. but your not in this case

And i never said my suggestion is 100% fool proof.

Please take your negativity elsewhere

also forgot to mention, these suggestions are for new - newish snake keepers such as myself. from one to another.

These, AGAIN are just starting suggestions to people who own a new snake. Doesn't matter what it is to be honest, ball python, blood, retic ect (but, mainly ball pythons :) )

I have to agree with GoingPostal. It's not a ball python, and it was hungry to boot, so this doesn't apply to a fasting ball python.

They are good tips, but just because it worked on hungry blood doesn't mean it will work on ANY ball.

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

I have to agree with GoingPostal. It's not a ball python, and it was hungry to boot, so this doesn't apply to a fasting ball python.

They are good tips, but just because it worked on hungry blood doesn't mean it will work on ANY ball.

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Heres where I agree, as I said never said it would work 100% and never said feeding habits would be the exact same.

This is all subject to the animal you have and what type you have, like blood vs ball. BUT what I will say is I believe this can work no matter blood or ball. I dont think its always 100% needed to..

like for example jump to braining ect.

and the more experienced people would already have these tricks down. but a new owner or newish owner like me may find these tips valuable. wether its a ball or a blood or whatever.

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

I have to agree with GoingPostal. It's not a ball python, and it was hungry to boot, so this doesn't apply to a fasting ball python.

They are good tips, but just because it worked on hungry blood doesn't mean it will work on ANY ball.

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Yes, I agree they are good tips... but doubtful my BP Nerissa would go for it, since she hasn't eaten in 8 months. And I've tried everything under the sun! :cool: (including a similar method to what the OP described)

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

Yes, I agree they are good tips... but doubtful my BP Nerissa would go for it, since she hasn't eaten in 8 months. And I've tried everything under the sun! :cool: (including a similar method to what the OP described)

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Yeah, this is where my suggestions are N/A

8 months.. wow lol. Gotta do something more drastic than what I mentioned? :O

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Originally Posted by MikeV

Yeah, this is where my suggestions are N/A

8 months.. wow lol. Gotta do something more drastic than what I mentioned? :O

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But isn't the subject of the thread:

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My suggestion on how to get ANY ball to eat

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?

That's a pretty bold claim - especially from someone who says that they have zero experience with ball pythons. ;)

But good tips, nonetheless, but not guaranteed to get ANY ball to eat.
;)

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Originally Posted by rabernet

But isn't the subject of the thread:

?

That's a pretty bold claim - especially from someone who says that they have zero experience with ball pythons. ;)

But good tips, nonetheless, but not guaranteed to get ANY ball to eat.
;)

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Yeah bad title on my part

My bad :)

LOL

ive done it several times already :rofl:. Making good thread titles isnt my strength

Those methods, pre-scenting and proper thawing, are common techniques. Not to be rude or anything but your suggestion is nothing new.

Blood pythons are known for eating just about anything, whether you pre-scent or not.

Pre-scenting and/or heating up the rat to a higher temperature will not usually get a picky ball python to eat as those were probably the methods used to feed the snake when it would normally eat.

Good tips for new owners who don't know how to properly present the food to their snake, but not the best tips for getting a picky or fasting ball python to eat.

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Originally Posted by MikeV

Yeah bad title on my part

My bad :)

LOL

ive done it several times already :rofl:. Making good thread titles isnt my strength

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I think it was poor choice to put it in the Ball Python Husbandry section as well. Feeding response and husbandry of the two species mentioned are different.

As others have said, it may be something a new owner could try, but I have very little faith that it would work for Balls.

Just my .02,