Normal BP hatchling

hey guys so i've got myself a 3 day old little baby ball python that measures out to a good 16inches and since this hurricane irene has come i couldnt find live fuzzie ANYWHERE, i've got frozen ones and today i put him in a big big brown paper bag along with the thawed and warmed up fuzzie and after 20mins of being in a ball he finally moved around the bag and crossed right over the dead fuzzie without even noticing it practically.. should i be concerned? i know i should feed live as a baby but i feel bad that he hasnt eaten a single meal yet and he's only 3 days old

He still needs to shed. Give him a week.

Did you breed or buy him?

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Originally Posted by oliverstwist

He still needs to shed. Give him a week.

Did you breed or buy him?

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+1 :gj:

i bought him from a breeder who told me he already shed, he brought me two baby bp's and i picked this one because the other was in mid-shed, also said the other one nipped at him alittle, along with the fact that mine looked all nice and pretty out of shed so i just wanted this one

It really is not wise to buy a hatchling that has not eaten, unless you have experience with getting them to feed.

With that said, the hatchling should be in a 6qt tub, with water, hide, and a heat source on a thermostat set to 93*. No handling at all until it has eaten at least 4 meals consistently.

i only have the 10 gallon he is in to feed him, thats all, should i feed him in it? theres a small undertank heating and it stays around 80ish in there but i could put a lamp to pump it up alittle?

go to walmart tomorrow and get a 6qt shoebox container .99+ tax, the hactchling needs to be a small space, right now it is probably stressed out being in the 10g tank.

Take time out to read the hatchling care sheet in the BP forum

No heat lamp is needed for BP's

I really can't believe a breeder sold you a hatchling BP that has not had it's first meal.

You are going to have your work cut out for you, read read read through the BP care sheets, so you know to set up your tank when the hatchling gets older.

honestly i've been reading my ass off i went through all the FAQ's on this site i could find, and all the info i get on here is SO different from the stuff off google etc.

I have a converse shoe box? what exactly do you want me to do, leave him in the shoe box only and not in the 10gal? he seems to be active inside he climbs all over my fake bonsai tree and one hide has a undertank pad while the other has nothing the bottom is angelsoft toilet paper and the water bowl is about 2.5-3inch diameter with like 3/4-1" thick and he's dragged himself through it i've seen twice.

Alot of info that you may have googled is incorrect.

for now use paper towel to line the shoebox, put snake in shoebox, then place shoebox inside the 10g tank, secure the lid so the hatchling doesn't escape, it's no fun trying to find a snake that small.

Tomorrow get a plastic shoebox container at wallyworld for .99

and then? feed it in that? put a water bowl in it also? you're saying i should stop handling it altogether until it has eaten consistently? btw tomorrow ill be screwed, irene is really really getting feisty right about now, i see NYC from over the Hudson outside my balcony

The snake will be fine, lets get the husbandry issues fixed, then we'll move onto feeding.

6qt tub, lined in paper towel
water dish
hide, a small margarine tub will work
a heat source controlled by a thermostat

i've got a small (1-5gallon) undertank heater which is like the size of a large human hand, it would be a good week or two before i can get my pocket on some nice controlled heating pad that's large

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Originally Posted by llovelace

the snake will be fine, lets get the husbandry issues fixed, then we'll move onto feeding.

6qt tub, lined in paper towel
water dish
hide, a small margarine tub will work
a heat source controlled by a thermostat home depot sells light dimmers for like $10
also need a digital thermometer to know what the temps are

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x2

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Originally Posted by anthonyillmatic

and then?let it relax
feed it in that?In a couple days
put a water bowl in it also?yes, they need some water plus it adds humidity
you're saying i should stop handling it altogether until it has eaten consistently?YES........ they need to feel safe first

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HERE'S a great example of a tub setup.

I have to say what no one else has mentioned yet--this ball python can't possibly be only 3 days.

I've never had a hatchling shed out within 3 days of hatching, have you? It usually takes 5 to 8 days.

Ball python hatchlings generally start eating 3 to 7 days after their first shed, so don't panic.

If I were you, I would call the breeder, and get the actual hatch date from him, and also the actual date that the hatchling shed. Double-check with the breeder on whether this snake has eaten before. MOST breeders will not sell a snake until it's eaten 3 times.

Getting the snake into an appropriate enclosure is a good first step. I would recommend waiting at least 4 days after that (with no handling), and then if all you have is a frozen fuzzy still, heat the fuzzy up until it's almost hot to the touch, and use tongs to make it move around slowly in front of the snake's hide. It's more likely to accept the fuzzy if it's moving.

i spoke to the breeder and he said it did NOT shed along with the fact that it did NOT eat yet so i greatly appreciate all the help and tomorrow if i can get a vehicle i will run down to walmart right away for all that listed

you are starting down a long hard road but IF you can make it through this you should be good to go with anything that little bugger throws at you.

FYI, select a different breeder next time. I know we dont "value" normals as much as the morphs BUT it never should have been sold so early:mad::mad:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

FYI, select a different breeder next time. I know we dont "value" normals as much as the morphs BUT it never should have been sold so early:mad::mad:

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100% agree!

its been 24hours since i haven't handled him and he's dug himself a little snug and tight burrow in the angel soft toilet paper that is padding the 10gal, temp is low 80's but i really wanna keep the streak going and wait a good 4-5 days then just try a frozen fuzzie that i have incase i cant find any petstores with live hoppers or pinkies because apparently petsmart "doesn't sell live mice/rats" from what the employee says.

well i got the temp up to 90 even high 90's and now he's starting to rub up on everything and has pink belly so after he sheds ill see what happens

I agree. 10 gallon is too big for a hatchling especially if it hasn't ate yet. It be too stressed out. A plastic shoebox is perfect for a hatchling to feel secure. Worry about that. Proper husbandry makes for a happy and healthy snake. There seems to be a lot of breeders lately selling freshly hatched babies that haven't ate. To me that just makes it harder to get to eat, especially placed in a bag and in a box and being thrown about. Don't make any sense to me. Good luck with your ball python. You do have a hard road but once you overcome it, it be easier.