HELP BPs wont eat

so i have 2 ball pythons a male and female in the same tank and the tank is divided, they are babies and the temps and humidity is exactly where it is supposed to be but niether of them will eat. the female ate 2 weekends ago and the male ate last weekend. i tried feeding the male in the bath tub and the female in a small cardboard box in the bathroom with the lights off but still not. it is night right now that i am trying to feed them also. im trying to feed them baby thawed rats. the female ate a live baby rat 2 weekends ago and the male a prekilled baby rat last weekend. why wont the eat? right now they are up in their cage with the rats just laying in there sides of the tank with the light off. will they eat it if its not moving???? please help

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cilidric

so i have 2 ball pythons a male and female in the same tank and the tank is divided, they are babies and the temps and humidity is exactly where it is supposed to be but niether of them will eat. the female ate 2 weekends ago and the male ate last weekend. i tried feeding the male in the bath tub and the female in a small cardboard box in the bathroom with the lights off but still not. it is night right now that i am trying to feed them also. im trying to feed them baby thawed rats. the female ate a live baby rat 2 weekends ago and the male a prekilled baby rat last weekend. why wont the eat? right now they are up in their cage with the rats just laying in there sides of the tank with the light off. will they eat it if its not moving???? please help

---

First off, you say your temps and everything are spot on. Please elaborate. Also, can they see each other in the tanks? Hides? We need a full run down of your setups, pics would also help.

I wouldn't recommend feeding them outside of their tanks. It causes unnecessary stress. Also keep handling to a minimum, especially when they are still getting used to their new homes and aren't established feeders yet.

With that said, ball pythons are some of the hardest snakes to get started on f/t. Some may take to it right away, but most will not and a lot will NEVER eat f/t. Your first step here is getting them established eating first. If you feel the need to force f/t on them, do that after they are a little older. If you do a quick search of the forums it will give you lots of tips and tricks on how to properly feed f/t.

It won't hurt to leave the f/t overnight. They may or may not eat them. If they aren't eaten by morning, pitch them. I would wait 4-5 days or so before offering again if they don't eat. I would offer live to get them established first after that. Hatchlings cannot go as long as adults can without food.

It can take a while before some will switch to f/t. You can try moving it with feeding tongs so they think it's alive. You also need to make sure that it is warmed up enough.

I have a few that will eat if I leave it in over night, but not all of them. I have one little girl who will only eat live for me right now.

How long have you had them? If you haven't had them very long try to get them eating regularly before you try to switch to f/t.

they cant see eachother as it is divided by cardboard, the have solid black huts on top of their heating pads, hot spot pad temps are at 81 degrees, and humidity is at 67 % i have had them for 3 weeks, and havent handled them in like 4 days so they should have been fine, and i tried feeding it with tongs and moved the rat around, the both took LOTS of interest in it but just didnt strike. they flicked at it tons poked their heads againts it got in strike position but never stuck at it, they both did this.

81 is too cold for a hot spot. It should be 88-94. 81 is what you want for over all temp.

Since you haven't had them long and if they will eat live feed them live and try to switch afterwards.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

allright then i guess i will just wait till next weekend to feed them and feed them live adult mice. i dont have money to go buy more mice this weekend. i will just refreeze the two i got, and use them later on when they will take it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cilidric

they cant see eachother as it is divided by cardboard, the have solid black huts on top of their heating pads, hot spot pad temps are at 81 degrees, and humidity is at 67 % i have had them for 3 weeks, and havent handled them in like 4 days so they should have been fine, and i tried feeding it with tongs and moved the rat around, the both took LOTS of interest in it but just didnt strike. they flicked at it tons poked their heads againts it got in strike position but never stuck at it, they both did this.

---

First problem: 81 is too cold for a hot spot.

You want your hot spot to be around 90-92. Cool side 80-81 and an ambient temp somewhere between the two. How are you measuring temps? Where are you measuring temps? How are you regulating the temps?

How big is the tank they are in? How warm were the rats when you offered them? What is your substrate? If its too big of a tank, they might need more hides to feel secure. If its too small, that could also be a problem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cilidric

allright then i guess i will just wait till next weekend to feed them and feed them live adult mice. i dont have money to go buy more mice this weekend. i will just refreeze the two i got, and use them later on when they will take it.

---

You can refreeze once as long as they haven't been out long. No more than that. I would personally just pitch them.

Forget the mice. They've already eaten rats. Rats are better for them and you can leave live rat fuzzies in with them overnight without fear of your snakes being injured. Also, they will outgrow mice very soon. The last thing you want is an adult mouser that you have to feed half a dozen large mice to every week. Balls are also very unlikely to reach their full potential eating mice.

i am using a acurite thermometer and ijust upped the temp of their hot spot now its 91 degrees, and i have aspen bedding. the tank is a 40 gal breeder but split in half about the size of a 20 gal. the rats were room temp to the touch, i thawed them in a bag with warm water. i have a rheostat to control the temp of the heating pad.

Good deal.

Ok, you might want to offer another hide or two on each snake's side. They don't have to be fancy. A cardboard box or an empty butter dish with a small hole cut in it work great. You want their hides to be just big enough for them to fit, so they feel secure.

Room temp is too cold for f/t. Try running a blow dryer over the f/t after they thaw, paying special attention to their heads. You want them to be 100-105 degrees. Remember, ball pythons mainly rely on heat sensors for hunting and eating food, so you want it to be extra warm like a live rat.

WHY WON’T MY SNAKE EAT?
In almost all cases, a ball python refuses to eat due to husbandry issues. Especially a young one. If your snake misses more than one meal (sometimes they won’t want to eat while in shed) please check the following possible causes:

Lack of Security -- No hides, or hides that are too large or exposed (ie: half logs). They prefer dark, tight hides they barely fit into. Also, if the enclosure is too large, or too open (glass) or in a high traffic area with a lot of loud noise or movement. Another snake in the same enclosure can also cause serious security issues.

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Improper Temps -- Temps that are too high or too low, or temps that fluctuate too much. Make sure you have an accurate and consistent read on your temps.

Improper Lighting -- Bright white lights shining directly into the enclosure, or 24 hour lighting can cause stress. Make sure there is some sort of day/night cycle.

Offering New Prey -- Changing prey species (ie: mice to rats) or methods (ie: live to f/t) can cause refusal. Such changes can be made, but may require patience and persistence.

Improper Offering of Prey -- Offering prey too frequently can do more harm than good. If a snake refuses, do not attempt to feed again for a week. Also, changing environments by moving to a feeding-box or removing hides and "furniture" can cause refusal in these shy snakes.

Prey Too Large -- Too large an item may intimidate a snake and cause refusal, or even a regurgitation if it is eaten. Also, if a ball python has eaten large meals in the past, it can cause a sudden an indefinite period of fasting.

Mites -- An external parasite common to snakes that must be treated and eradicated. A product called Provent-a-Mite (P.A.M.) is the safest and most effective method.

Seasonal -- Sexually mature ball pythons may fast for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months during their mating season (typically anywhere from late fall to early spring) especially if a sexually mature snake of the opposite sex is in close proximity.

Illness -- If all other possible reasons are eliminated, a vet check may be in order to look for internal parasites, as well as possible infections to the skin, scales, mouth or respiratory system.

Fortunately, ball pythons are extremely hardy snakes that can go for months (if necessary) of fasting without suffering any ill effects. This gives a responsible keeper plenty of time to figure out why the snake refuses to eat and get them on a regular, consistent feeding regimen.

It's okay for them to not eat for a while. They might just be going into shed, or it might be the weather. The best thing you can do is relax so that if there IS a problem you will see it instead of worrying yourself to death. :)