need some help, my ball python has eaten last 3, 4 times

so sam, is 2 1/2 years old and 6 month ago we bought another one, about 4 months old. we got a separate cage and put them side by side for moth. introduced them a few times outside the cage and eventually put them together. they get along great and we fed them a few times with no problem. we feed them outside the cage individually. last 4 times sam, the oldest one didnt eat, he striked chewed and left it alone. we tried feeding him a smaller one, but same thing. oh we feed them every two weeks and they are now both the same size.
umm. we handle them alot, and im wondering if maybe thats why he stoped eating.
please let me know, and if you guys need anymore information.

Are they in a cage? This would be extremely difficult to maintain proper temps of 90 F on the warm end and humidity levels of 60%+/-. BPs should not be housed together except for breeding purposes. I would suspect they are stressed. Also, personally I would only feed in their tank or tub and not outside their tanks/tubs, the last thing you want to do is have them associate handling with feeding.

My adults eat once a week. My hatchlings every 4-5 days.

as an owner you cannot tell if two snakes "get along great." The only things we see are fighting and not fighting.

They could be stressed and not show it. They are not humans. I would strongly suggest putting them back into their separate cages.

and as far as info concerning any issues with snakes, hold cold temps, hides, environment changes, etc are all great to add.

Hopefully this helps!

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Originally Posted by steve k

Are they in a cage? This would be extremely difficult to maintain proper temps of 90 F on the warm end and humidity levels of 60%+/-. BPs should not be housed together except for breeding purposes. I would suspect they are stressed. Also, personally I would only feed in their tank or tub and not outside their tanks/tubs, the last thing you want to do is have them associate handling with feeding.

My adults eat once a week. My hatchlings every 4-5 days.

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yes they are in a cage, and i was told by the pet place i bought them at that in order them not to associate handling with feeding you feed outside that way every time you put your hand in there cage they dont think its food time. oh and we make sure not to handle them before feeding them.

as far as there habitat i have a 100w day and 75w night light that are on 12/12 hour timer. i dont know for sure temp or humidity, i had gauge in there once but sam always coiled around it and eventually ripped it off. we use alpine chips for beding and clean the cage evrey 4 months

First of all, the new one should have been in qt for at least 2 months. Secondly, they SHOULD NOT be housed together. Third, bps do not tend to get cage aggresive . Seperate them, leave them be and let them relax and unstress. Feed them each in their individual enclosure. And stop handling until they resume eating. Then you may have happy balls.

You also need to monitor temps and humidity. Husbandry affects balls big time.

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Originally Posted by Sam and Sophie

yes they are in a cage, and i was told by the pet place i bought them at that in order them not to associate handling with feeding you feed outside that way every time you put your hand in there cage they dont think its food time. oh and we make sure not to handle them before feeding them.

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Your snake will not become cage-aggressive if you feed in-cage. Almost every single person on this site can attest to that. Just so long as your hands don't smell like rodents when you reach in, the snake will never mistake you for food.

In addition to the other suggestions made, I would also really recommend getting a digital thermometer and hydrometer ASAP. It's extremely important you know exactly what your temps and humidity are at all times. Inproper husbandry can oftentimes cause a reluctance to feed. The dial-type gauges are often inaccurate and have a limited lifespan.

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Originally Posted by Angiebeast

Your snake will not become cage-aggressive if you feed in-cage. Almost every single person on this site can attest to that. Just so long as your hands don't smell like rodents when you reach in, the snake will never mistake you for food.

In addition to the other suggestions made, I would also really recommend getting a digital thermometer and hydrometer ASAP. It's extremely important you know exactly what your temps and humidity are at all times. Inproper husbandry can oftentimes cause a reluctance to feed. The dial-type gauges are often inaccurate and have a limited lifespan.

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thank you guys for the information, i will separate them, i didnt know you shouldn't house them together, and will start feeding them in there cage, and also make sure to get some digital gauges.
i didnt know to much about care of ballpythons, not for lack of trying though ive bought and read books and talked to "experts" at pet stores but this is the most info ive gotten

"Experts" at the pet store generally don't know jack about reptiles. Unless you have a good reptile store. Check out the care sheet on the stickies to get proper info.

also one more thing if i start feeding them in there cage what happens if they accidently eat the substrate/ beding

I would change substrate to Eco earth. It well help with keeping humidity, and won't hurt them if they ingested a little.

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Originally Posted by Sam and Sophie

also one more thing if i start feeding them in there cage what happens if they accidently eat the substrate/ beding

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Not a thing.

Welcome to BP.net.

I know it is a lot to absorb, all these changes we are telling you to make, but we really do have the best interest of your snakes and yourself in mind. Sad to say most pet stores know little to nothing about care for most of the animals they sell. And books can be a good source of information but you have to check and see when they were published. A book that is even 5 years old can have mostly outdated information, and I see many books out there that were published 10 or more years ago.

Take it one step at a time, do separate your snakes. Take steps to monitor your temperatures and humidity properly, give your snakes time to adjust to the new surroundings, then don't be afraid to feed them in their enclosures, it doesn't cause cage aggression, and will probably improve their feeding habits.

Handle them gently, I try not to handle for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. And of course you shouldn't hold them for about 2 days after they eat, to avoid any problems with stress and possibly regurging their food.

There is much excellent information here for you to read and study, and we will always be happy to answer any questions you may have. I look forward to getting to know you better and watching your snakes bloom under good care.

Gale