Baby Ball Python won't eat frozen Mice

I got a Baby Ball Python about a month ago from Petco. This is my third one, The 1st one I had from April 10-July 10 and he died of heat stroke I think. The 2nd one I had from July 2010 till December 2012 and I'm not sure why he died.

The 3rd one is if I had to guess about 6 months old and maybe 2 feet at most. Lord Tyrion is his name. I've tried many times to feed him and he won't eat the frozen fuzzy or pinkie(baby mice with no fur). I take him out of his cage and he's real gentle and calm he lets me hold him and never snaps. When I try to feed him I put the frozen mice in a container and run warm/hot water to get the mice to above room temperatures.

When I bring the mice over using Thongs and dangle it around him he just goes right by it and tries to get out of the little cage. This last time on advice from a petco worker I took him out of the cage and put him in the bathroom sink which had warm water. I even tried to bring his little hide into the feeding tank and left the mice in the cage and put the feeding cage in another room where the light was off and I covered it. Nothing so far this is very frustrating. I must of tried 4 times now. When I got him on December 8th(Saturday) they said his next feeding was that Monday.

Now I know most snakes can go months with out feeding especially in the winter. Does anyone have any ideas at how I can get him to eat. its always that 1st time that is the hardest! I don't want to try Live Mice at all.

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

I got a Baby Ball Python about a month ago from Petco. This is my third one, The 1st one I had from April 10-July 10 and he died of heat stroke I think. The 2nd one I had from July 2010 till December 2012 and I'm not sure why he died.

The 3rd one is if I had to guess about 6 months old and maybe 2 feet at most. Lord Tyrion is his name. I've tried many times to feed him and he won't eat the frozen fuzzy or pinkie(baby mice with no fur). I take him out of his cage and he's real gentle and calm he lets me hold him and never snaps. When I try to feed him I put the frozen mice in a container and run warm/hot water to get the mice to above room temperatures.

When I bring the mice over using Thongs and dangle it around him he just goes right by it and tries to get out of the little cage. This last time on advice from a petco worker I took him out of the cage and put him in the bathroom sink which had warm water. I even tried to bring his little hide into the feeding tank and left the mice in the cage and put the feeding cage in another room where the light was off and I covered it. Nothing so far this is very frustrating. I must of tried 4 times now. When I got him on December 8th(Saturday) they said his next feeding was that Monday.

Now I know most snakes can go months with out feeding especially in the winter. Does anyone have any ideas at how I can get him to eat. its always that 1st time that is the hardest! I don't want to try Live Mice at all.

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Describe your set up, first of all.

Temps?
Are you using a UTH? Is it regulated with a thermostat?
Humidity?

I would just feed him in his enclosure. You're just stressing the snake out more by moving it around. Cage aggression is a myth. I feed all my snakes in their cages and have never been mistake for food or have snakes suddenly become aggressive.

Ball pythons out of the egg can eat hopper mice. You are offering too small of a meal. It's a good idea to get a kitchen scale and feed your Bp a meal that is roughly 10-15% of its body weight.

Id try a hopper. Heat it up, and then use a hair dryer to warm the mouses head. If all else fails, you could try live. It will usually get them feeding. If it ate on Friday, wait till next Friday to offer again. If you keep offering it will stress him out.

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Describe your set up, first of all. Temps?Are you using a UTH? Is it regulated with a thermostat?Humidity?I would just feed him in his enclosure. You're just stressing the snake out more by moving it around. Cage aggression is a myth. I feed all my snakes in their cages and have never been mistake for food or have snakes suddenly become aggressive.Ball pythons out of the egg can eat hopper mice. You are offering too small of a meal. It's a good idea to get a kitchen scale and feed your Bp a meal that is roughly 10-15% of its body weight. Id try a hopper. Heat it up, and then use a hair dryer to warm the mouses head. If all else fails, you could try live. It will usually get them feeding. If it ate on Friday, wait till next Friday to offer again. If you keep offering it will stress him out.

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Um.. What?

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

Now I know most snakes can go months with out feeding especially in the winter. Does anyone have any ideas at how I can get him to eat. its always that 1st time that is the hardest! I don't want to try Live Mice at all.

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Try live mice. And no, baby balls can't go months without feeding. I would get over your hesitation of feeding live, or start saving up for Lord Tyrion's replacement...

sorry ok here are a few pics. My tank has two heaters. one on the day side(right which comes on at night) and one on the night side(which comes on during the day. both my night and day are on the zoomed digital timer. I have the day come on from 6am-6pm and thus the night come on from 6pm-6am. The day temps range from 90-95. the night stays around 80-85. I have a water dish in the middle and a hide rock on night side and a little hide thing on the day side.http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2c2c83c5.jpghttp://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8455bbd5.jpg

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

sorry ok here are a few pics. My tank has two heaters. one on the day side(right which comes on at night) and one on the night side(which comes on during the day. both my night and day are on the zoomed digital timer. I have the day come on from 6am-6pm and thus the night come on from 6pm-6am. The day temps range from 90-95. the night stays around 80-85. I have a water dish in the middle and a hide rock on night side and a little hide thing on the day side.http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2c2c83c5.jpghttp://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8455bbd5.jpg

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What does this timer look like :/
I'm not aware of that. Can you set the temperature or does it just turn the heat pad on and off .

You should have a heat gradient. A hot side, and a cool side. Temps should be roughly:

Hot side: 89-91 (95 is TOO HOT)
Cool side: 79-81
Ambient: 80ish.

He also looks skinny. I know you don't want to, but I would try live. Babies can't go months on strike like adults can.

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps90c591d8.jpg

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps90c591d8.jpg

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There's your problem right there. Picture of the Yankee's has caused him to lose his appetite...
:puke2:

Ok when I was in petco I saw they have live mice but they all look to big for him. I tried to feed him tonight and nothing. So what I did was leave the mouse in the cage by his hide rock which is on the night side. When I was at petco on Saturday they told me to try to make him aggressive, that the one I took might of been the one that was very timid and I've tried that. I've tried while using the thongs to basically smack Lord Tyrion with the mice and nothing. he just keeps snaking along around it. I tried putting him in the bathroom sink with warm water then taking him to the feeding cage to feed him. I tried while he was in the sink to try to feed him and nothing. The funny thing is the 1st time I tried ever was about 5 days after I got him. I put him in the feeding cage, closed it got the mice and then opened it and he was half way out the feeding cage and I had the mice on the things and he went after it but missed, lol and ever since then he doesn't even attempt to go after it. As far as feeding him live mice other than petco where can I get one and how do I know what size is to big or not. I'm in the Queens, NY Area!

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http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6dcbca69.jpg

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Originally Posted by sho220

There's your problem right there. Picture of the Yankee's has caused him to lose his appetite...:puke2:

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

Ok when I was in petco I saw they have live mice but they all look to big for him. I tried to feed him tonight and nothing. So what I did was leave the mouse in the cage by his hide rock which is on the night side. When I was at petco on Saturday they told me to try to make him aggressive, that the one I took might of been the one that was very timid and I've tried that. I've tried while using the thongs to basically smack Lord Tyrion with the mice and nothing. he just keeps snaking along around it. I tried putting him in the bathroom sink with warm water then taking him to the feeding cage to feed him. I tried while he was in the sink to try to feed him and nothing. The funny thing is the 1st time I tried ever was about 5 days after I got him. I put him in the feeding cage, closed it got the mice and then opened it and he was half way out the feeding cage and I had the mice on the things and he went after it but missed, lol and ever since then he doesn't even attempt to go after it. As far as feeding him live mice other than petco where can I get one and how do I know what size is to big or not. I'm in the Queens, NY Area!

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You're doing it all wrong. You need to take your thongs and the dead mouse and go back to Petco and smack whoever you've been talking to because they're a moron...

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

Ok when I was in petco I saw they have live mice but they all look to big for him. I tried to feed him tonight and nothing. So what I did was leave the mouse in the cage by his hide rock which is on the night side. When I was at petco on Saturday they told me to try to make him aggressive, that the one I took might of been the one that was very timid and I've tried that. I've tried while using the thongs to basically smack Lord Tyrion with the mice and nothing. he just keeps snaking along around it. I tried putting him in the bathroom sink with warm water then taking him to the feeding cage to feed him. I tried while he was in the sink to try to feed him and nothing. The funny thing is the 1st time I tried ever was about 5 days after I got him. I put him in the feeding cage, closed it got the mice and then opened it and he was half way out the feeding cage and I had the mice on the things and he went after it but missed, lol and ever since then he doesn't even attempt to go after it. As far as feeding him live mice other than petco where can I get one and how do I know what size is to big or not. I'm in the Queens, NY Area!

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http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6dcbca69.jpg

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Firstly, you need to get rid of those stick on thermometers. They're complete junk.

Find yourself an Accurite:
http://www.acurite.com/weather/humid...red-probe.html

You can find them at Walmart, I think. We don't have them in Canada. They monitor the hot spot, cool spot and humidity.

Secondly, don't listen to the pet store. Half the time they dont know anything about the snakes they have.

Dont smack him with a mouse. That's just going to make him stressed. :/

Don't out him in sink to feed him. Feed him in his cage. . Z

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

What does this timer look like :/
I'm not aware of that. Can you set the temperature or does it just turn the heat pad on and off .

You should have a heat gradient. A hot side, and a cool side. Temps should be roughly:

Hot side: 89-91 (95 is TOO HOT)
Cool side: 79-81
Ambient: 80ish.

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It just turns the stuff on. I think the day lamp is a basking lamp I can't remember the wattage and its hard to read it on the lamp. But during the day I've seen the temps on day side go from 90-95-98, problem is my heat is next to the dresser its on. during the summer I have the AC on which is over it and it cools it. the middle temp reading stays around 80-82. Is it me or this site but when I hit the enter button nothing happens.http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps101b20d2.jpg

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps101b20d2.jpg

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What's the brown wire? Just curious as it looks like it's from the 1800's...:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by sho220

What's the brown wire? Just curious as it looks like it's from the 1800's...:rolleye2:

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The brown Wire is the wire for my Mets clock that's on the wall.

this is the day lamp I use I got it from petco. I know its not 150 W, Its probally 100W. http://www.petco.com/product/4969/Zo...t%20Lamps-4969

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Firstly, you need to get rid of those stick on thermometers. They're complete junk. Find yourself an Accurite:http://www.acurite.com/weather/humid...red-probe.htmlYou can find them at Walmart, I think. We don't have them in Canada. They monitor the hot spot, cool spot and humidity.Secondly, don't listen to the pet store. Half the time they dont know anything about the snakes they have. Dont smack him with a mouse. That's just going to make him stressed. :/Don't out him in sink to feed him. Feed him in his cage. . Z

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I just bought a Zilla Temperature Controllers and a Zilla Terrarium Hygrometer Thermometer from petco.com. The temp controller is up to 1000W and has two plugs and the outlet. Since it seems the day side has been to hot (95-98) I'll plug in the day light and the opposite sides heater into the temp controller and then have that plugged into the one of two day(yellow) outlets I have for the zilla digital timer. I'll leave the night and day side heater in its night plug(blue). Now the mouse is still in the tank and I turned off the day light as it was to hot when I looked it was 98. how long can I leave the mice in there if he hasn't eaten it. When should I try again to feed him. Zilla Temperature Controllers- https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=1202944 Zilla Terrarium Hygrometer Thermometer-https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=1238140

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Originally Posted by sho220

There's your problem right there. Picture of the Yankee's has caused him to lose his appetite...

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I just laughed my butt off... :rofl:

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Originally Posted by BigCountry

I've tried while using the thongs to basically smack Lord Tyrion

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Kinky!

Ok so I should have the two things I ordered from petco by Monday. I also noticed when I moved the day lamp a little to the left that the temps stay at 90. I tried one more time today in the afternoon when he was up and doing his thing and this time I tried to feed him in the cage and nothing. I know after reading I should wait a week before trying again but its almost 5 weeks this weekend and I'm going to try a Live mouse, I'll go to petco Saturday and get one. how do I know what size is good for him and I do the live mouse in a separate feeding cage right.http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psa7a31d6e.jpg

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps22737329.jpghttp://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...pscc701846.jpghttp://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psf80a0923.jpghttp://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psf17a2f5e.jpg

If he dosent eat soon you might need to force feed him

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Originally Posted by ballpythonboy

If he dosent eat soon you might need to force feed him

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Like I said Saturday will be 5 weeks I have had him and he has not ate since. From what I can see from when I got him he looks fine, I don't think he is coming off a shed. I think the fact that I have been trying so much since I got him is making matters worse. I want to wait at least a week say Next Wed to try to feed him again. But I'm not sure if I can wait that long as it will be 5.5 weeks at least since he ate. Force feeding him how does one do that. If I was to get a live small mouse this weekend from petco how do I know what size, and I put the snake in his feeding cage 1st and then put the mouse in and watch him to make sure the mouse doesn't hurt him. Do you think I should call petco to ask them if I was to bring him in to feed him a live mouse they would let me do that. I just want to get him to eat that 1st time then after that I think it will go smoother after I regulate the temps in the tank better once everything comes from petco.com. I never had this hard of a time feeding the 1st two I had. the 1st one I had I waited a week after I got him and he ate right away. The 2nd one it took a few tries maybe 2 weeks but nothing compared to what's going on now. I appreciate all the advice in helping me get him to eat. I think he his scared of the frozen mice cause every time I put it in front of him he Runs away as fast as he can.

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Originally Posted by sho220

you're doing it all wrong. You need to take your thongs and the dead mouse and go back to petco and smack whoever you've been talking to because they're a moron...

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lol

I think you're stressing him way too much. He needs 2 hides, one on the cool side and one on the hot side. Block out 3 of the sides of the tank and do not go near his cage for a week. I see that you got a hygrometer and thermometer so wait for those. Get the temps and humidity right and then you can worry about feeding. When you're feeding block out all 4 sides of the cage and turn off all the lights. Make sure the mouse is at least 90 degrees. Dangle the mouse a few inches from the snake's face and move side to side semi slowly. The snake will take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to strike and coil.

You can warm the mouse under the heatlamp on the screen of the cage. It takes some time but the snake will be able to smell it. Usually that gets them going!

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

Try assist feeding him before you try fource feeding him..Their are many vids on utube if needbe.Good luck.

Whatever you do, do not tell petco you're buying a mouse to feed your snake, or they will more than likely not sell you one. The prey item should be 10-15% of your ball's body weight or about the same width as the widest part of his body.

Well I got him to eat Friday morning around 6am. well I had to assist force feed him but at least he's got something in him and now I can work on getting the tank at better temps!

Sounds like you are trying hard and have received good advice. No need to put in a special feeeding cage, live or not.