Baby ball python not eating

I bought my first ball python which was a baby male pastel that weighed 122g. Ever since being in my care, he never ate. He was last fed by the previous owner on 9/5 with a live hopper. I'm guessing this baby only takes live mice because I've been trying to feed it frozen thawed hoppers and it never worked. My ball python lost 22g already and I'm getting very worried about him. I can't find live hoppers anywhere, I'm currently on the search for one but I really can't find any right now. Does petco or petsmart sell live hoppers? How can I get to make him eat a frozen thawed hopper? He hasn't ate for more than 2 weeks

My temps are normally 80f-83f and 88f-92f on the basking spot with a 50%-65% humidity. He lives in a plastic rack.

Where are you located??

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

Where are you located??

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Fort Lee, New Jersey (the states)

There is a petgoods in NJ that sell live mice

(201) 670-6000
651 N State Rt 17
Paramus, NJ07652

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

There is a petgoods in NJ that sell live mice

(201) 670-6000
651 N State Rt 17
Paramus, NJ07652

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Live mice (hoppers) as for food? Well it kinda doesn't matter as long as they have hoppers. It's my first time feeding a mice to a snake and I know it sounds cruel, but it is more cruel if I don't get food for my snake (:

Question: I've been trying to feed my BP frozen thawed but very recently I learned that the mice should be dried and warm, then given to the snake. Can I try that today? Last attempt was less than a week ago.

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Originally Posted by junosan

Live mice (hoppers) as for food? Well it kinda doesn't matter as long as they have hoppers. It's my first time feeding a mice to a snake and I know it sounds cruel, but it is more cruel if I don't get food for my snake (:

Question: I've been trying to feed my BP frozen thawed but very recently I learned that the mice should be dried and warm, then given to the snake. Can I try that today? Last attempt was less than a week ago.

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I don't use live food. But, I have seen their mice. I have seen every size mouse from pinkies to adults.

I would normally wait a whole week before trying. But, if your bp is losing weight. You should try it

Get the smallest live mouse they have.... unless they advertise that they sell feeder mice... I wouldn't ask for it as a "feeder" just find the smallest one and say... "I want that mouse"

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

I don't use live food. But, I have seen their mice. I have seen every size mouse from pinkies to adults.

I would normally wait a whole week before trying. But, if your bp is losing weight. You should try it

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Well the baby did lose 22g. But he isn't super skinny.

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Originally Posted by junosan

Well the baby did lose 22g. But he isn't super skinny.

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Then you should wait till a whole week

a few things you can try: do not go into the snake room for at least twenty four hours. get a red light that you can screw into your overhead light, and unscrew your white light.(do this during the day, so when you go in after dark...you don't have to turn on the white light. I like my humidity in my ball enclosures to be about 70% or a touch higher, but 65 should be okay. thaw your feeder out and after it is thawed, put it on a heat pad for at least an hour...get some long feeding tongs. go down after dark, as quietly and as vibration free as possible. easily slide the tub open, pick up the mouse or rat pup with the tongs(the farther your hand is, the better so the python does not pick up on your heat), and slowly 'dance' the mouse or rat hopper around like it is alive....starting far away, then SLOWLY move it closer to the snake once it looks like he notices it. try to simulate a live prey item. take your time, and don't get in a hurry. have patience, ball pythons can be very tricky. but if you have their environment right, and don't be too pushy, you can usually get them to eat. there is a lot of little tricks and techniques that you can try, and they will get it...and eat for ya eventually. try this method and see if it works for you. let us know how it goes. if you can get live for it...you can try that first since the animal seems to be losing a little weight...but you also have to realize that if you weighed your animal with food in him, then he took a big dump...he will weigh less...just an idea. give a try and see if it works. good luck

....also, once the python grabs the feeder, jerk it around a little bit like the mouse is struggling....then back away very slowly and stay as still as possible until the baby eats.

just find a small mouse i never used hoppers for my babies.

Can BPs actually tell the difference between a live mice and a f/t mice where the owner is trying to make it seem real

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Originally Posted by junosan

Can BPs actually tell the difference between a live mice and a f/t mice where the owner is trying to make it seem real

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yes, for some reason a frozen thawed rodent will not smell the same. I don't know if the freezing process changes the cell composition or what, but I have seen animals that will pound pre killed rodents, that will turn and crawl away the second they smell a frozen thawed rodent....even a warmed up frozen thawed. a lot of experienced keepers believe that freezing them, somehow changes the smell of them. and live feeders move, and it triggers the hunting instinct in snakes....so you have to sometimes do this to elicit a feeding response.

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Originally Posted by rickm

yes, for some reason a frozen thawed rodent will not smell the same. I don't know if the freezing process changes the cell composition or what, but I have seen animals that will pound pre killed rodents, that will turn and crawl away the second they smell a frozen thawed rodent....even a warmed up frozen thawed. a lot of experienced keepers believe that freezing them, somehow changes the smell of them. and live feeders move, and it triggers the hunting instinct in snakes....so you have to sometimes do this to elicit a feeding response.

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Today My BP leaked all the water out of the waterdish and his enclosure was like a shallow pool with 80% humidity...this happened when I was away during school. Hope it didn't do any harm..did it?

You should make sure to thaw out the frozen mouse, and even leaving it in the room for "scenting" might help your snake get excited to eat it. If you're looking for a guide to which kind of feeder to buy, they have a good one on the Rodent Pro website. Here is the link to the article- http://www.rodentpro.com/feeder-mice-guide.asp. They have all sizes of mice so you could start with pinkies or they also have hoppers. They have dark and hairless hoppers, not sure which kind you would need or want. I've also heard if you hold the mouse with tongs and wave it around to make it look alive, that can help.

I had the same problem with a pair of black pastels I got in August. They were started on live hopper mice and I feed F/T. Basically I solved the issue by 1)Leaving them alone for 7 day period. I only went in to change water. 2)Thawed out the mice in water and then placed them in hot water for about 5 min. and as disgusting as it sounds I cracked the skulls. 3) Did the best zombie dance ever and low and behold they took them. Sometimes we rushed to feed babies when they just need to acclimate to their new homes. I have been feeding 2 times a week and no problem. Don`t freak out just have a little patience ;)

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Originally Posted by crazypythonlady

I had the same problem with a pair of black pastels I got in August. They were started on live hopper mice and I feed F/T. Basically I solved the issue by 1)Leaving them alone for 7 day period. I only went in to change water. 2)Thawed out the mice in water and then placed them in hot water for about 5 min. and as disgusting as it sounds I cracked the skulls. 3) Did the best zombie dance ever and low and behold they took them. Sometimes we rushed to feed babies when they just need to acclimate to their new homes. I have been feeding 2 times a week and no problem. Don`t freak out just have a little patience ;)

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I tried the cracking open the skull method and it didn't work. I'm just leaving the mice in there for now though. I'm seriously stuck. I don't know what to do anymore...

When I got my baby BP he hadn't eaten for 2 weeks, and it took 10 days for him to eat for me. In an earlier post you said it has only been 2 weeks since he last ate? Losing 22grams seems like a lot (and I'm not an expert at any rate, so it might be a lot). But try not to worry yourself *too* much! That will only stress you out more, which I'm sure doesn't help the situation.
I don't have anything else to offer, unfortunately, as my BP already had 3 f/t feedings prior to me (All I did was let the thawed pinky sit in a warm cup of water beside the vive for a few minutes to arouse my BP... then placed it inside with tongs - he wouldn't strike it - He ate it butt-first, without curling around it).
Strange things happen. You just never know.
Good luck!!

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Get the smallest live mouse they have.... unless they advertise that they sell feeder mice... I wouldn't ask for it as a "feeder" just find the smallest one and say... "I want that mouse"

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Do this.

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I know this might sound weird but my normal when it was a baby i had trouble feeding. The guy at the store told me to take some bedding home from the gerbil cage and put the mouse in the bedding for a little bit and then try feeding the mouse to the snake and it worked. I guess that gerbils smell similar to the soft fur rats that bps eat in the wild.. Also freezing a mouse does change the scent because it makes the cells expand and burst. None of my bps will touch a frozen thawed rat, they all eat fresh pre-killed rats.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Do this.

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I will :D

Hey um guys. What is assist feeding? Can I try this?

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Originally Posted by junosan

Hey um guys. What is assist feeding? Can I try this?

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Assist feeding is something you do after you've tried EVERYTHING you can think of or if your snake is loosing a significant amount of weight.

Essentially, you take a f/t rodent and use its nose to gently pry open the snakes mouth. Once the mouths open, you slide the rodent in a bit, catch the rodent on the snakes teeth and set it back down in the cage. It may take a few tries as they may spit it out, that's why you make sure the rodent is hooked on the snakes teeth. You do not shove the rodent down its throat.

there is never any need to crack open the skulls. if your humidity is right, and you are patient and don't push and stress the snake...it will eat. all of the silly experimental feeding techniques are not needed. leave the animal alone for a while, wait till evening when there is barely enough light for you to see without turning on the lights, and with tongs...dance the mouse around...when the snake notices it, slowly move it closer. a lot of you are suggesting stuff that is just not needed. they will eat. make sure your environment is correct, don't stress them, and they will eat. too many of you are making something so simple, WAY too complex. twenty plus years of dealing with so many different species has taught me well, let the snake...be the snake. match its natural habitat as much as possible, don't stress it....and it will eat. real easy.

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Originally Posted by junosan

I bought my first ball python which was a baby male pastel that weighed 122g. Ever since being in my care, he never ate. He was last fed by the previous owner on 9/5 with a live hopper. I'm guessing this baby only takes live mice because I've been trying to feed it frozen thawed hoppers and it never worked. My ball python lost 22g already and I'm getting very worried about him. I can't find live hoppers anywhere, I'm currently on the search for one but I really can't find any right now. Does petco or petsmart sell live hoppers? How can I get to make him eat a frozen thawed hopper? He hasn't ate for more than 2 weeks

My temps are normally 80f-83f and 88f-92f on the basking spot with a 50%-65% humidity. He lives in a plastic rack.

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Up your humidity to about 75-80% for 2-3 days then try again. That always does the trick for me.

What I do is let my fuzzy thaw at room temperature in a closed zip lock bag for like 30 mins,then I take a heat lap and I place the mouse about 6 inches aways from the basking light and let the thing fully thaw and get soft and nice and warm to very warm..dangle him in the tank and Kocur snatches him up within 3 seconds

hope this helps and good luck,I hope your little guy starts feeding

as for the whole humidity thing,I'd say my humidity averages 55-65/70 and the warm side Avgs 84-90. My dude eats like a beast. For humidity help I keep a large damp rag on top the screen. In the morning before I leave for work and again as soon as I walk in the door,as well as I mist the tank 2 times a day.

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Originally Posted by got_ballz

Up your humidity to about 75-80% for 2-3 days then try again. That always does the trick for me.

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How does raising the humidity help feeding?