Not feeding

I've had my bp for about 3 weeks now,he finally shed last night,I've tried every other day to feed him but he doesn't feed,what can I do ? I've tried in his viv I've tried out of his viv,I get the mouse and wiggle it infront of him but no joy :(

Only try every 5-7 days. Trying too often can stress them out and actually do more harm than good.
I take it you are feeding f/t? Do you know if he ate it previously?
Have you tried leaving it in his viv overnight?

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Not tried leaving in viv as I've nowhere to put it,I could try and dangle it from a branch and tie a small knot with its tail ?

Just let it lay outside his hide, you have no floor space at all?

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Yea but it's all coco stuff so everything will stick to the mouse

Dry it off so it's not wet when ya put it in... if he eats a little bit it isn't going to hurt, some will only eat if its been left in there when no one is watching.

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Make sure the mouse is fully warmed before offering. How big is your BP, and how big are the mice? Also, if he just shed, then it isn't surprising that he didn't eat previously.

I don't know the weight,I'll get some scales tomorrow,but he's a year and a half and the mouse are medium size..

How are you warming the mouse?

Like said. Just place it on the floor in front of the hide and leave the room. Some are shy eaters. Many will grow out of it once a bit bigger.

If you're short on floor space, plop it on top of the hide.

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I warm it in warm water then dry it,I've seen people say that they cut the mouse a little so it's starts to bleed and the snake will show more interest ?

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Originally Posted by Peter_c

I warm it in warm water then dry it,I've seen people say that they cut the mouse a little so it's starts to bleed and the snake will show more interest ?

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That can work sometimes, but at this point you're probably over thinking it. Realistically, trying over and over to feed a snake that's likely stressed from a change in environment is just asking for trouble. It hasn't been that long ago that he fed last. Step back and leave him alone for a few days. Give him a week of not interacting with you, then try again.

When you do try again, offer food at night, when he's likely to be alert. You might even want to offer live prey until he's eating predictably. THEN worry about using clever tricks to entice him.

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I was told that live isn't good,I want to feed him live as he's a snake,when there in the wild they don't come frozen lol

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Originally Posted by patientz3ro

That can work sometimes, but at this point you're probably over thinking it. Realistically, trying over and over to feed a snake that's likely stressed from a change in environment is just asking for trouble. It hasn't been that long ago that he fed last. Step back and leave him alone for a few days. Give him a week of not interacting with you, then try again.

When you do try again, offer food at night, when he's likely to be alert. You might even want to offer live prey until he's eating predictably. THEN worry about using clever tricks to entice him.

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I completely agree.

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Originally Posted by Peter_c

I was told that live isn't good,I want to feed him live as he's a snake,when there in the wild they don't come frozen lol

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There are pros and cons to both ways. I don't feed live myself, but I have in the past. Besides, at this point, your primary concern is getting him to eat in the first place.

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If you're having feeding issues, try live a few times until he can eat more consistently.

What is your husbandry like? A snake will go off feed if the enclosure or temps are off.

And feed in the enclosure. And do not handle your snake until it eats at least 3 or more times. Handling, moving your snake back and forth, and bothering it too often can result in it going off feed due to stress. Leave it alone for at least a week before offering its next meal.

Remember, do not handle your snake until it eats regularly.

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He seems fine when I handle him,temp is between 80 and 85 and humidity is between 70 and 75..

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Originally Posted by Peter_c

He seems fine when I handle him,temp is between 80 and 85 and humidity is between 70 and 75..

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Drop the humidity to around 50%. I like a wider temp spread with a hot spot around 90. And just so you know... Not eating is not fine. Stop handling him for a bit.

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As others have said, stop handling him until he's feeding for you. One of the reasons ball pythons are such popular pet snakes is because their reaction to stress is not to bite, not to poop everywhere, not to physically freak out or otherwise act abnormally - rather, their reaction to stress is to simply stop eating.

So, your snake is not eating...that's a pretty good sign that it is probably stressed.

A point also not mentioned by other posters - at a year and a half old, your snake is probably big enough for rats, not mice. Many ball pythons won't eat a prey item that isn't big enough. Try getting a small rat and leaving that out; as with the mice, make sure that it's nice and toasty when you thaw it out. If you can, try getting a live rat to leave in there for a few minutes. While a live prey item can hurt your snake (they do bite back, and scratch), sometimes it's your only option if the snake won't accept frozen/thawed.

Good luck!

-Jen

Humidity is fine as is. Temp hot spot can be increased to around 90. Ambient temp can be around 80.

Does your snake have hides? You can also add a solid background to the sides and back of the enclosure to create more humidity.

Again, stop handling your snake until it eats consistently. He might be tame when you handle him, but that doesn't mean 'fine'.

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He has 2 hides,and the background is like a 3D background,I think he just needs to settle down a bit as it's only been 2 weeks.. Thanks for the info

I feed live and prefer it over f/t..... it is not bad. Feed an appropriate sized prey, try a mouse first to see his feeding response, if he goes for it try a small rat the following week

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If you're having trouble getting him to eat frozen, try live.