Please help hiding under water bowl and not eating for almost 3 weeks.

Hey guys,
I got a ball python bumblebee morph a month ago. When I first got him it took him about a week after being home to eat. Which I heard is normal for them. Well I tired feeding him a week after that and he did not want to eat. During that time I notice he had been hiding underneath his water bowl. Now mind you he has two hides in his tank. I went on vacation the week after that when I came home I pulled him from underneath his bowl and he tried to strike at me. Now while I was gone one of my friends who has an adult female ball python came to take care of him. She told me he stayed mostly under his bowl. So I tired feeding him and again nothing. Tried the next week nothing, then I noticed his head has been scratched from his water bowl. So I recently traded it out for a glass Pyrex bowl. I added a smaller hide and stuffed his bigger hide with newspaper balls. He is still hiding underneath his bowl. I have also added plants and his humidity is around 50-60% in the day and gets about 70% at night. What I'm I doing wrong? He has no mites and he is drinking I caught him doing that.:mad::confusd:

He likes it under his water bowl. No problem with that. He's using it as a hide. The fact that you know he is drinking and he is "mostly" under the water bowl instead of never ever coming out makes me think everything is fine.

What do you do when you offer him food? Are you offering the same thing the previous owner was (rat/mouse...live/f/t)?

3 weeks without feeding all while hiding under a water bowl... sounds like an average month in my book. lol

As long as he's showing no signs of losing weight, it's likely not a big deal. That said, try finding out what your snake was eating before you bought him and offer that. If you are trying to feed frozen/thawed, try switching to fresh pre-killed.

yes he was feeding white mice frozen/thawed. I am doing the same. I am thawing it out properly and using the blow drier to up the temp. I put him in his feeding tank and move it around his face. he has taken it before, but now he wont.

Try feeding him in his enclosure.

I can try that.

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

If he doesn't take it from you try leaving it in the cage overnight. Sometimes they just want dark and quiet.

You know what I will try that tonight.

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Originally Posted by mother_of_monsters

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

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That's a myth. I have quite a few ball pythons and they all eat in their cages and they are fine to handle as long as the smell of rodents isn't in the air.

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Originally Posted by mother_of_monsters

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

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Dont believe everything your read or hear about balls. ;)

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Dont believe everything your read or hear about balls. ;)

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Are you trying to get yourself quoted in someone's signature? Because that's how you get yourself quoted in someone's signature. :rofl:

ok ill try it.

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Originally Posted by mother_of_monsters

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

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This appears to be something rather of a myth. Especially if you handle them and you open their enclosure besides for feeding. I don't feed outside of the enclosure for this reason. (but read on)

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Originally Posted by Dave Green

If he doesn't take it from you try leaving it in the cage overnight. Sometimes they just want dark and quiet.

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Interesting you point this out. If OP keeps their snake in a glass display vivarium, what she can actually try is taking her BP out and putting it in a tight fitting tub with a dead rodent then placing that in a dark closet/drawer/room for a few hours. I got the idea after reading Justin Kobylka's Psychology of Problem Feeders and needless to say, ended a fast this way. This should really be the only reason to feed outside of an enclosure; not because of aggression concerns.
If the snake is kept in tubs or in a rack system, it's as easy as switching tubs like the article recommends.

ok I am loving the feed back. So what I will try to night is to fed him around sunset, and try to feed him in his enclosure. if he doesn't take it I can just leave it in there. Right?

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Are you trying to get yourself quoted in someone's signature? Because that's how you get yourself quoted in someone's signature. :rofl:

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Or in the out of context thread!

Feeding in the enclosure does not cause aggression. However, if the only time the enclosure gets opened up is feeding time, it can definitely teach the snake that opening the enclosure means DINNER! Once a person has trained his/her snake that, if he/she is stupid enough to put something other than dinner in there, like a hand... well, then, yes, a bite is likely. Or the snake will come lunging out of the enclosure wondering where the food is, which looks pretty darn aggressive. Another factor is that people who neglect their snakes by not opening the enclosure regularly to do things like clean the cage, clean the water bowl, etc, are also likely the same ones who neglect their snakes by not feeding as much as would be ideal. So that adds up to snakes that are half starved AND think food is coming every time the enclosure is opened. So it is easy to see how this myth got started. But mistaking a human for food is not the same as aggression. It can happen with the tamest gentlest snake ever if the smell of rodent is in the air, or on the hand. As long as you handle your snake regularly and don't do stupid things like trying to handle them just after holding your pet rat (or his soon-to-be dinner), they won't get overly aggressive nor be confused about whether you are edible or not.

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It can happen with the tamest gentlest snake ever if the smell of rodent is in the air, or on the hand

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Yeeep. My older snake is a sweetheart, but on feeding day and with the smell of rodents wafting around the room, he comes out like a jack in the box when the top of the tub comes off. It's fairly funny, and slightly nerve wracking.

Any other time/no smell in the room and he's happy to crawl onto a handy, no problem, but when he's hungry and smells rats, things get... exciting. I would NOT want to try to move him in that state, either.

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Originally Posted by mother_of_monsters

ok I am loving the feed back. So what I will try to night is to fed him around sunset, and try to feed him in his enclosure. if he doesn't take it I can just leave it in there. Right?

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Give it a go; just make sure your husbandry is up to par first, as this could initially be the problem as well.

the enclosure is p to par that wa the fist thing I checked.

This makes the most scene. Well have some thawed mice in his tank. I have draped some dark towels around his tank so its dark. lets hope for the best. I wanted to thank every one for their help.

Thanks for your feed back.:taz:

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Originally Posted by mother_of_monsters

Well have some thawed mice in his tank.

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Personally I wouldn't put more than one in there at a time.
How thawed are you getting them? Meaning in hot water and getting internal temp up as well as surface temp?

^{yes its warm inside and out. I put a frozen in the fridge for a day then play in warm water for 2 hours and use a blow dyer right be for.}

If he still refuses, you might try dipping them in VERY hot water just before you offer them. Especially the head. I used the blow dryer trick for years, and it does work fairly well. Then I heard about pinks dipped in boiling water being a very reliable trick for getting stubborn corn hatchlings to start eating. So I tried the same theory with some of my BPs, many of who are reluctant at best when it comes to eating f/t. I was surprised at how much success I had!

thanks I will try that

So yesterday I tried the feeding in the tank heat dipping the mouse. nothing. however I have thawed a new mouse and have left it in the tank. I wont try to feed or mess with him until next Sunday. I did noticed that his eye are very cloudy and on the top of his spine is very grey. I think he is about to shed. I wanted to know is excessive yawning a sign of RI? He does not do it often and their is no star gazing or mucous. ugh im I being a crazy reptile mommy? by the way this is my first snake. I have only ever had was breaded dragons.

Definitely sounds like he is going into shed. They are less likely to eat while in shed, so I'd advise you wait until after he sheds to try again.

Excessive yawning can be a sign of RI, but since you say he does not do it often, I think it isn't excessive. You will likely see mucus and/or hear strange breathing noises if he has an RI. To make things extra confusing, shedding can cause strange breathing noises, too, due to a piece of shed getting stuck in the nostrils.

thanks so....how long do I wait to feed him after a shed. are they hungry right away?

Depends on the animal. I have several that eat any time, even in shed.

You can feed them immediately after shedding, as long as they got it all off. Really it is the eyecaps that matters, I think, because I think the reason they are reluctant to eat during shed is due to reduced visibility. As Pit on the Prowl said, you CAN feed them even in deep shed. I do all the time. Some eat, some don't. But, since your snake is already refusing, I'd wait until after the shed to reduce the number of complications.

Side note: The above applies to BPs only. I also have corn snakes, and they appear to have an increased incidence of regurges if they eat during shed. I've never seen nor heard anything to indicate BPs have that problem though.

thanks. I will wait for to try. but is it ok to keep his mouse in his tank?

Is it ok to keep his mouse in his tank?

Not sure I understand the question. No, it is not ok to keep a live mouse in the tank with the snake. No, it is not ok to keep an f/t mouse in the tank, which would rapidly rot.

My baby boy is doing a lot better. I made him two new hides that he loves. he just came out of a shed, and he ate immediately after he shed. the only thing is that on the top of his head there is some shed left. there was a small wound on his head from before which is make it hard for it to come off. Other than that he is doing well thank you all for your help.