My baby ball python won't eat.

For valentine's, my boyfriend got me a baby ball python. I've owned a ball python before and she ate well all the time. the only time she gave me a hard time was when she was shedding.
Now, my new baby boy doesn't want to eat. I have him in a nice enclosure, he has the light side and dark side, he has his water.
When I do try to feed him he just coils up. The reason i'm panicking now is because he's already exceeded two weeks.
Please help.

Please don't worry I'm sure he will be just fine . Many snakes , especially Royals ( Balls ) take at least a couple of weeks to settle down ! As to the not eating I one that went 9 ( nine ) months without eating and he was perfectly fine !!

Ideally you should try and let us know more about your set up ie the crucial things like the warm side temp and also the cool side temperatures. Info on where his hides are situated , maybe he's just going into shed anyways ...

Are you feeding frozen/thawed or live? I agree with Zincubis- we need a bit more information. Do you have a thermostat to regulate your UTH?

When I tried to feed my new BP she wouldn't take it off the tongs (f/t). She actually seemed afraid of the mouse and curled up into a tight ball. I left it in the enclosure and gave her some space. 10 minutes later I went in to check on her and the mouse was gone! Your snake might just be a shy eater like mine. If you haven't yet, try to leave his dinner in the enclosure for a few minutes and see if that helps.

When she's settled down there are loads of ways , some have success by leaving the thawed mouse at the entrance to the hide OVERNIGHT , just remember to check the following morning :)

This method WORKS if done properly ...
Warm the thawed mouse /rat with a hairdryer until warm and dangle in front of their face using tongs - keep repeating the warming and offering process until it's taken , may take 6 or 7 attempts initially .
A couple of mine will only strike feed from within their hides so I do as dangle the rodent in front of the hide's entrance - usually works but if it fails simply reheat the rodent with a hairdryer and immediately offer again whilst it's still warm , continue until it's grabbed ...
I always wait until evenings to feed as they're nocturnal of course .

Incidentally , if it shows no interest at all not even a tongue flicker maybe it's best to leave for a week .

Also, how big is his enclosure? It's not unknown for ball pythons to refuse eating if they feel to insecure in a large space. If he is only young and he is in a full size vivarium, you probably want to move him to a smaller one.

As others have said, it depends on some of the finer details and your setup. But they also do take a while to settle into a new home.

As said in the posts above you need to provide more info about your setup (size, hides, heating etc) for us to help you.

Also read this https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101

He finally ate and is doing so much better.

I did try to leave the thawed mouse for him to eat in case he was a shy eater but that didn't work.
His tongue was starting to lose color and i had to force feed him. I know some might not agree with that but i felt it was the only option, since he is still very young and can't go long without eating. It had already been a month that he hadn't eaten, and he had just shed when my boyfriend bought him.
I probably will never force feed him again since it's a lot of stress for him but I'm just really glad he's an active boy!
Thank you to everyone who helped

Fyi: I force fed a pinkie and it was very quick.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by naydusa

He finally ate and is doing so much better.

I did try to leave the thawed mouse for him to eat in case he was a shy eater but that didn't work.
His tongue was starting to lose color and i had to force feed him. I know some might not agree with that but i felt it was the only option, since he is still very young and can't go long without eating. It had already been a month that he hadn't eaten, and he had just shed when my boyfriend bought him.
I probably will never force feed him again since it's a lot of stress for him but I'm just really glad he's an active boy!
Thank you to everyone who helped

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Force feeding unfortunately didn't solve the base issue you're having. There is a husbandry/setup reason that he is not eating, and it's a very common issue with new owners and baby ball pythons. The next time you offer, he is most likely still going to refuse.

It would be good if you could post a pic and describe the setup you have for him!

Some babies are more difficult than others. My first three (they've been adopted out to kids in need) were not easy eaters. I feed in separate enclosures because the snakes work with kids, and I always want them to recognize that it's eating time when they go in the plastic bin. I actually think it helps. When they are home, it's general play time, and they will not mistake anything for food.
I just fed Mikey today (6 months). I put a hopper in his face and it took about 1 second for him to strike. He knows when he's in his bin, it's lunchtime! His brother Harvey (1 year) is also a quick eater, usually around 5-10 seconds. Your little guy will get better, and I know how stressful it is right away. Mikey was the size of my pinkie finger when I got him and it took about 3-4 feedings.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Force feeding unfortunately didn't solve the base issue you're having. There is a husbandry/setup reason that he is not eating, and it's a very common issue with new owners and baby ball pythons. The next time you offer, he is most likely still going to refuse.

It would be good if you could post a pic and describe the setup you have for him!

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^^^

I also just want to add, you said he was an 'active boy' - sometimes activity isn't a good sign. Is he constantly pacing or moving in his cage? I've read that sometimes this means that they are stressed out and looking for ways to escape.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by naydusa

He finally ate and is doing so much better.

I did try to leave the thawed mouse for him to eat in case he was a shy eater but that didn't work.
His tongue was starting to lose color and i had to force feed him. I know some might not agree with that but i felt it was the only option, since he is still very young and can't go long without eating. It had already been a month that he hadn't eaten, and he had just shed when my boyfriend bought him.
I probably will never force feed him again since it's a lot of stress for him but I'm just really glad he's an active boy!
Thank you to everyone who helped

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I think you are over reacting. Even a baby ball python not eating for a month is not a "danger danger must force feed moment".

You felt it was the only option because you have a new snake and the new snake worries. Everyone gets this feeling when they get their first snake.

I doubt you actually force fed this snake, most likely you assist fed.

Please let us help you fix your enclosure set up because that is the reason why your snake is not eating. "Force feeding" a pinky probably used up more of the snakes energy than it gained from the pinky. This snake needs to at least be on hopper mice.

Can you share some photos of the snake and setup? I'd be happy to offer my thoughts and suggestions.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Merriah

Some babies are more difficult than others. My first three (they've been adopted out to kids in need) were not easy eaters. I feed in separate enclosures because the snakes work with kids, and I always want them to recognize that it's eating time when they go in the plastic bin. I actually think it helps. When they are home, it's general play time, and they will not mistake anything for food.
I just fed Mikey today (6 months). I put a hopper in his face and it took about 1 second for him to strike. He knows when he's in his bin, it's lunchtime! His brother Harvey (1 year) is also a quick eater, usually around 5-10 seconds. Your little guy will get better, and I know how stressful it is right away. Mikey was the size of my pinkie finger when I got him and it took about 3-4 feedings.

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Feeding in a separate enclosure does nothing but stress these shy animals out. Feed in the home enclosure. They will not mistake you for food. This is a very common myth. For a snake like the OPs, who sounds extremely stressed, feeding in a separate enclosure will only prolong the feeding issue.

He knows it's feeding time because he can smell the food. He knows it's handling time because he doesn't smell food, he smells a human.


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I'm to tying to figure out how to post pictures on this thread

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Originally Posted by naydusa

I'm to tying to figure out how to post pictures on this thread

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You have to upload them to a pic site and post the image link.

No disrespect but if your Force feeding a snake after missing a month of feeding you dont know what your doing. Please do research. Every week newbies are posting about their new snakes dying and every case is because they have done things that stressed the life right out of these Ball Pythons. One Google search tells they go months and months without eating.

Yes, please don't add unnecessary stress by feeding in a seperate container. It does nothing positive. How are you offering the food? Try to at night after lights have been off for a while and the room empty, then sneak it in while trying to stay out of sight. I also think something with its habitat isn't up to par and that's why it's not eating so triple check everything is in correct ranges.

I did google what to do and what could be wrong. I read that young ball pythons shouldn't go long without eating.
It's my first time with a picky ball python. My first was a very good eater, that's why I was panicking.
But to clarify, I did research my options before i did it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by naydusa

I'm to tying to figure out how to post pictures on this thread

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Download and use the free TapaTalk app as it has a one button photo upload option.
It's also fabulous keeping all your forums in one place .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by naydusa

I did google what to do and what could be wrong. I read that young ball pythons shouldn't go long without eating.
It's my first time with a picky ball python. My first was a very good eater, that's why I was panicking.
But to clarify, I did research my options before i did it.

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Google can be your worst enemy. Assist or force feeding an animal at that stage is highly unnecessary and even dangerous to the animal. Two weeks is extremely premature to be that worried. Give your snake some time to adjust, make sure your husbandry is on point, and go from there. Your best resource is RIGHT HERE in this forum. Don't listen to just one person either, read some old threads, listen to multiple people and pick up on the common info you hear from the more experienced keepers. There are many different techniques that are used to feed picky eaters, so do your homework, put in the due diligence, make some adjustments and try again. I know it can be stressful to see your animal refuse food, but forcing it to eat this early is not the fix. Young animals shouldn't go "long" without eating, but two weeks isn't long in the world of a snake diet.