New ball python owner... He won't eat

I'm a new ball python owner and also new to this site. After my brother, who lives with me, brought home a ball python I had to get one of my own. So I went to a snake expo and fell in love with a male majave ghost. The guy selling him said he was a great eater and eats live fuzzies. He told me he ate Monday, it was now Saturday. He was born July 11 2016. So he is almost 9 months. The guy said give him a few days to get settled then feed him.

He he will not eat. I have tried live, f/t, leaving thawed in his feeding container, taking him to a dark room. It has been over a month now.

He is in 20 gallon terrarium, hide and temp around 88, cool side around 78, have tried belly heat and no belly heat, coconut fiber/aspen substrate, fresh water, humidity falls to 40 but I have a spray bottle and keep it around 55-60. Been trying weekly to feed him.

I have fed my brothers other snakes, we have 5, some eat live and some eat thawed so I know how to feed them.

This breeder has been a great help. He answers my text and has even made a trip to come try to feed him and had no luck. Don't want anyone to think I'm bashing him, very pleased with how he has helped. Just seeing if someone might have tips to get him to eat. Any advice is welcome.

Get him in something smaller and dark a 20 gallon is too big. There should not be a feeding container. He should be fed in his "home". Reduce attempts to every two weeks. Restrict handling to what is required to care for the animal until it eats.

What's the weight of the snake?

20 gallons is big and not always offering enough security, those are secretive animals and they are all different but many will feel to expose in a 20 gallons.

If the snake is smaller than 750 grams consider downsizing.

Make sure hides are tight (very tight)

Do not handle the snake until he eats for you.

Do not feed in a feeding container, feed in the enclosure, feeding in a container can cause enough stress for the animal not to eat (not to mention that moving snake in feed mode is not the best idea)

I put a seperator in when first brought him home for about 3 weeks and he wouldn't eat during that time. He doesn't get handled a lot to begin with, maybe 5-10 minutes every other day and not at all a few day before I plan to try to feed him. Even went a week of no handling to see if it would help. He is very active. Has a tight hide that he loves, a ramp he loves, breeder said feed him in separate container and my brother has alsways fed in separate container. I actually tried to feed him in his tank but he was not interested. He actually seems scared of the live and not interested in thawed.

He weighs 173g

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Originally Posted by Manga

He weighs 173g

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They grow at different rates, but that's a bit small for 9 months, which makes me think he hasn't eaten many meals in his life to begin with. Ball pythons can be VERY picky about setup/security/hides and temps, so it will definitely be easier to get him a smaller tub setup (sterilite tub) to better manage his basic needs for now, until he eats for you. Posting a pic of his current setup anyway will help too!

Make sure you're using digital thermometers/hygrometers to measure his temps accurately.

Feed him in his enclosure- it may very well be that the taking him in and out is causing him to snap out of feeding mode (due to stress) and not want to eat.

If you want to keep using the tank for some reason, you'll want to clutter it up with lots of tight, secure hides (not half log hides) and a lot of "cover"/clutter, as much as possible. This is my tank setup.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso2_1280.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg

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Originally Posted by Manga

He weighs 173g

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Put him in a 12/15 quarts tub, do not handle for a week, offer live food in the tub after a week.

No more handling, no more feeding tub.

I cannot think of any knowledgeable breeder that would ever recommand to feed in a separate tub. [emoji57]

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Forgive me if I say something you already know but her you go. Saying very active and ball python in the same sentence never adds up well. If he is very active something is wrong. Ones that are comfortable rarely do anything voluntarily outside of pooping, eating and mating. Feeding a ball outside its home is very counterproductive for most balls. I have some that that not only insist on eating in their own container but inside the hide as well. Read through this caresheet and start checking things off. The thing that is different is most likely the problem.

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Originally Posted by Manga

He actually seems scared of the live and not interested in thawed.

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They act scared of food when they're not in feeding mode or stressed.

And +1 no need to ask the breeder anymore if he's telling you to feed in a "feeding container" lol...

Him being so active does worry me. Our other snakes are not active till night. I do not have digital thermometer but will pick one up. He does have a half log hide l, all of the snakes here do except one. What do y'all suggest instead? I'm really worried about him and appreciate all of y'alls help. Not sure how to insert picture on here but when I figure it out I will post one of his set up right now.

I suggest using the tapatalk app on your phone to upload pics. Very easy to use.

I also suggest: - no handling of your snake (unless absolutely necessary for cleaning the enclosure) until AFTER he has eaten a meal or two.
- Get your husbandry right asap.
- As for hides, something that is well closed off with only one entrance is ideal. There are several options at your local pet stores, there are also many ways to make your own on the cheap, or order from the tons of options found using a simple google search
- and please feed your snake in it's enclosure

Good luck, we're here if you need more help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

They grow at different rates, but that's a bit small for 9 months, which makes me think he hasn't eaten many meals in his life to begin with. Ball pythons can be VERY picky about setup/security/hides and temps, so it will definitely be easier to get him a smaller tub setup (sterilite tub) to better manage his basic needs for now, until he eats for you. Posting a pic of his current setup anyway will help too!

Make sure you're using digital thermometers/hygrometers to measure his temps accurately.

Feed him in his enclosure- it may very well be that the taking him in and out is causing him to snap out of feeding mode (due to stress) and not want to eat.

If you want to keep using the tank for some reason, you'll want to clutter it up with lots of tight, secure hides (not half log hides) and a lot of "cover"/clutter, as much as possible. This is my tank setup.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso2_1280.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg

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Great looking setup ( and snake ). !

Somone else may have already said this and I missed it but feeding at night may also help

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Originally Posted by Sargentnoid

Somone else may have already said this and I missed it but feeding at night may also help

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As above plus in dim light or even darkness ... and if feeding thawed remember to give it a good blast with a hairdryer before offering ..


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173 grams for 9 months old? That is extremely small. You should be feeding a max of 10% of their body weight, so about 18 grams max. An adult mouse weighs about 35 grams, so you need something smaller. I'd find a source of rat pinkies and try to put a live one in his enclosure for the night, only rat pinkies with eyes closed are safe to leave in there unattended. Any other live food and I'd supervise to make sure the rodent doesn't harm the snake. If he doesn't eat I'd return the pinky and try another one in a week, or euthanize with CO2 and freeze, then try frozen thawed a few days later. But I'd still try a rat pinky once a week until he eats. A snake that small should be eating twice a week once he starts eating. Once you get him on rat pinkies on a regular basis you can move over to fresh killed then try frozen thawed.