Feeding overnight

Hello,
This thread is more of wanting to hear some experiences. My ball python has eaten 4 times so far, consistently. First two feedings were mice and switched to rat and took it two times. The difference comes in when switched to rat. When offered mice, he took it less than 2 minutes. However, he does not take rat right away but takes it when left overnight. Seems interested at first but goes back to hide. By the morning, it is gone. Does anyone else’s ball python do this? I know they are nocturnal, but I offer at night with lights off. Is he going to eat only during overnight? Or can that change?
He is at 160g and taking small rat pups live. Going to switch to f/t after couple more feeding.


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If you are feeding live it may not be wise to leave the rats over night. If you do some Google searches you'll find some horror stories where the rats have injured, killed, or eaten the BP. I would offer for a reasonable period of time, perhaps an hour, and if they don't take it, try again in a week. Eventually he will begin eating when offered. Good luck!

I feed my ball just after lights out, after 10:00pm. Although, she's taken food at almost all hours of the day. But, for the moment, this has been all mice. Have not made the switch to rats yet.

Yes, especially since yours is young and small, they'll sometimes switch to taking it quickly as they get more confident. Anything live that's old enough to do much more than crawl and has eyes open is dangerous to leave in overnight.

They will be in full "hunting" mode at night, especially with a drop in temperature, but they will eat at any time of the day regardless. Snakes are opportunistic feeders, if they have access to a rodent any time of day they will take it.

I would get him switched over to f/t immediately and be patient when trying to feed him. I'm a huge fan of not feeding live when it can be avoided because it is possible that you end up with an animal that will ONLY take live after a while. Never leave live rodents unattended around your snake though, you don't want to see the pictures of what can happen. I know you feed pups but still....it's just not something you want to do.

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Originally Posted by KevinK

They will be in full "hunting" mode at night, especially with a drop in temperature, but they will eat at any time of the day regardless. Snakes are opportunistic feeders, if they have access to a rodent any time of day they will take it.

I would get him switched over to f/t immediately and be patient when trying to feed him. I'm a huge fan of not feeding live when it can be avoided because it is possible that you end up with an animal that will ONLY take live after a while. Never leave live rodents unattended around your snake though, you don't want to see the pictures of what can happen. I know you feed pups but still....it's just not something you want to do.

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Yea, I plan on switching asap but I just wanted some consistency before I can safely switch over to f/t and if refused, I know he ate some meals before and just wait week after week and keep trying.


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Originally Posted by Kcl

Yes, especially since yours is young and small, they'll sometimes switch to taking it quickly as they get more confident. Anything live that's old enough to do much more than crawl and has eyes open is dangerous to leave in overnight.

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Yea, I am going to change to f/t before I change up from rat pup.


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Originally Posted by Charles8088

I feed my ball just after lights out, after 10:00pm. Although, she's taken food at almost all hours of the day. But, for the moment, this has been all mice. Have not made the switch to rats yet.

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Yea I put the rat at like 11 pm and turned off light. I was laying on bed for like an hour waiting for a sound but nope, so I ended up sleeping lol


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So could I guess he is not confident yet at striking rat?


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Originally Posted by gusanr14

So could I guess he is not confident yet at striking rat?


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A lot of times the not eating until left alone is more that the snake is not confident that the human is not a threat and doesn't feel safe enough yet to do what makes them their most vulnerable - eating - while a human is or has recently been present. We register as potential predators, especially to the smaller ones as more things can eat them. They're completely defenseless and unable to run away properly during the eating process and still hindered in running away once they're done eating. Thus a less confident snake wants to eat alone, in the dark, and unobserved.

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Originally Posted by Kcl

A lot of times the not eating until left alone is more that the snake is not confident that the human is not a threat and doesn't feel safe enough yet to do what makes them their most vulnerable - eating - while a human is or has recently been present. We register as potential predators, especially to the smaller ones as more things can eat them. They're completely defenseless and unable to run away properly during the eating process and still hindered in running away once they're done eating. Thus a less confident snake wants to eat alone, in the dark, and unobserved.

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Great answer/description of their mindset Kcl!

My female BP, Shayna, is 1600G (when not fasting and down to about 1450G after not eating for 5 months). She eats F/T and barely ever strikes, no matter what I do.

She is very shy and will almost never eat when I watch her. Most of the time, I shake the rat, she comes over, I put it down, and she either pulls it into her house to eat, or I have to hide in the corner where she can't see me, or leave the room, and then she eats like a champ.

They are strange creatures those BP's.

My BCI and corn snake (who is much less of a threat even as an adult), would happily take my hand off if it meant food. They are totally chill and tame otherwise. If food is involved though, all bets are off!

Shayna would practically rather starve than eat in front of me. And she is incredibly calm and docile and brave when being handled. She never curls up in a ball or hides her head, and really never did, even since she was very young.

They are very vulnerable when eating and they know it.

It's probably more you than the rat.

If you do plan to feed and walk away, and you are going to switch to F/T anyway, sooner than later is probably a good idea.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by dakski

Great answer/description of their mindset Kcl!

My female BP, Shayna, is 1600G (when not fasting and down to about 1450G after not eating for 5 months). She eats F/T and barely ever strikes, no matter what I do.

She is very shy and will almost never eat when I watch her. Most of the time, I shake the rat, she comes over, I put it down, and she either pulls it into her house to eat, or I have to hide in the corner where she can't see me, or leave the room, and then she eats like a champ.

They are strange creatures those BP's.

My BCI and corn snake (who is much less of a threat even as an adult), would happily take my hand off if it meant food. They are totally chill and tame otherwise. If food is involved though, all bets are off!

Shayna would practically rather starve than eat in front of me. And she is incredibly calm and docile and brave when being handled. She never curls up in a ball or hides her head, and really never did, even since she was very young.

They are very vulnerable when eating and they know it.

It's probably more you than the rat.

If you do plan to feed and walk away, and you are going to switch to F/T anyway, sooner than later is probably a good idea.

Good luck!

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Yea, I was also thinking that, but what confused me was that he took the mouse so confidently so I thought it was related to rat or something haha. I hope he gets better!

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Originally Posted by KevinK

but they will eat at any time of the day regardless. Snakes are opportunistic feeders, if they have access to a rodent any time of day they will take it.

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I helped this young guy for a month with this 1st BP & it wont eat during the day like most wont.. The Burms and Giant Pythons are another ball game. ( hahah Ball Game)



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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

I helped this young guy for a month with this 1st BP & it wont eat during the day like most wont.. The Burms and Giant Pythons are another ball game. ( hahah Ball Game)



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BALL game, like Ball Python!!!!

I get it!

Seriously, pun of the year (so far) for BP.net.

You must have some balls to bring a pun like that to this site!

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Originally Posted by gusanr14

Yea, I was also thinking that, but what confused me was that he took the mouse so confidently so I thought it was related to rat or something haha. I hope he gets better!

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Two of the most likely reasons for this in my opinion are the following. 1) any changes in some ways trigger a re-evaluation of the threat level of things. Animals, including us, are constantly evaluating the threat of the world around us, but anything strange really bumps it up a notch. Things that were previously marked as "ok" and more likely to be given a pass based on past history aren't given as much lenience because maybe they did change after all. Think of yourself - put a sudden lamp in your house that you don't know where it came from. Lamp's pretty innocuous, but you're suspicious of it I assume, and aren't you suspicious of everything else in your house too now in case they changed too? A baby snake can't ask around "hey, who put this lamp here??". They basically have to wait and hope the lamp doesn't come with a sudden predator in the closet too, now or later. 2) unfamiliar foods are often less tempting. This can change the balance of the impulse to eat vs the impulse to reduce vulnerability by reducing the former. Again, even humans are wary of unfamiliar foods. I don't recall how many times they advise people to introduce their children to a new food, but it was certainly several. If someone came and replaced all your food with foods that are similar, but completely unfamiliar to you, say your sandwiches are all now blue with an unusual smell, and you were completely unable to ask questions about them, you'd likely be a bit wary too and less inclined towards eating.

Both of these the snake may well resolve to his satisfaction with time. Some snakes just naturally are more timid and naturally assess the potential threat level as higher and thus never eat in front of people, but it sounds like yours is not that strongly on that side, so I'd guess that he'd likely start eating without having to be alone again in time.