Feeding question

I am new ball Python owner and I just tried feeding our 5 month old BP but he refused his rat pup. I am wondering can I put the rat in the fridge and warm it up later tonight or tomorrow to re try? Can I live it in the cage overnight? Also when do you retry to feed them if they refuse? Thanks

Here is a picture of our new addition https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3c138d3e72.jpg


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The general rule of thumb is you can re-freeze it one time if your snake refuses.

As for when to offer next, wait at leaat 5 days. Offering too often can stress the snake and lead to more refusals.

The next step is to try to determine why the snake is refusing.
It is likely either husbandry or stress.

Are you handling the snake at all?

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

The general rule of thumb is you can re-freeze it one time if your snake refuses.

As for when to offer next, wait at leaat 5 days. Offering too often can stress the snake and lead to more refusals.

The next step is to try to determine why the snake is refusing.
It is likely either husbandry or stress.

Are you handling the snake at all?

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Ok thanks I will wait 5 days. Yes we have held him and he seems good when we hold him he doesn’t stay in a a ball or anything when holding him. Should we avoid holding him before feedings? Also I am reading/hearing different things about moving the snake for feedings? He has a heat pad set to 90. Does that need to be bumped up? We also have a humid hide along with 3 other hides.
Tomorrow I am going to buy another heat lamp to help keep the cool side a little warmer


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When did you get it? When i got mine it refused food for approximetely 2 weeks then started eating i also had to convert it from live to f/t because it was on live when i got it it and didnt want to run a risk of rats hurting it that process was unfun lol did not want frozen thawed at all was hissing at it when i would offer now it eats every week havent had an issue with feeding for the last 2 or 3 feedings i havent had it long im just glad its finally eating on a regular basis if it refuses feeding i usually throw out the rat after being thawed out id rather be safe if rather then re freezing something that was already frozen and thawed once also i warm it up and use feeding tongs grab the rat by the back of the neck and make it do a little dance mine refuses to eat unless the prey is warm and moving stubborn as can be sometimes also you can leave the rat in there over night kf you want but if its anything like mine which hopefully not then it wont take it unless warm and moving around ive left one over night and it would just crawl over it from what i hear if you just got it you should not handle it for the first few sucessful feeds i may be wrong im new to the ball pythons as well and im still learning hope this helps tho

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Check the tempature of heat pad i just asked this information yesterday to find this out and the tempature of the glass should be 90 and how are you controlling the heat pad?

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Originally Posted by iCadance

Ok thanks I will wait 5 days. Yes we have held him and he seems good when we hold him he doesn’t stay in a a ball or anything when holding him. Should we avoid holding him before feedings? Also I am reading/hearing different things about moving the snake for feedings? He has a heat pad set to 90. Does that need to be bumped up? We also have a humid hide along with 3 other hides.
Tomorrow I am going to buy another heat lamp to help keep the cool side a little warmer


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It's typically recommended to not handle a new snake (especially young ones) until they have successfully eaten for you 3 times. So I think it would be a good idea for you to hold off on handling until he is eating regularly. The stress of being in a new environment + handling can often make ball pythons feel insecure. Waiting is not easy but the frustration of having a snake that isn't eating is worse.

Do not move the snake to feed. There are exactly zero benefits of doing this and can actually increase your chances of being bitten or the snake regurgitating its meal. Always feed in the enclosure. I assure you that he will not become aggressive or think that you hand is food. Pretty much everyone here feeds in the enclosure and hasn't had any issues.

How are you measuring your temps? And just to be sure- your heat mat is regulated by a thermostat right?

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

When did you get it? When i got mine it refused food for approximetely 2 weeks then started eating i also had to convert it from live to f/t because it was on live when i got it it and didnt want to run a risk of rats hurting it that process was unfun lol did not want frozen thawed at all was hissing at it when i would offer now it eats every week havent had an issue with feeding for the last 2 or 3 feedings i havent had it long im just glad its finally eating on a regular basis if it refuses feeding i usually throw out the rat after being thawed out id rather be safe if rather then re freezing something that was already frozen and thawed once also i warm it up and use feeding tongs grab the rat by the back of the neck and make it do a little dance mine refuses to eat unless the prey is warm and moving stubborn as can be sometimes also you can leave the rat in there over night kf you want but if its anything like mine which hopefully not then it wont take it unless warm and moving around ive left one over night and it would just crawl over it from what i hear if you just got it you should not handle it for the first few sucessful feeds i may be wrong im new to the ball pythons as well and im still learning hope this helps tho

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Thanks. We just got him two days ago the picture was from the night we got him he isn’t held right now we wanted to give him a week to get used to everything (we where told about a week). Sounds like we might have to wait longer. The breeder we got him from said he held him all the time so he is used to being held but did say that he has been a stubborn feeder he was taking f/t rat pups so that is what I tried I was told to heat it under a heat lamp for a min he tried biting it missed and the. Wouldn’t touch it I put it in a bag in the fridge tell I can figure out if I can either RE freeze it or put it in the cage over night. I have owned breaded dragons for years but I am very new to ball pythons.


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Originally Posted by Kira

It's typically recommended to not handle a new snake (especially young ones) until they have successfully eaten for you 3 times. So I think it would be a good idea for you to hold off on handling until he is eating regularly. The stress of being in a new environment + handling can often make ball pythons feel insecure. Waiting is not easy but the frustration of having a snake that isn't eating is worse.

Do not move the snake to feed. There are exactly zero benefits of doing this and can actually increase your chances of being bitten or the snake regurgitating its meal. Always feed in the enclosure. I assure you that he will not become aggressive or think that you hand is food. Pretty much everyone here feeds in the enclosure and hasn't had any issues.

How are you measuring your temps? And just to be sure- your heat mat is regulated by a thermostat right?

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Thanks this is all good to know I won’t move him again when I re try to feed him in 5 days I measure my temps with a laser theme reader. And yes the heat mat is plugged into a thermostat. I have it set at 90 right now. He is moving around but I am getting a heat light for the cool side just to keep it a little bit warmer it is about 69-71 right now.


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Originally Posted by iCadance

Thanks. We just got him two days ago the picture was from the night we got him he isn’t held right now we wanted to give him a week to get used to everything (we where told about a week). Sounds like we might have to wait longer. The breeder we got him from said he held him all the time so he is used to being held but did say that he has been a stubborn feeder he was taking f/t rat pups so that is what I tried I was told to heat it under a heat lamp for a min he tried biting it missed and the. Wouldn’t touch it I put it in a bag in the fridge tell I can figure out if I can either RE freeze it or put it in the cage over night. I have owned breaded dragons for years but I am very new to ball pythons.


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Mine can be very very stubborn how i heat mine up is the only way i find it takes it i place the rat in a ziplock bag with warm water dont use really hot i tried that once and rat was losing hair and his guts were starting to ckme out wont try that again lol then i dry itnoff as much as i can and use a blow dryer to completely dry and warm up ever since i statted this method havent had a problem with it taking food i say it because im jot 100% on sex yet

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Mine can be very very stubborn how i heat mine up is the only way i find it takes it i place the rat in a ziplock bag with warm water dont use really hot i tried that once and rat was losing hair and his guts were starting to ckme out wont try that again lol then i dry itnoff as much as i can and use a blow dryer to completely dry and warm up ever since i statted this method havent had a problem with it taking food i say it because im jot 100% on sex yet

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And try making the rat kind of dance grab it by the back of the neck "with feeding tongs" and make it appear alive moving it slowly left and right or up and down making the head shake a little that sometimes encourages them only way i can get mine to feed

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Mine can be very very stubborn how i heat mine up is the only way i find it takes it i place the rat in a ziplock bag with warm water dont use really hot i tried that once and rat was losing hair and his guts were starting to ckme out wont try that again lol then i dry itnoff as much as i can and use a blow dryer to completely dry and warm up ever since i statted this method havent had a problem with it taking food i say it because im jot 100% on sex yet

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Thank you for all the tips I will try them for sure!


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Originally Posted by iCadance

Thank you for all the tips I will try them for sure!


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No problem i had such issue with mine that if i can help someone else with theres and hopefully it works then atleast i was able to help someone :). Also is your thermostat sandwiched between the glass and the heat pad only reason i ask is i didnt do that and i ended up having to take off heat pad and put probe inbetween the 2 and it was a very unpleasant expierence

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

No problem i had such issue with mine that if i can help someone else with theres and hopefully it works then atleast i was able to help someone :). Also is your thermostat sandwiched between the glass and the heat pad only reason i ask is i didnt do that and i ended up having to take off heat pad and put probe inbetween the 2 and it was a very unpleasant expierence

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I really appreciate all the help/information I am getting I want to make sure that I am doing everything right for him.

I was told to put the prob inside the tank on the glass above the heat pad.


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I was told the same thing by a reptile store and they dont give u any information i came here and talked to some people because this is my first ball python and ive been caring for it for over a month now going off what reptile stores told me and i came here last night after seeing this forum i asked a few questions the prob should never be inside the enclosure it should be sandwiched between the glass and the pad it self and you wont get accurate readings because the snake can move it or urinate on it ill show you how i did mine

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This is a picture inside my enclosure after moving substrate not 100% sure if my probe is in the best place still waiting on people on here to let me know but this is the idea of what you need to do https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...051e1e1804.jpg

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Thisnis how i set up my thermometor probes and you will need 2 hides 1 on cool sode 1 on warm side i set mine on my hot side where my pad is so he/she can hide and keep warm also never use tape inside your enclosure under any circumstances nothing sticky should be in there no velcro either thisnis all information ive found on here you can also block off most of the top lid with aluminum foil and tape ontop of it to keep it on the lid here is pictures of what i did buttom u cant really see but its the aluminum foil therehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c462b69b20.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6fc30b784c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dddf6f2d95.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...058df8e861.jpg

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

This is a picture inside my enclosure after moving substrate not 100% sure if my probe is in the best place still waiting on people on here to let me know but this is the idea of what you need to do https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...051e1e1804.jpg

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Thanks! I will have to move mine. I have it tapped to the inside under his hot hide.


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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Thisnis how i set up my thermometor probes and you will need 2 hides 1 on cool sode 1 on warm side i set mine on my hot side where my pad is so he/she can hide and keep warm also never use tape inside your enclosure under any circumstances nothing sticky should be in there no velcro either thisnis all information ive found on here you can also block off most of the top lid with aluminum foil and tape ontop of it to keep it on the lid here is pictures of what i did buttom u cant really see but its the aluminum foil therehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c462b69b20.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6fc30b784c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dddf6f2d95.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...058df8e861.jpg

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This is all very helpful!! I didn’t mean tap I meant stuck on the bottom with those suction cup thingy that comes with it.



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Originally Posted by iCadance

This is all very helpful!! I didn’t mean tap I meant stuck on the bottom with those suction cup thingy that comes with it.



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Are you talking about thermostat or thermometor?

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Are you talking about thermostat or thermometor?

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It says thermostat it is to keep the heat pad at the right temp and not get to hot



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The thermostat probe should be the one sandwiched between the glass and the pad the thermometor i believe can rest on top i use a heat gun to check 90% of my tank i use the digital thermometors mainly to make sure my tank is not to cold like ambient temps

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Originally Posted by iCadance

It says thermostat it is to keep the heat pad at the right temp and not get to hot



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Oh okay mine didnt come with a suction cup only my thermometors did and digital is the best bet for hygrometor and thermometors and if you can get a infrared temp gun there great for checking surface temps

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

The thermostat probe should be the one sandwiched between the glass and the pad the thermometor i believe can rest on top i use a heat gun to check 90% of my tank i use the digital thermometors mainly to make sure my tank is not to cold like ambient temps

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Ok I will move the thermostat to between the heat pad and glass.


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Just wanted to be 100% sure the thermostat was the one you were talking about half the time reptile stores dont even tell you to get one they didnt tell me i just grabbed it cause i knew somethings have a tendacy of getting to hot your best bet when caring for ball python is asking questions on here alot of people are more then willing to help im glad i found this forum :)

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Oh okay mine didnt come with a suction cup only my thermometors did and digital is the best bet for hygrometor and thermometors and if you can get a infrared temp gun there great for checking surface temps

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I do have a infrared temp gun. I use it to check surface temps in our other reptile enclosures. Thanks again for all the information!


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Originally Posted by iCadance

I do have a infrared temp gun. I use it to check surface temps in our other reptile enclosures. Thanks again for all the information!


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Oh okay sorry didnt see that part yeah i love my temp gun makes it so i can quickly check all my tank temps i also have a bearded dragon and a corn snake my favorite is my bp tho

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Someone just got back to me about thermostat probe and heat pad the prob should be sandwiched in the middle of heat pad so i would recommend doing it that way

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Also forgot to mention if it is a sticky mat that sticks to the buttom of your tank and you already stuck it slowly pull it off start at the cord try not to bend it as much as possible try not to rip it took me about an hour or so to take mine off i also used a putty knife to start with once i got a bunch of it lifted i used my hands and very slowly pulled down and put my fingers inside the pad pushing downwards to make sure i wasnt applying to much bending you can wreck them taking them off i was so scared when i took mine off thankfully it still works just take your time

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Also forgot to mention if it is a sticky mat that sticks to the buttom of your tank and you already stuck it slowly pull it off start at the cord try not to bend it as much as possible try not to rip it took me about an hour or so to take mine off i also used a putty knife to start with once i got a bunch of it lifted i used my hands and very slowly pulled down and put my fingers inside the pad pushing downwards to make sure i wasnt applying to much bending you can wreck them taking them off i was so scared when i took mine off thankfully it still works just take your time

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Thanks I will! I will change that around tonight!


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Originally Posted by iCadance

Thanks I will! I will change that around tonight!


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No problem :)

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Also, you don’t ever want tape inside the enclosure. You’re going to have a nightmare on your hands if it get stuck to the snake. You can google images and see some examples.
Here is a thread where someone’s snake got duct tape stuck to it.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...k-on-duct-tape


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Originally Posted by iCadance

Thanks I will! I will change that around tonight!


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If your heat mat is already stuck to the tank, instead of possibly ruining it by peeling it up, just tape the probe the the bottom of the heat mat. Just tape the cord though, not the probe itself.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by iCadance

I am new ball Python owner and I just tried feeding our 5 month old BP but he refused his rat pup. I am wondering can I put the rat in the fridge and warm it up later tonight or tomorrow to re try? Can I live it in the cage overnight? Also when do you retry to feed them if they refuse? Thanks

Here is a picture of our new addition https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3c138d3e72.jpg


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Another option is to get a Corn or a King snake and use it as a dustbin for any refused feeds ..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Another option is to get a Corn or a King snake and use it as a dustbin for any refused feeds ..


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I have a corn but my corn isnt a quarter as thick as my ball python is otherwise id love that idea my corn is only on hopper mice going to try to push him up a siz while my ball is on weaned rats lol

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