Ball Python feeding

Ball python is around 8 months old and I've had him for 5 months, I tried feeding him today and for some reason he didn't eat, he's never gone off food so I'm really confused (I did move house 4 weeks ago but he ate fine up until today).


Ambient temperature: 77-82
Hot spot: 85-89 (regulated by thermostat)
Humidity: 60-75

When did he last shed? Snakes often start refusing food before any signs of impending shed can be seen by us...they can apparently feel it coming.

I cant remember the exact date but I'd say maybe 1.5-2 months ago I'm honestly not sure because I was moving house and been very busy

He's a ball python missing one feeding is not that unusual. Did you try the hair dryer method?

How do you normally feed? Switching up how the meal comes can throw them off too. I know that some of my balls are readily accepting to just dropping the rodent in dead. But some of the others don't hit the drops and have to be "Danced." with tongs.

I leave it them at room temperature for a couple hours and then either I'll try and dangle it and see if he strikes, sometimes he strikes but most times I end up leaving it and he will eat it after. Only thing I did differently that time was use a different container to leave them to defrost in

1 meal is not the end of the world, that's what they do, considering they are overfed in captivity skipping a meal here and there is actually a good thing

Yeah, I was just afraid it might turn into missing more meals. He did urinate and have a poop right before he fed but I cleaned him about before i fed him

Thank you guys for all the help 😊 much appreciated. I have been keeping 2 BPs for about a year+ Now but this is the first time ones gone off food

He's young & due for a shed, IMO. Wait a week & check his eyes...bet they're cloudy. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrandonPythons

I leave it them at room temperature for a couple hours and then either I'll try and dangle it and see if he strikes, sometimes he strikes but most times I end up leaving it and he will eat it after. Only thing I did differently that time was use a different container to leave them to defrost in

---

After leaving them out for a couple hours which is what I do also and you want to make sure the belly is good and soft. I even lay them out belly upward. But then I heat the feeder up with a hair dryer or heat lamp even. With the heat lamp you want to heat it belly down with the face close to the light, and keep a close eye on it with a infrared temp gun. It can get it up to 100 degree's quickly and that's high enough, 90's would be ok.
With a hair dryer I heat it up into the higher 80's and that really helps to get them to want it. Also during thaw I put the feeder on top of the enclosure which is a screen so by the time they thaw the snake is like a horse in a racing gate with fork in hand. Didn't sound like you where doing the heat up after thaw. That might really help you to do that rather than just thaw and present or lay out.

Also do you dangle by the tail? This will cause more misses. I would instead grab the feeder by the mid back with tweezers and make it walk sideways in front of the opening (that is if your snake doesn't come rushing out to eat) this technique will make it seem more like a live feeder. Usually works if they are hungry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

After leaving them out for a couple hours which is what I do also and you want to make sure the belly is good and soft. I even lay them out belly upward. But then I heat the feeder up with a hair dryer or heat lamp even. With the heat lamp you want to heat it belly down with the face close to the light, and keep a close eye on it with a infrared temp gun. It can get it up to 100 degree's quickly and that's high enough, 90's would be ok.
With a hair dryer I heat it up into the higher 80's and that really helps to get them to want it. Also during thaw I put the feeder on top of the enclosure which is a screen so by the time they thaw the snake is like a horse in a racing gate with fork in hand. Didn't sound like you where doing the heat up after thaw. That might really help you to do that rather than just thaw and present or lay out.

Also do you dangle by the tail? This will cause more misses. I would instead grab the feeder by the mid back with tweezers and make it walk sideways in front of the opening (that is if your snake doesn't come rushing out to eat) this technique will make it seem more like a live feeder. Usually works if they are hungry.

---

I also got that impression though, I am surprised you don't heat them higher with the hair dryer I typically heat them to about a surface temp of 115-130 with my temp gun. This seems to marvelously reduce the chances of being tagged on your hand instead of the rodent. Just a thought seeing as the human body rests at a usual temperature of about 98F.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrandonPythons

I leave it them at room temperature for a couple hours and then either I'll try and dangle it and see if he strikes, sometimes he strikes but most times I end up leaving it and he will eat it after. Only thing I did differently that time was use a different container to leave them to defrost in

---

Might reconsider your thawing method, as leaving it at room temp. to thaw causes spoilage which the snake CAN smell & may then reject it. Ball pythons are not carrion
feeders. Thaw until soft in cold water, then warm the prey by immersing briefly in very warm water (not hot, you're not trying to cook it!) and/or use the hair-dryer method to add life-like heat that your BP needs to strike. BPs rely on their heat sensing pits. If he's too shy to strike, wait until evening to prepare his prey, preferably when he's in ambush-hunting mode (peeking out of his hide, waiting for a clueless rodent to skip past him).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Might reconsider your thawing method, as leaving it at room temp. to thaw causes spoilage which the snake CAN smell & may then reject it. Ball pythons are not carrion
feeders. Thaw until soft in cold water, then warm the prey by immersing briefly in very warm water (not hot, you're not trying to cook it!) and/or use the hair-dryer method to add life-like heat that your BP needs to strike. BPs rely on their heat sensing pits. If he's too shy to strike, wait until evening to prepare his prey, preferably when he's in ambush-hunting mode (peeking out of his hide, waiting for a clueless rodent to skip past him).

---

Something that is frozen solid isn't going to spoil in anyway in 2 hours. I carefully monitor the feeder after 2 hrs. exact. And since it is currently mice I am feeding that is usually just the right amount of time, but with small rats it might take a little more time. Once the belly is real soft I then immediately start heating with the hair dryer or heat lamp.

I agree with you somewhat for instance I don't think you should leave a f/t feeder in all night like some suggest or do. But I haven't had any problem of refusals using my 2 hrs thaw over the enclosure method. Bacteria doesn't really start in food (that has reached room temp) until after 2 hrs. But these are starting out solid frozen at the beginning of the 2 hrs. True, water is a faster method but for me ours is easier to do. And that 2 hrs of letting the snake sniff it really does help. IMO Using this method with my latest snake I haven't had any refusals or regurgitation's and I have had this particular snake almost a year now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

Something that is frozen solid isn't going to spoil in anyway in 2 hours. I carefully monitor the feeder after 2 hrs. exact. And since it is currently mice I am feeding that is usually just the right amount of time, but with small rats it might take a little more time. Once the belly is real soft I then immediately start heating with the hair dryer or heat lamp.

I agree with you somewhat for instance I don't think you should leave a f/t feeder in all night like some suggest or do. But I haven't had any problem of refusals using my 2 hrs thaw over the enclosure method. Bacteria doesn't really start in food (that has reached room temp) until after 2 hrs. But these are starting out solid frozen at the beginning of the 2 hrs. True, water is a faster method but for me ours is easier to do. And that 2 hrs of letting the snake sniff it really does help. IMO Using this method with my latest snake I haven't had any refusals or regurgitation's and I have had this particular snake almost a year now.

---

Bacteria starts to party on the outside while the insulated interior remains frozen or very cold. Suit yourself, but this is also why you don't thaw a frozen turkey this way-
it's either done in cold water (faster) or in refrigerator (@ 40* takes days), so that it's never warm enough for bacteria to multiply. Just remember, cooking destroys lots
of bacteria too, & our snakes eat raw, & even worse, their food is intact (lots of bacteria in GI tract).

One more thing: air is a GREAT insulator. That's why it takes much longer to thaw something just by setting it out on the counter, than it does if it's immersed
in water...water allows a much faster transfer of temperature.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

One more thing: air is a GREAT insulator. That's why it takes much longer to thaw something just by setting it out on the counter, than it does if it's immersed
in water...water allows a much faster transfer of temperature.

---

I'm giving what you said a lot of thought. I am glad you stressed the cool water. I agree that seems better than warm or especially hot water and then I'll use the hair dryer or heat lamp to warm and dry it. How long does it take you using cool water to get a small rat defrosted? How about a mouse?

A friend of mine who owned a pet store once told me water is better because sometimes there are ice crystals inside that you don't know are there and can hurt the snake. That is the reason I put the feeder belly up when I do the air thaw method. Since I soon have to go to small rats I think you have pretty much talked me into it. Thanks for your input either way. Hope your post helps the OP too. He really should warm them up as well as thaw, whether using air or water. That will encourage a better hunger response.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

I'm giving what you said a lot of thought. I am glad you stressed the cool water. I agree that seems better than warm or especially hot water and then I'll use the hair dryer or heat lamp to warm and dry it. How long does it take you using cool water to get a small rat defrosted? How about a mouse?

A friend of mine who owned a pet store once told me water is better because sometimes there are ice crystals inside that you don't know are there and can hurt the snake. That is the reason I put the feeder belly up when I do the air thaw method. Since I soon have to go to small rats I think you have pretty much talked me into it. Thanks for your input either way. Hope your post helps the OP too. He really should warm them up as well as thaw, whether using air or water. That will encourage a better hunger response.

---

Yes, I see many say they thaw in warm or hot water...you want to use cool or cold tap water while it thaws. I compared thawing feeders to thawing a turkey for our table, but not many people want to look at a dead rat laying in their fridge while it thaws...:D...& water is much faster anyway. I just blot the feeders off on paper towel...I don't have any snakes that require "blow drying" so mine are good to go that way. I bring up the question of thawing anytime someone says their snake is refusing to eat- even though I can't prove that spoilage is the issue, it's a good possibility & snakes have a FAR better sense of smell than we do. When rodents get "ripe" they know long before we do, lol.

I cannot give you a specific time it takes to thaw in water: it does depend on the size, pinky mice are about 10 minutes, while an adult mouse maybe 30 minutes. If you're thawing a bunch of feeders, that will take longer too. I have a small pail that I use for thawing rodents, & metal is best (conducts temperatures better). Best I recall, thawing a large rat will take 2-3 hours...it's been a while since I've had to feed a big snake. Probably about an hour for a small rat. Also, for larger rodents, change the water a time or two, after it gets really cold, to speed things up. No matter what rodent I'm feeding, I never assume it's thawed until I feel it by hand...mush a little on the mid-body to make sure it's soft.

You are right that you never want to feed a rodent that has ice inside it...that pretty much guarantees a regurge...:( Once you know it's thawed, that's when you warm it up if you need to. None of my snakes care, not even my spotted python, but BPs usually want some "lifelike" warmth.