Ball pythons?!?

I will never understand these creatures. I have a coral glow pinstripe male, that was a voracious eater for his first 2 years. NEVER refused food. Then one day last November, he refused. Then the next week he refused again. And for the next 8 months he wanted nothing to do with a live or dead rat. I offered every single week, with absolutely zero interest. Well, it was feeding day, so I offered again, and BAM, he decided to eat. I will NEVER figure out ball pythons!


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hahaha that's ball pythons.

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Originally Posted by bhsurf4

I will never understand these creatures. I have a coral glow pinstripe male, that was a voracious eater for his first 2 years. NEVER refused food. Then one day last November, he refused. Then the next week he refused again. And for the next 8 months he wanted nothing to do with a live or dead rat. I offered every single week, with absolutely zero interest. Well, it was feeding day, so I offered again, and BAM, he decided to eat. I will NEVER figure out ball pythons!


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Oh but you HAVE figured them out...they're all :rolleye2:!

If you want a snake that doesn't waste food or drive you nuts, get a rat or corn snake, a king snake, a bull/gopher snake, a boa, or almost anything other than a beep! :snake:

This is why they're called "Royal pythons"...it has nothing to do with nobility, it's because they're a royal pain! :D

I dont understand how they're the most regarded starter snake! There's so much easier species.

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Originally Posted by wnateg

I dont understand how they're the most regarded starter snake! There's so much easier species.

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Because they have a reputation for docility, combined with a nice size & pretty patterns...it's also because they're plentiful & people have bunches of them for sale. ;)
Definitely difficult for beginners...if only they did more homework before buying one.

All my friends and co-workers know I keep snakes so they always want my opinion. And I’ve told dozens of people NOT to start with a ball python. Some listen, most don’t. (I also recommend they DO NOT buy from a chain pet store, but they don’t listen to me on that either!) Every one that gets one asks me 3 or 4 months later what to do, because their snake hasn’t eaten yet. They buy them from Petsmart, who then sells them a pack of frozen mice, which is the hardest thing to get a juvenile BP to eat!! I have a burm, a retic, and a boa, and if not for their size I would recommend any of them over a BP. But, even though I :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: and moan about them, I love the hell out of each of them.


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I haven’t had any problem feeding all 4 of our balls. Of course they are still neonates. I’m sure things will change in a couple of years. My western hog nose however has gone from feeding like a boss to week 3 of fasting. Only 2 months old.

I have changed my way of feeding the last 8 months and it’s really working out, I used to feed every 7 days on the dot, never had a refusal but they were babies When I did that, now I just read them and I can easily tell when they are hungry by their movements around the cage. My 2 bp’s are almost 3 years old and have never once not snatched the rat out of my tongs.

also I don’t do racks because I like to look at them and how they move, I spend hours watching how they move and what they do!

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Originally Posted by Igotsmallballs

I haven’t had any problem feeding all 4 of our balls. Of course they are still neonates. I’m sure things will change in a couple of years. My western hog nose however has gone from feeding like a boss to week 3 of fasting. Only 2 months old.

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Ball pythons wait until you're complacent about them eating regularly...like about 2-4 years of age, and THEN they mess with you. ;)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Ball pythons wait until you're complacent about them eating regularly...like about 2-4 years of age, and THEN they mess with you. ;)

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Got ya! Yeah i will probably be like wtf! I’ve gotten accustomed to thawing them out in the room. Then heating them with a blow dryer. 3 out 4 do rip them off the tongs and my oldest will come out creeping on it when he senses it in the cage. Perhaps I should have saved all this extra stuff I’m doing for when they go off feed!��:cens0r:♂️

It was their reputation for being difficult feeders that made me not chose a BP. My KSB has had his moments, but not 8 months worth of them, lol.

I want to make a song called, " My BP won't eat". :)

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Originally Posted by bhsurf4

I will never understand these creatures. I have a coral glow pinstripe male, that was a voracious eater for his first 2 years. NEVER refused food. Then one day last November, he refused. Then the next week he refused again. And for the next 8 months he wanted nothing to do with a live or dead rat. I offered every single week, with absolutely zero interest. Well, it was feeding day, so I offered again, and BAM, he decided to eat. I will NEVER figure out ball pythons!


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Next time you're faced with consistent refusals, I'd recommend waiting a month in between offerings.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I want to make a song called, " My BP won't eat". :)

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:rofl: :rofl:

The rejected stinky rat blues.

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Originally Posted by JobForARetic

Next time you're faced with consistent refusals, I'd recommend waiting a month in between offerings.

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Once mine are up to adult size if they eat one week then they don't get offered another feeder for at least two weeks. Makes for fewer leftovers and the snakes are still healthy and retain weight. The only exceptions are females who just laid a clutch, they get offered every week until they're back to pre-breeding weight.