still not eating

Hi all,

I posted on here a week and a half ago about my Baby bp not eating -

Well its now been 5 1/2 weeks.

the temps are fine, the humidity is fine, the bp seems to be looking round the enclosure a lot but just shows no interest - I have tried making sure the fuzzy is really warm, i havnt tried putting the bp in a brown paper bag yet?

I have tried everything any suggestions? should I try an assisted feed? will thus help get a routine started? how does one do this?

hope someone can help

You say baby. How old? And has he eaten for you before?

sorry my bad, i use the term baby loosly - the breeder said he was eating befor i got him, at the mo he i sprob around 18 inches, mayb tiny bit less. He has not shed in all this time either

Was he a feeder when you aquired him? Are you offering him what you know he has eaten before?

he was a feeder when i got him and I am offering him the same

What size enclosure are you keeping him in? How are you measuring temps (what are you using) and how much are you handling him?

the enclosure is the same ground space as a 20gal however t is only half the height - i have got 2 therms measuring the heat at either end. I have not been handling him the last 2 weeks, only going into the tank to change the water. And oviously to try and feed him

What type of thermometers? Digital or dial?

Here's a picture of how I have my babies set up, much smaller enclosure than what you are keeping yours in. And these "babies" are now over 250 grams and never missed a meal, and are still in this enclosure:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...ub/BabyTub.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...b/BabyTub2.jpg

You still didn't specify what kind of thermometers you are using, and how are you measuring the humidity?

they are dial therms, looking at it, there is porb the same amount of groundspace as in yours, Nice BP I like the black running straight down its back

You might want to think about switching to a digital thermometer, they are a lot more accurate. A good and commonly recommended one is the Accurite brand. They measure temp and humidity on the body of the unit, and then another separate temp from the end of a probe you can place in another area. $12.00 and will tell you what your levels really are.

i use a dial for both

i live in the uk, things tend to b a lot more expensiv here, a digital version is gonna cost me almost $30 are the dials really that inaccurate?

You still haven't stated what your temps are. Low temperatures are arguably the #1 cause of ball pythons not feeding in captive collections.

And yes, dial thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. Digital thermometers are the way to go. $30 is a small sum to invest in the well-being of your animal.

The best way i believe to feed is to prescent the room your snake is in. put the mouse/rat in a seperate conatiner from your snake with air holes so the scent gets out. Place the conatiner on top of or close to the snakes cage for 30-45 minutes. Then drop the mouse in. My snake always gets out of his hide and goes to investigate. This entices the snake to eat. My snake hasnt missed a feeding day since i got him.

sorry the temps at the warm en dof the tank are 88 - 90 and at the cooler end 80 and the cooler end humidity is 50%

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Originally Posted by aaronyarm

sorry the temps at the warm en dof the tank are 88 - 90 and at the cooler end 80 and the cooler end humidity is 50%

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It sounds as if your temps are good. Try prescenting. are you feeding in your snakes cage or a feeding cage?

feeding him in his cage - he weigs in at the mo at around 90 grams doesnt look underweight at all and looks alert and healthy, could it be that he is just no thungry - or is a 5 1/2 week stint of not eating a little more than not hungry

Let me share my experience with you ...

I got my first bp over 3 weeks ago and he just ate. For the first two weeks I had him in a 20 gal tank and the right settings .. but no luck. What I did is I covered all the walls of the tank with paper towels, so that he wouldn't be able to look out. Still he wouldn't eat.
So I changed to a small tub that barely fits two hides and a small water bowl (almost no free space) and he loves it there. After 6 days of being in his new place, he ate. My advice: don't open his container, don't touch him, don't even look at him, act as if he wasn't there!! Only check you two digi thermometers and hygrometer (outside the container). If after a week you open the tub and your snake is dead ... bad luck, get another one.

If he is alive, try feeding him. Wait more than 10 days before you try.

I tried the 6th day because my snake told me he was hungry ... but if you can't speak snake, then wait more.

sounds like you guys are stressing out those little guys, ball pythons are very finicky eaters. As long as they arent losing extreme amounts of weight/look thin, they should be fine. But definitley try the prescent im almost positive it will work.

Oh and the about the dial inaccuracy, yes they are very innaccurate, they have been found to be up to 25 degrees off and 30+% for humidity.

i have previouly left a mouse in the tank for a few hours but to no luck - with the prescent idea you suggest shoul di put the mouse in a smaller container?and leave it near or in the tank?

looking at the temps ion teh tank tbh they are def not 25 degrees off - they are prb correct give or take 1 - 2 degrees. Only know as I like to keep my room pretty warm and friend has a digital thermo which i borrowed just to check as for the humi not sure bout that one as only got the one method to check

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aaronyarm

i have previouly left a mouse in the tank for a few hours but to no luck - with the prescent idea you suggest shoul di put the mouse in a smaller container?and leave it near or in the tank?

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Never ever leave a mouse in the cage unattended. Can cause serious injury to a non hungry snake. The prescent thing, i take a gladware container and put many holes in it, put the mosue in it and then put it ontop of the mesh screen for atleast 30 min. My snake goes crazy!:rolleye2:

i dont feed live mice - so no worries bout it hurting the snake
will it still work with a dead mouse?

probably does it stink? lol Move the mouse around make it look alive. Fish for snake if you catch my drift.:snake2:

Bump up your temps. 92-94, 82-84 ambient.

If a dial thermometer is reading 80 degrees on the cool end, there's a good chance that at night, your temps are dipping even lower than that - a perfect receipe to kill the feeding response of a ball python.

You could try feeding live. :mouse2:

its ilegal to feed animals other live animals in the UK, so not really an option

Is it illegal like its illegal to speed on the highway, or illegal like illegal to smoke crack?

Either way, if I had the choice between following a law or doing something for the welfare of a living thing, my moral principles would have me break that law. Thats just me though....

Either way, your first step is to figure out exactly where you are as far as temperatures go. Once you figure that out, you make adjustments from there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aaronyarm

they are dial therms, looking at it, there is porb the same amount of groundspace as in yours, Nice BP I like the black running straight down its back

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Thanks! However, if your enclosure is the floorspace of a 20 gallon, mine is MUCH smaller than that. It's a 15 quart tub.

And ditch the dials. Go to a hardware type store in the UK and purchase a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer that also measures the humidity. Well worth the investment to make SURE that your temps are correct.

So, another question - how snug are your hides? Is your snake kept in a high or low traffic area of your home (you may have already answered this, so my apologies if I'm making you repeat yourself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aaronyarm

the breeder said he was eating befor i got him, at the mo he i sprob around 18 inches, mayb tiny bit less. He has not shed in all this time either

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Another question - what has the breeder suggested that you do, or told you what he does differently than you?

ok so ill get a digital temp/humid reader.

The hides are pretty snug prob bout twice the size of the snake when curled up, how snug should they be?
It is in al ow traffic area inteh home

dont worry thanks for the help

The hides should be snug enough that they can "just" cram themselves into them, or touching them from all sides, including the top.

ok, i was but worried that he would not be able to get in it cos of the lenget of him, (i.e. hide to small) but ill change those now!!!
thanks

ok he seems to really like that!!! ill just have to play the patience game now!!!

Small hides are the way to go! Higher temps are too! 83-84 93-94!

You said he was active....is he always out and about? day and night? does he spend more time out of his hide, than in his hide? Do you ever see him with his head raised ....like he is smelling the air...but up high?

he moves around at different hours, in both day and night, and he does sometimes raise his head against the wall of the enclosure,