bites but wont eat.

the title pretty much says it all.

my new baby bp will bite the mouse but wont eat it.
the bp is about 15inch, and im feeding it thawed mice.

it bites it but wont eat it, and im feeding it the same as the guy who had it before me did.

anybody have any thoughts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hawaiianice99

the title pretty much says it all.

my new baby bp will bite the mouse but wont eat it.
the bp is about 15inch, and im feeding it thawed mice.

it bites it but wont eat it, and im feeding it the same as the guy who had it before me did.

anybody have any thoughts?

---

First off welcome to the group :D.Ok what are your temps? Did you leave him totaly alone for a full week to adjust to his new home? If your temps are not in the 90ish for hot side.If you did not leave him alone for a full week then these could be the reason he refuses to eat.

IMO Ball Pythons do not need to be in the 90s. Remember their natural surroundings. During the day they are in holes where it is cooler and more humid then it would be above ground. 88 to 89 warm side is the way i keep all my ball pythons.

Now this does sound like a stress issue. you could do a few things.

1) Leave it alone for a week without touching it. just make sure it has water. nothing more. Feed at night after this week of being left alone.

2) Try a live to jump start it again. It shoudl only take on or two feedings to get it going again.

3) try a prekilled mouse not F/T

Make sure the hides are on both sides of the cage. This is just as important as temps IMO.

also try an animal that is going to be more like a snack not a meal. one of my bp's did this for a while off and on so i just had to start feeding him smaller animals all together.

Hi,

Good advice so far but just wanted to ask if your standing watching him eat and possibly making him feel insecure?


dr del

tank temp is in the 80s and it has only been alone in the tank for about 3 days.

btw, thanks for the welcome

do you think that adult frozen mice (19g) are too big? they look big to me, but that is what the other guy was feeding it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hawaiianice99

tank temp is in the 80s and it has only been alone in the tank for about 3 days.

btw, thanks for the welcome

do you think that adult frozen mice (19g) are too big? they look big to me, but that is what the other guy was feeding it.

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I would give him a week with no handling or feeding attempts and then try the frozen mouse again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

I would give him a week with no handling or feeding attempts and then try the frozen mouse again.

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I agree

Sounds like stress to me. I had a ball python not eat for 6 months. I switched him from a glass tank to a rack system, and he was eating again within the week. Hope this helps.

i agree wait a week then try again. also you may want to try "live" prey. balls do not eat frozen thawed or pre killed prey in the wild so often times it is hard to get them it eat items that are not alive unless it was being fed like that before you bought it.

ok thanks, i think i will try the frozen again in about a week.

But the mice size sounds ok? Not to big?

Welcome! What works for me... get a large round container, cut holes in the lid, put the thawed mouse/ or live in the container put in enclosure.. under the heatlamp, then add the snake to it. So far this is what is working for my bp.

Also do you think you bp might be going through a shed soon? Sometimes they don't eat, or it could be winter, some refuse to eat, which I am learning all that.

I think you got great advice here!!! Again Welcome, this is an awesome site!!! :gj:

The mouse shouldn't be any bigger than the widest part of your bp. Mine is an Oct 07 baby, about 20" and he is only eating hoppers. I have seen "adult" ft mice at our petstore that were definately small enough for him. I'm pretty sure they were hoppers being sold as full sized mice though.

While some sub-adult and adult bps fast in the winter its not common for young snakes. Young snakes should feed through the winter without a problem with proper husbandry. At that age their programed to feed on whatever comes by to increase their chances at survival. In captivity thats once every 5-7 days.

sorry if someone else allready asked but is the snake strikeing at the mouse or is he biteing it and coiling it. if he is just strikeing it and ditching it that is one thing but if he is coiling it and then after ditches it that is 100% guarenteed because you are right there. my advice is to turn the lights off and close the door and come back the next day.

Is the prey item warmed up enough when you offer it to the snake?

Once its thawed out completely use a hairdryer or something that can warm the surface up, so that the snake will think its alive. Usually this does the trick if the snake was eating like this before you got it.

Let him settle for a week and try again

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mooingtricycle

Is the prey item warmed up enough when you offer it to the snake?

Once its thawed out completely use a hairdryer or something that can warm the surface up, so that the snake will think its alive. Usually this does the trick if the snake was eating like this before you got it.

Let him settle for a week and try again

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A hair dryer, eh? this from some one that holds live prey while her snake eats it. I think people need to look at others prior posts before taking their advice.

And I quote:

"I personally hold the mice while the snake strikes, coils, and constricts so that i have better control of the situation, and can then, once the mouse is in the grasp of the snake, control the head until the prey perishes.

This prevents bites, and also keeps the mouse from startling the snake like it may if it were to run freely in the enclosure.
Though, keep in mind that some snakes might need to get used to a method such as this ( some get skittish if youre hanging out watching them hunt)" :slamhead:

scary

Try dipping the animal in chicken broth once its thawed. :banana:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GiNGERFiSH

A hair dryer, eh? this from some one that holds live prey while her snake eats it. I think people need to look at others prior posts before taking their advice.

And I quote:

"I personally hold the mice while the snake strikes, coils, and constricts so that i have better control of the situation, and can then, once the mouse is in the grasp of the snake, control the head until the prey perishes.

This prevents bites, and also keeps the mouse from startling the snake like it may if it were to run freely in the enclosure.
Though, keep in mind that some snakes might need to get used to a method such as this ( some get skittish if youre hanging out watching them hunt)" :slamhead:

scary

Try dipping the animal in chicken broth once its thawed. :banana:

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Hi,

The hairdryer is a well known and accepted trick for heating an F/T quickly - nothing wrong with the advice at all in my book. It also allows you to spot heat the head etc which can be usefull if they tend to grab it by the butt without the thermal clues. :giggle:

I don't see how her method of feeding live affects that at all - It's not a method I've tried but then again neither is dipping in chicken broth, which again, is a well known trick for F/T.


dr del

Everyone already gave the good advice so I just wanted to wish you luck.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GiNGERFiSH

A hair dryer, eh? this from some one that holds live prey while her snake eats it. I think people need to look at others prior posts before taking their advice.

And I quote:

"I personally hold the mice while the snake strikes, coils, and constricts so that i have better control of the situation, and can then, once the mouse is in the grasp of the snake, control the head until the prey perishes.

This prevents bites, and also keeps the mouse from startling the snake like it may if it were to run freely in the enclosure.
Though, keep in mind that some snakes might need to get used to a method such as this ( some get skittish if youre hanging out watching them hunt)" :slamhead:

scary

Try dipping the animal in chicken broth once its thawed. :banana:

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Yes, i do hold live prey for the snake to constrict and kill with less of a chance of a random bite happening. Im sorry you have such a problem with live feeding, or my personal method ( which, if you watch videos just about anywhere, you see people holding prey for the snakes to strike before constricting and killing.. I just happen to take that method a step further)


but really, what has a comment such as that have anything to do with anything? LOL

Are we going to troll, or are you going to add some insightful information to your post to help this person feed their snake? :rolleyes:

And I quote:

"I personally hold the mice while the snake strikes, coils, and constricts so that i have better control of the situation, and can then, once the mouse is in the grasp of the snake, control the head until the prey perishes.

This prevents bites, and also keeps the mouse from startling the snake like it may if it were to run freely in the enclosure.
Though, keep in mind that some snakes might need to get used to a method such as this ( some get skittish if youre hanging out watching them hunt)" :slamhead:

scary

Try dipping the animal in chicken broth once its thawed. :banana:[/QUOTE]


This is extremeny dangerous, yes. Putting your hand anywhere near a snake that's in feeding mode.. not a good idea. Take it from me. I was merely removing an "unwanted" prey item once. My adult female struck and coiled around my thumb. It turned purple and luckily my hubby was home to help gently peel her off. Dunking her into a nearby fish tank did nothing! Invest in a pair of hemostats if you feed f/thawed. If you feed live.. snakes have been constricting rats and mice for millenia. Let the snake do its job! I think that most bites in feeding (rodent biting rat) are when people dangle the poor rat by the tail, pointing the business end of the rat right at the snake. Rat mouth goes in snake mouth.. untold inner mouth damage that you might not even notice. Now when I toss the rat in and let the snake find it, the snake almost always grabs for the rodent's side and the head is left hanging to the side gasping but not able to reach the snake.
Then... close your snakes' cage and beat it! Get out of the room. I cannot imagine how many times peoples' snakes get distracted by gawkers that either turn their attention to the gawker, and his/her heat signature, and leave the dead rat to lay. I would watch at first to make sure the teeth of the rodent are not gaping open and able to bite the snake; in that case, I slip in a metal antenna and hold the rodent's head away until it is dead; this is very rare in my experience.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Then... close your snakes' cage and beat it! Get out of the room. I cannot imagine how many times peoples' snakes get distracted by gawkers that either turn their attention to the gawker, and his/her heat signature, and leave the dead rat to lay.


I would watch at first to make sure the teeth of the rodent are not gaping open and able to bite the snake; in that case, I slip in a metal antenna and hold the rodent's head away until it is dead; this is very rare in my experience.

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I really should have stopped reading your post as soon as you made the assumption that i fed solely with my hands. In fact, i bid you to go read my original post again. Its funny how... if you actually read my original post, you notice that, oh look my post and your last paragraph, which i have seperated for you from the rest of the main post, are not all that different.

Until then. :rolleyes:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=59588
I have now made it easier for you to find the original post in which That quote of mine was taken from, so that you might even see for yourself how wrong your assumption was.

You know what they say about assumptions *sighs*

My experience with my animals, thus far, i feel is quite adequate to practice certain methods of feeding, if i feel they make things easier on me, and my animals. I suggest one understand this in the future before they decide to post.

Eh, I re-read it. I still stick by my belief that putting your hands or fingers near a snake in feeding mode, is unwise. But to each their own. I drop the rat in, and let the snake do its thing, and like I said, I hold the rat's head back with the metal antenna if it looks like its jaws could reach my snake. At no time does my hand get within striking range of my hungry snakes; this is just how I prefer it.
And if you're dangling the rat into the tub by hand; I just don't like feeding live by dangling the rat in, nose-first. Doesn't the snake then grab the head of the rat, pointing the mouth of the rat into the snake's mouth? Where the rat could bite the snake's inner mouth? If not.. and the snake is grabbing the side of the rat in your hand.. that's still too close to the feeder's hand, to me. But whatever works for you.. I just have visions of the uninitiated, holding out a rat to their snake, and getting constricted.. it is not a fun event.
If a snake does not constrict/eat after a reasonable amount of time, I just use a plastic tub as a shield to prevent a snake biting me (learned that one from experience!) and remove the rat live.
I don't see where I made any assumptions. I read what you typed (namely, that you feed prey items to snakes by hand) and went from there. I hope that you don't get constricted. I don't know what I would have done if my hubby was not there to peel Ginger off of me. And this was a snake that was not paying any heed to the live rat in her cage at all.. but went after my hand as a prey item when I went to remove it! Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hawaiianice99

the title pretty much says it all.

my new baby bp will bite the mouse but wont eat it.
the bp is about 15inch, and im feeding it thawed mice.

it bites it but wont eat it, and im feeding it the same as the guy who had it before me did.

anybody have any thoughts?

---

Are you leaving the thawed mouse in the cage on the floor, or are you moving it around to simulate a live rat and inducing the snake to strike?

-if your snake eats prekilled from the floor of its tub without constricting (some do..) I would just leave the prey item in there overnight. I would make sure that it is nice and warm by placing it over a heat source suchas a spare Under-tank heater. Or dipping it in Warm (not boiling hot!) water for a few minutes.

-if your snake is constricting but then not eating. What are its behaviors? Is it becoming distracted by outside-of-cage activity like people walking by? Is it dropping the dead rat and then not being able to find it? The one advantage you have here, is that the prey is already dead, and once that snake grabs it and coils, I would put a towel right over its cage and not even look in for a few hours.
A too-large cage might be a problem too. Maybe the snake loses its prey? I know that many with nonfeeding snakes will place the snake in a small tub (or even a bag, though I am not sure how safe that is) overnight with a warmed, prekilled prey.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Eh, I re-read it. I still stick by my belief that putting your hands or fingers near a snake in feeding mode, is unwise. But to each their own. I drop the rat in, and let the snake do its thing, and like I said, I hold the rat's head back with the metal antenna if it looks like its jaws could reach my snake. At no time does my hand get within striking range of my hungry snakes; this is just how I prefer it.
And if you're dangling the rat into the tub by hand; I just don't like feeding live by dangling the rat in, nose-first. Doesn't the snake then grab the head of the rat, pointing the mouth of the rat into the snake's mouth? Where the rat could bite the snake's inner mouth? If not.. and the snake is grabbing the side of the rat in your hand.. that's still too close to the feeder's hand, to me. But whatever works for you.. I just have visions of the uninitiated, holding out a rat to their snake, and getting constricted.. it is not a fun event.
If a snake does not constrict/eat after a reasonable amount of time, I just use a plastic tub as a shield to prevent a snake biting me (learned that one from experience!) and remove the rat live.
I don't see where I made any assumptions. I read what you typed (namely, that you feed prey items to snakes by hand) and went from there. I hope that you don't get constricted. I don't know what I would have done if my hubby was not there to peel Ginger off of me. And this was a snake that was not paying any heed to the live rat in her cage at all.. but went after my hand as a prey item when I went to remove it! Good luck.

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... the mention of tongs would sort of be a hint. :rolleyes:

Also, no where was the MENTION of me or any amount of advice to feed with hands...

One would think that a post suggesting someone go buy tongs to feed, and the last bit of my post " feeding with tongs" would mean, hey, maybe this person feeds with tongs and is promoting it. hmmmmm i wonder.

But it seems like you contradicted yourself. You said go buy tongs, but you personally just handfeed. Just sayin :) It's all good. do what works.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

But it seems like you contradicted yourself. You said go buy tongs, but you personally just handfeed. Just sayin :) It's all good. do what works.

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Nope, i definitely use tongs 90% of the time. Sometimes i do leave them for the snakes, and other times i feed F/T, or P/K.

If something is unclear, ask me to clarify it, id be more than happy to explain! :gj::D

Oh... You hold the mouse with the tongs. See, I read it that you held it with your hand. OK..! See, that I have no issue with. Your hand is out of the way.. it is similar to the metal antenna that I use to hold a rat's jaws away if need be while the snake constricts (but less "redneck" than my antenna) ;) We country folk tend to improvise once in awhile.. hence, the baling-twine curtain-holders..
I think that we are on the same page now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Oh... You hold the mouse with the tongs. See, I read it that you held it with your hand. OK..! See, that I have no issue with. Your hand is out of the way.. it is similar to the metal antenna that I use to hold a rat's jaws away if need be while the snake constricts (but less "redneck" than my antenna) ;) We country folk tend to improvise once in awhile.. hence, the baling-twine curtain-holders..
I think that we are on the same page now.

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LOL yes. no hands.

and hey, im country folk too! and have improvised in the past. Wooden spoons and spatulas and other such things are not uncommon tools when one is in need!

lol! My grandma used to swat us kids around with wooden spoons!
I have been at a barbecue where pitchforks and a metal rod were used to hold the meat up over a fire to cook. Thinking back, I hope they were not the pitchforks that they used to clean their barn..

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Thinking back, I hope they were not the pitchforks that they used to clean their barn..

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:O "ill have mine well done please!":rofl: