Awkward behavior

So, it was time to feed my BP (it had been a week since last feeding) and I put a live small feeder mouse in his tank. He was in his hide and basically wanted nothing to do with the mouse. I lifted his hide off of him and hoped that being able to see the prey would make him want to eat. Well, he ignored it and mouse ended up biting the snake (at least I think he bit him). The snake twisted and hissed a bunch which led me to assume he bit him or at least severely annoyed him.

I took the mouse out and that was that. Well, I started noticing how the snake hasn't been as "active" or "outgoing" as he usually is. Over the first two weeks I had had him, he was all over his tank, always climbing on the plants in his tank and generally being active. Over the last week I hadn't seen him out of his hides at all during the day OR the night. Then the feeding incident happened.

I started wondering if the reason he was so active was because he had been so hungry and once he fed the first time he was wanting to hide and him being hidden is his normal self.

Well I came home yesterday and found that he had shed. I took the shed out and cleaned up some snake poo. Today I looked at his tank and he took a big dump. Not only that, but he is a lot more active and seems to be his usual self again.

So I have some questions:

- Are snakes usually more reserved right before a shed?

- Do snakes not like to eat if they're about to shed?

- I'm correct in thinking I should be feeding a young BP (less than 6 months old) every 5-7 days?

- There is a tiny bit of shed still stuck around his tail, and a tiny bit on top of his head (eyes look like they lost the shed though - no eyecaps from what I can tell) - should I worry or is it safe to assume he'll rub them off or they'll come off with the next shed?


Thanks.

Sounds normal to me. BPs tend to be less active than normal (if that's at all possible) right before shed. Also, some will eat while in shed, some won't. You can continue to offer when in shed and if your snake is one who won't, you'll figure that out after a few attempts and you can save yourself a couple bucks and just wait until after shed to offer food.

As for the little bits of stuck shed, I would try soaking the snake in luke warm water for 15-20 minutes, then let it slither through a towel and the shed should come off... If it's just little pieces that don't go all the way around the snake's body, you'll be fine to wait, but if it goes all the way around like a necklace, I'd do my best to get it off...

You can bump up his humidity to around 60-70% that should help some with his stuck shed.

From what I have learned on here they do not usually feed just before sheeding.

If he has no physical bite wounds I would not worry. If he does have a wound call the vet to get advice on caring for it and watch it closely. If it shows any signs of infection take it to the vet.

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I lifted his hide off of him and hoped that being able to see the prey would make him want to eat.

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I think your problem feeding was most likely do to the incoming shed, but I wouldn't recommend doing the above ever again. Bps are ambush hunters so when you abruptly take their hide off when the scent of rodent is in the air, they sorta go into, I'm vulnerable defense mode and will likely not eat.

Everything sounds just about right to me. I've found that Ball Pythons (mine, at least) do not like to feed, move around too much, or be handled at all before a shed. From what I understand, the skin feels really tight, almost like a bad sunburn, before a shed, so you can imagine how uncomfortable it might be for her to really be doing anything.

In the future, make sure to raise the humidity in the tank to allow for a comfortable, complete shed. As soon as I notice my BP's eyes turning (they'll become very blue and cloudy) a couple of days before a shed, I'll soak her once a day in a warm bath until her eyes are back to normal, and I'll also spray her tank down with some water.

And I also suggest feeding your BP only once she has gotten rid of her last meal, if you know what I mean. I know that mine shows absolutely no interest in food until she has gone number two, even if it takes her well over a couple of weeks to a month to do so, then she's out and about and all over the tank, ready to hunt. So. Good luck.

:)

Pre-scenting might get your bp into the mood of hunting faster. I feed f/t and use the thawing time to place the mouse above the snake enclosure in an open bag but perhaps you can simply set the mouse cage/box (whatever you get have it in) and place it above the snake's cage allowing the snake to know what's coming.

I pre-scent for ~1 hour but I'm sure less than that should be fine.

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Originally Posted by Shelby621

Everything sounds just about right to me. I've found that Ball Pythons (mine, at least) do not like to feed, move around too much, or be handled at all before a shed. From what I understand, the skin feels really tight, almost like a bad sunburn, before a shed, so you can imagine how uncomfortable it might be for her to really be doing anything.

In the future, make sure to raise the humidity in the tank to allow for a comfortable, complete shed. As soon as I notice my BP's eyes turning (they'll become very blue and cloudy) a couple of days before a shed, I'll soak her once a day in a warm bath until her eyes are back to normal, and I'll also spray her tank down with some water.

And I also suggest feeding your BP only once she has gotten rid of her last meal, if you know what I mean. I know that mine shows absolutely no interest in food until she has gone number two, even if it takes her well over a couple of weeks to a month to do so, then she's out and about and all over the tank, ready to hunt. So. Good luck.

:)

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Well, every snake is different and sometimes the same snake is different!!

I don't raise my humidity and instead keep it at a relatively steady 55% humidity. My snakes shed fine!

Last night I fed and this morning my albino shed. She ate last night and hasn't poo'd yet and still ate an 80g rat!!

I don't like to soak before a shed as soaking can leach the natural oils out of the skin and lead to a poor shed.

As for not feeding until they poo...naw!! My older and larger snakes don't poo all that much and if I waited for the momentous event, they'd really be very, very hungry!!

Just my thoughts and experiences with my own snakes.... :)

Just giving my :2cent:. My BP is around the same age as his, so I figured some suggestions based on mine's behavior and habits could be of some use.

:handshake

Posted my last reply twice somehow. Sorries.

Its normal for them to not eat before a shed. To speed up shedding ill throw a big natural sponge in the tank and keep it damp. Its perfect for maxing out humidity.

I don’t see mine at all when they are shedding. Sometimes I think they got out of the vivarium, but they are just hiding. Sounds normal to me.

Wow, thanks everyone for your input. I'm less worried now. I noticed my humidity dipped quite a bit lately when it was at a good steady spot. I'll probably try the misting/sponge technique. I never thought about the sponge.

I'll probably try feeding him again.

I'm trying to avoid handling him to get that extra shed off until he has 1 or 2 more good feeds. He's only had 1 since I got him.

I thought about pre-scenting, but I'm afraid the mouse will stress him out because usually they go crazy in the little cardboard box they come in and I don't want the mouse stressing the snake out. I might give it a try and see if it works. The mouse usually craps and pisses all inside the cardboard box :P

Careful with the sponge idea-- they breed bacteria very quickly... Sphagnum moss is a better and safer trick!!

Pre-scenting allows the snake to realize that there is prey around and gives the snake time to get prepared and into the hunt mode. Feeding responses are usually better after pre-scenting.

I pre-scent for about an hour or so (actually, I thaw all of the rodents in the room that the snakes are in and so it is pre-scenting at various levels throughout the day.) For the snake who eats live, I prescent for about an hour and then put the mouse into her tub and walk away. BAM!!!! Job is done. I feed at night (when the snakes are active) and then I leave the snakes alone for two days while they happily digest!!

Just a thought: I leave my snakes alone for 48 hours based on their tub or cage temps and the amount of prey I have given. If temps were cooler, digestion would be slower, and I'd leave them alone longer.....

Hi,

I probably wouldn't wait 10-14 days to remove the piece of stuck shed on his tail if it circles it completely.

Getting it sorted shouldn't be that long an ordeal if you follow the advice in the bad shed sticky. :gj:

As long as it has been at least 48 hours since he last ate (or more if your temps were cool as Starmom says ) I would try and remove it - and though the piece on his head matters less you might as well try and remove it at the same time I think.

On the mouse front you could buy a small "critter keeper" and put the mouse in there with some bedding, food and a waterbottle then leave him near the snakes cage for an hour or two without having to worry about him chewing out fo the cardboard or anything. :)

It is always a good idea to have a cage like that anyway for those times when he doesn't want to eat - you can just keep the mouse till next feeding day and try again. ;)


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

...On the mouse front you could buy a small "critter keeper" and put the mouse in there with some bedding, food and a waterbottle then leave him near the snakes cage for an hour or two without having to worry about him chewing out fo the cardboard or anything. :)

It is always a good idea to have a cage like that anyway for those times when he doesn't want to eat - you can just keep the mouse till next feeding day and try again. ;)


dr del

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This is a great suggestion Derek and it is just what I do. For my snake who eats live, the mice I can get are always so puny. I buy several of them and put them into cages and fatten them up :gj: