Well... she rejected the live one too.

I guess Delilah is on one of those famous BP "feeding strikes," since she still won't eat! We tried a F/T rat pup last week, which she showed NO interest in, so this time I got a live pup... put it in her viv last night, and this morning they were sleeping together. :weirdface The woman who helped me (at the store) said Delilah might prefer a mouse, since apparently that's the preferred delicacy for a BP. Guess we'll try again next week, but does anyone have tips or suggestions?

P.S. I tried to weigh her the other day, but my scale didn't go high enough for her (maximum weight is 150g). I'll buy a better scale when I have money!

Give the mouse a try. It might work, and even if it doesn't, you'll be no worse off than you are now. If that fails to work, you might ask your local pet store for some gerbil bedding, and put the next mouse in that for a while before you present it to your BP.

Check you ambient temps too. Some BP's will go off feed if temps go down to the 70's. Some just dont eat in the winter. I have about 60 snakes all in the same conditions and some eat like normal in the winter and some eat every other week and some go months. I had one go 6 months with no bad side effects for the snake, just worried me, lol

Once you get used to it you realize it can be part of their winter behavior.

Small enclosures, tight hides and warmer ambient temps are always helpful with problem feeders.

Also, you might not wanna leave your snake with the mouse unattended. They could injure your snake by biting it or whatnot. Just a little suggestion

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Originally Posted by sum182

Also, you might not wanna leave your snake with the mouse unattended. They could injure your snake by biting it or whatnot. Just a little suggestion

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Yeah, that's the reason I tried a live rat pup first... wasn't sure if she would take to a mouse, and I wouldn't know what to do with it all night! I just got home, and the rat was still hanging out with Delilah, so I removed it from the vivarium... he/she is now munching on an old strawberry (all I could think of!) in a shoebox. I so did not want a pet rat, LOL. :cool: Guess I'll take the little bugger back tomorrow, but I'm guessing I should wait on the mouse until next week? Oh, and the temperatures were a little high when I got home, so I just lowered the heat a notch.

I jyst realized your your first post said strike but not eating. If it is just a strike and no condtriction it is just a defensive strike which could mean she is scared or nervous. I would try putting her in a smaller enclosure or filling up the tank with crumpled newspaper and cover the glass of her tank so she doesnt feel like she is in an open area. This will make her feel more secure. Scared BP's dont eat when they feel vulnerable.

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

Yeah, that's the reason I tried a live rat pup first... wasn't sure if she would take to a mouse, and I wouldn't know what to do with it all night! I just got home, and the rat was still hanging out with Delilah, so I removed it from the vivarium... he/she is now munching on an old strawberry (all I could think of!) in a shoebox. I so did not want a pet rat, LOL. :cool: Guess I'll take the little bugger back tomorrow, but I'm guessing I should wait on the mouse until next week? Oh, and the temperatures were a little high when I got home, so I just lowered the heat a notch.

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Please tell us you didn't leave the rat alone in the cage with your snake all day...

Mike

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

I jyst realized your your first post said strike but not eating. If it is just a strike and no condtriction it is just a defensive strike which could mean she is scared or nervous. I would try putting her in a smaller enclosure or filling up the tank with crumpled newspaper and cover the glass of her tank so she doesnt feel like she is in an open area. This will make her feel more secure. Scared BP's dont eat when they feel vulnerable.

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i think she meant strike as in not eating and refusing.

i am kinda new to this but my bp prefers brown or caramel colored live mice. i have given him one caramel and "cowed" he has eatin for me once since i got him but i took it as a good sign. ive read elsewhere sometimes they can be a little finicking when eating. but itll all work out.

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Originally Posted by hoax

Please tell us you didn't leave the rat alone in the cage with your snake all day...

Mike

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It's a rat pup, with no teeth or opened eyes... and to be honest, I'm not sure how long the rat was in there, since my roommate was in charge all day (she leaves for work shortly before I get home). It's out now, though!

FYI - my other roommate used to own a BP, and he told me the pup is too big for Delilah. So I'll try a fuzzy mouse at his suggestion, and hopefully she will take to it. Should I wait another week for that?

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Originally Posted by joshn6805

i think she meant strike as in not eating and refusing.

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Yup, that's what I meant... LOL. She's pretty relaxed in her setup, I think, especially since I added a nice thick branch/log. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

It's a rat pup, with no teeth or opened eyes... and to be honest, I'm not sure how long the rat was in there, since my roommate was in charge all day (she leaves for work shortly before I get home). It's out now, though!

FYI - my other roommate used to own a BP, and he told me the pup is too big for Delilah. So I'll try a fuzzy mouse at his suggestion, and hopefully she will take to it. Should I wait another week for that?

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A fuzzy mouse is wayy too small for any ball python. I'd go with a small adult mouse. How long has it been since the snake ate? If its been several months, then a hopper mouse would be a good idea, otherwise a small adult is fine. I cant see the snake or the rat pup so I can't tell you if its too big. The two "rules of thumb" are a prey item that is no bigger around than the widest part of the snake, or a prey item that is no bigger than 10% of the body weight of the snake (this is the one I use).

As Raul said, sometimes they will go off feed for the winter. I had one that went off feed for about 8 months and started eating again a month or so ago. A healthy ADULT snake can go for up to a year. A baby can't be expected to last that long.

Oh, and you did fine leaving a RAT PUP over night. Please just don't do it with older prey items, whether its rats or mice.

Steve

I had the exact same problem, and mine is about the same size. I tried a mouse pinkie, nothing. Waited a week and tried a rat pinkie, nothing. Waited another week, and tried a fuzzy mouse, BINGO!! Now she's eating two fuzzies a week, and growing fast. If you just bought her, she could be still getting used to the enclosure. They are really picky eaters. Some even prefer a male/female mouse. Keep trying. You'll find out what she likes. And just when you do, she grows and you'll have to upgrade. lol.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

I had the exact same problem, and mine is about the same size. I tried a mouse pinkie, nothing. Waited a week and tried a rat pinkie, nothing. Waited another week, and tried a fuzzy mouse, BINGO!! Now she's eating two fuzzies a week, and growing fast. If you just bought her, she could be still getting used to the enclosure. They are really picky eaters. Some even prefer a male/female mouse. Keep trying. You'll find out what she likes. And just when you do, she grows and you'll have to upgrade. lol.

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now that you have her eating fuzzies are to small. a BP hatching can go straight to adult mice. so move her up.

and once you get husbandry 100% and get them on a schedule they should eat like a champ. if they are not then you need to change something.

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

now that you have her eating fuzzies are to small. a BP hatching can go straight to adult mice. so move her up.

and once you get husbandry 100% and get them on a schedule they should eat like a champ. if they are not then you need to change something.

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Oh yes, i will. I thought gradually changing her food would be better. One fuzzy, two fuzzy, either three next time or a hopper. I didn't want to go straight to the hopper. I only had her for two weeks, then moved to a new house, then shed two days later. She's been through a lot aleady. I love this sight though, and everyone is soooo helpful. So Lolo, just keep trying. Maybe you should start with a hopper. I think mine didn't eat the pinkies because they were so small. She was like, "I don't think so, where's the full meal!"

Thanks everyone! I'll give her another week off, and try a small mouse next week. She ate a few days before I got her, and I've only had her for 2 weeks now - so I think she'll be fine for a while.

Oh, but I am SUCH a sucker, I just couldn't take the rat pup back... I picked it up to move into a box, and he/she cuddled into my palm, suckled on my finger and fell asleep. :tears: I actually fed the little bugger after that (sugar water from a syringe), and it's still alive today. We have a friend who might take it, since she recently lost her pet rat and wants another. This is why live food isn't a good idea for me - LOL!