Eating issues.

I was wondering if there were any tricks to get a ball python to eat, this one wont take FT or live, he ate about a week after i got him and that was it. Ive had this one over a month now and im unsure of any other ways to get him to eat. He does not have the reserves that my other ball has, but the other one will eat anytime food is offered.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

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Its in a 20 gallon long tank, but with 3 sides painted black and two identical hides that it uses both of, plenty of fresh water for it to soak in/drink when it needs. Im going to leave it be for a week and try again i guess.

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Originally Posted by Prophet

Its in a 20 gallon long tank, but with 3 sides painted black and two identical hides that it uses both of, plenty of fresh water for it to soak in/drink when it needs. Im going to leave it be for a week and try again i guess.

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Scroll down, it discusses the common reasons why bp's don't eat.

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

Scroll down, it discusses the common reasons why bp's don't eat.

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I already did and none of them applied except maybe the seasonal one.

Since your BP did eat once, address anything that you changed after that feeding. If there is nothing, I would go straight to the veterinary checkup.

When a ball python isn't happy with their environment, they usually won't eat at all...if they ate once, perhaps something else is wrong.

He still may be feeling insecure. Try this trick:

Crunch a bunch of sheets of newspaper into loose balls and fill the tank with them. This gives the snake a feeling of living in a burrow as it can feel something all around it even when it's slithering around. It can "hide" even when it's not in its little caves. Let those sit for a week and then try to feed. If you have a successful feed...pull a few papers out and feed again the following week. Each week, remove a few more papers until eventually the cage is paper free.

If you try this, you may need to switch to a small water bowl (they only really need enough to drink from...soaking is entirely optional). You'll want to leave a small gap above the bowl so the papers don't get wet. Once you get it set up, don't mess with the enclosure at all except to give fresh water. You can start handling the snake after it's had a few successful meals.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Since your BP did eat once, address anything that you changed after that feeding. If there is nothing, I would go straight to the veterinary checkup.

When a ball python isn't happy with their environment, they usually won't eat at all...if they ate once, perhaps something else is wrong.

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The only thing i did was change substrates, from eco earth to aspen shavings, i can change it back to eco earth if that may help. My other ball python has same setup and i changed it to aspen aswell, it seems to prefer it over the eco earth and is pounding food.

Every snake is different. Although I wouldn't recommend Eco-Earth for a ball python.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Every snake is different. Although I wouldn't recommend Eco-Earth for a ball python.

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I didnt like it and i think im probably going to go with newspaper or something else im not sure what yet, the verdict is still out on this one.

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Originally Posted by JLC

He still may be feeling insecure. Try this trick:

Crunch a bunch of sheets of newspaper into loose balls and fill the tank with them. This gives the snake a feeling of living in a burrow as it can feel something all around it even when it's slithering around. It can "hide" even when it's not in its little caves. Let those sit for a week and then try to feed. If you have a successful feed...pull a few papers out and feed again the following week. Each week, remove a few more papers until eventually the cage is paper free.

If you try this, you may need to switch to a small water bowl (they only really need enough to drink from...soaking is entirely optional). You'll want to leave a small gap above the bowl so the papers don't get wet. Once you get it set up, don't mess with the enclosure at all except to give fresh water. You can start handling the snake after it's had a few successful meals.

Good luck!

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Not to Hijack the thread... I tried this out just now. Got a whole bunch of sale ads, crumbled them up, put them in there and forgot about it. She normally doesn't come out in the day so I wasn't expecting anything from her. Like 3-4 mins later, I hear the paper crackling and she's already out exploring what's new in her tank! I think this helped her feel WAY more secure, as she hardly ever comes out and now she's out exploring, not even going near the top of the tank like she would normally.

My first feedings haven't been ideal, being misinformed from the breeder, so I think once I offer her food in a week, she'll probly take it.

Thanks a ton!

I didnt add any newspaper, but i did add more "jungle" (fake silk-leaf plants) then i read somewhere someone used darker color mice, so i picked one up today, took hides out of the tank and dropped it in there and held the mouses tail down (that little sucker bit me when i got him out of the box so i dont feel bad for that one) and she jumped on it.

Glad you got her to eat again! My problem feeder was cured by putting her in a tub on a rack system. Before she would only eat if she was enclosed in a box with a dead mouse, and even then it was hit and miss. She's now in a 41qt tub with newspaper bedding and she hasn't missed a meal. She feels me undo the clips on the lid and she's out of her hide and ready. Poor mouse today didn't even have a chance, she got him before he got all four paws on the floor. I'm thrilled, this is the second week in a row that every snake has eaten. I'm loving it! And they do love the newspaper, my spider likes to slither around in there and crumple it up then hide under it. Her tub always looks messy, but she's happy :)

you cant manage to feed your snakes but i am a morron...

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Originally Posted by aff19802

you cant manage to feed your snakes but i am a morron...

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;) Reading is fundamental so is spelling.