!!!Need help and advice!!!

[Skittles1101]

Hi,

Every snake has its own personality. Some are just a little more nervous than others.


dr del

I do type really fast...it's scary lol.

But +1, I have some snakes that would be fine and eat like champs if I left them in a glass tank with nothing in them, and I have some that NEED to feel secure. You apparently got one that doesn't feel secure, so do whatever you can to help.

[Homegrownscales]

It's really early to just give up. With the correct research you should have learned That YES! They can be wonky eaters. It's important that I say that babies especially need more security. Your temps are also about 10.f too cold. That is a reason your snake doesn't want to eat. Each snake has their own personality likes and dislikes. Some are easier than others. The first thing that gives you one strike is that this little baby came from a Petstore. Petstores are Notorious for bad husbandry and highly stressed animals. That right there will mean that you will have more of an issue acclimating that baby. As others have said Give him time. I also think you are stressing him out even more by trying all these different things to make him eat. I promise he's not going to starve to death. Give a minimum of 5 days inbetween refusals, no handling, just bare maintenance.
Giving the snake back to the Petstore and getting a different one is also not going to help your situation. The process will start all over again. Even though I don't think you need a vet at this point in time. Vets are a necessary evil with pets. Theyre something that you should plan for at all times. If a vet really isn't an option and illness was really the only option, then perhaps a pet wasn't a good idea. Dont take that the worng way though. But in any case I don't think your snake is sick. I think the poor baby is stressed beyond a doubt. And your husbandry Is incorrect. Fix these things wait a week or two and offer a meal. You also should invest is a scale. They are a meager 10$ and will save you a hell of alot of worry and issues with fasts in the future. Scale and a notebook. Write down all weights, feeds, sheds, defecation. Then when you go through a fast in the future you can look at that complete husbandry and know what is normal and not. And believe me you WILL go through another fast in the future.

Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[Kinra]

How often are you offering food? If you try to offer too often it will just stress it out more.

[gold217]

It's really early to just give up. With the correct research you should have learned That YES! They can be wonky eaters. It's important that I say that babies especially need more security. Your temps are also about 10.f too cold. That is a reason your snake doesn't want to eat. Each snake has their own personality likes and dislikes. Some are easier than others. The first thing that gives you one strike is that this little baby came from a Petstore. Petstores are Notorious for bad husbandry and highly stressed animals. That right there will mean that you will have more of an issue acclimating that baby. As others have said Give him time. I also think you are stressing him out even more by trying all these different things to make him eat. I promise he's not going to starve to death. Give a minimum of 5 days inbetween refusals, no handling, just bare maintenance.
Giving the snake back to the Petstore and getting a different one is also not going to help your situation. The process will start all over again. Even though I don't think you need a vet at this point in time. Vets are a necessary evil with pets. Theyre something that you should plan for at all times. If a vet really isn't an option and illness was really the only option, then perhaps a pet wasn't a good idea. Dont take that the worng way though. But in any case I don't think your snake is sick. I think the poor baby is stressed beyond a doubt. And your husbandry Is incorrect. Fix these things wait a week or two and offer a meal. You also should invest is a scale. They are a meager 10$ and will save you a hell of alot of worry and issues with fasts in the future. Scale and a notebook. Write down all weights, feeds, sheds, defecation. Then when you go through a fast in the future you can look at that complete husbandry and know what is normal and not. And believe me you WILL go through another fast in the future.

Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Thanks! Just letting you know I got it from a reptile specialty shop (not a crappy one like petsmart or petco where baby bps are 80 dollars). And I asked the owners mother (she specializes in bps and other pythons) and says that 87 degrees is perfect...?

[Skittles1101]

Thanks! Just letting you know I got it from a reptile specialty shop (not a crappy one like petsmart or petco where baby bps are 80 dollars). And I asked the owners mother (she specializes in bps and other pythons) and says that 87 degrees is perfect...?

It's not, it's not even acceptable for the low end. Should be between 88-92, 88 being low and 92 being high.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

[llovelace]

How many times have you held your snakes since you've had it?

[Jay_Bunny]

87 is not an acceptable temperature for the hot spot. I keep all of mine at about 92 on the hot spot. The cool side varies by the ambient temperature in the room but normally is in the low to mid 80s.

Baby ball pythons are notorious for needing to feel secure. I hatched out two females a month ago and they have still not had their first meal. Get a scale and watch your snake's weight.

[BoaFreak]

BPs can be very picky, I have a 940gram female pin that I have to keep in a 2X2 boaphile because if I try her in a bigger one she will not eat. She will also ONLY eat Live ASFs (african soft furs). With my babies I don't usually offer them ASFs until the last resort but if they go to long without eating and I see them loosing weight then I offer them one. ASFs are like BP crack but can be tricky to find. Everyone here has said everything I would say so this was pretty much all I had to add. the hides that LGray23 had recommended are great. I use them in all my cages even with my Boas. Once you feel like your setup, temps, and humidity are right where you want them and it still won't eat then I would offer an ASF. I also agree with Homegrownscales with you needing a scale. It helps alot to know the weight of your snake at times like this where you can tell weather or not he is loosing weight. It costs a little money to get everything you need but after all WHAT PET DOESN'T lol. Don't give up. he won't starve himself just give him time. Good luck and please keep us posted

[angllady2]

You have been given very good advise already.

I will add, if you are offering food the appropriate every 7 days you have only tried to feed 3 times. That's not nearly long enough for you to think it's as bad as you say. If you are trying to feed more often, all you are doing is stressing the snake and making even less likely to feed. It's a viscous circle.

Take a deep breath, fix the issues with husbandry you have, wait a week and try again and I'll just about guarantee it will eat.

By the way, just because your friend got stupid lucky with his snake and it ate right away, does not mean it will continue to feed well or feed consistently.

I have 19 balls myself. While some are garbage disposals and will eat whatever I feed whenever I offer it, most have an exact routine that must be followed to the "T" or they won't eat. And I have two that only eat if conditions are absolutely perfect. And I mean temperature is perfect, it is the right time of day down to the hour, I do not move their tubs more than 6 inches to feed, the prey is the right type, right size and right color, and I can't watch them or they won't eat.

Derek was telling me he has a female that he must show her the food from 3 feet away, slowly open the tub, gently place the food in as far away from the snake as is possible, gently close the tub and leave the room or she doesn't eat. Some balls are like that. And some are like my biggest female and they will happily eat you if you don't get the food in the tub fast enough.

Just be patient and fix your husbandry, and I bet your baby will eat.

Gale

[DellaF]

Don't let the picky eating discourage you. Keep trying. Like everyone says they are all different. I have one the first time he ate for me I had to turn off all of the lights and feed him by flashlight. He wouldn't eat any other way. A month later he wouldn't even eat in the dark I finally tried a live mouse. He won't eat anything else but live now. I don't have to turn out the lights but he wants his hide so he can drag the mouse inside to eat. Then here recently one of my boys that never misses a meal decides his mice aren't good anymore because it must have smelt like a rat because I thawed them out in the same water I gave him a live mouse the other day and bam. Get your husbandry straight and try again.