Dealing with a possibly picky eater.....suggestions for the next feeding attempt?!

[PsykotikLovbyrd]

I am a new ball python mom. Gaia (my normal ball female) was bought a few months ago. The first day I got her she gobbled up two fuzzies, and since then has not refused a single meal. Her humidity is always %50 or slightly higher, at the advice of someone here I dropped her temperature so that it is high 80`s on the warm end and high 70`s on the cool end. I sterilize her tank twice a month. She never strikes and has no health issues that I can tell. The one shed she has had since being with me was complete.

So because she is growing, I thought moving her up to hoppers was a good idea. I looked EVERYWHERE for hoppers in the brand I usually get. Not sure why but I couldn`t find them. So I went to a local pet store and got frozen hoppers for her. 25 of them, because the store only sells in bulk. She was looking for one, I could tell she was hungry. I put the mouse in, wiggled it a bit, and she struck right away but then didn`t eat it. She almost looked offended by it, lol! It occurred to me that the mice she usually gets are white, the new ones are black. I don`t know if that makes a difference but I have been told it can. She usually has no issue eating in front of me, but I decided to go ahead and put the mouse in then cover her tank and leave her overnight. This morning the mouse was still there. I tried cutting its head open, she wouldn`t touch it. I tried defrosting it in the same water as one of her usual mice, she wouldn`t touch it. She wouldn`t even eat the fuzzies after that one. I am not going to attempt feeding her anymore this week since she just ate last week and so she will not starve or anything, but I am hoping for some more ideas on what I might be able to do to switch her over. I have 25 (okay 23 now) black mice and gosh darnit she is going to eat them! Okay well….I would like her to anyway.

[Ax01]

temps of f/t is important. it's gotta be thawed completely and warm all the way through. you could try blasting it with a blow dryer to get temps up and get the smell of mice flowing around the room.

also was Gaia ever eating live? u could try a live hopper (try a dark colored one since u got them f/t) and then wean her back to f/t mice.

[PsykotikLovbyrd]

She has never eaten live, no. I was considering that though. The temp seems okay, I always check to make sure they are nice and warm.