How to feed new ball python

[Dumdum333]

I just got a new BP, 3 months old, seemingly very healthy. My question is how do I feed it thawed mice. I've only ever had a corn snake eating lives, which was easy. I tried to feed the day after I got him, as the breeder recommended, but it seemed very uninterested/ scared. I'm now going to wait a few days to let him relax, but my questions are:
Should I take him out of the hide? Or do I hope that the smell lures him out?
Do I wait until he's come out himself? He always explores a bit at night

[BPGator]

First, you should let him sit for a week to acclimate to his new enclosure. Don't take him out to hold him as tempting as it is.

With regards to feeding frozen/thawed, are you asking how to prepare it or if there is some special technique? What was he eating before you got him? Live or F/T?


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[Dumdum333]

no he's eating thawed, and I've seen the forums on how to defrost the mice, my question is more: will it stress him out if i move the hide that he's in and then wave a mouse in his face?

[jbzapanda]

You can remove the hide, just make sure there's no mouse smell on you when you do so. Usually when mine smells it, I keep my hand away from his enclosure to avoid getting bit since he has a strong feeding response.

Try blow drying the mouse to lure him out of his hide. You can also try grabbing it by the scruff rather than the tail to imitate how a mouse would crawl. Best of luck

[Zincubus]

no he's eating thawed, and I've seen the forums on how to defrost the mice, my question is more: will it stress him out if i move the hide that he's in and then wave a mouse in his face?

Hi ... I have two albino Royals who will ONLY strike from WITHIN their hides !

So I defrost the mouse , then give it a 10 second blast with a hair-dryer before dangling just in front of the hide entrance and they usually strike within a few seconds . Sometimes it takes a few attempts , which means blasting with a hair-drier exact time then offering again . NEVER fails .

[redshepherd]

I wouldn't handle him at all until he eats a meal at least.

After the mouse is thawed, I dunk them in very warm water for a few seconds and offer immediately. Something that would help is (using tongs) holding the mouse by the skin on their back instead of dangling them by their tail. Have them "crawl" a little and twitch on the ground in front of the snake, as if they are alive, with their nose pointing at the snake's mouth to help with good aim. If the snake is shy, don't move it around too much, just have it sit and twitch a little bit in front of his nose.

"Waving the mouse in front of his face" might stress him if he's a shy one.

[BPGator]

Not sure what substrate the OP has, but if you do dunk the rodent, be careful not to get a bunch of substrate stuck to it.


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[blk02ssmonte]

Some of my Royals launch their strike soon as I open the tub. I have to watch where my hand is on feeding day. Not all of mine will take F/T so I get the live rats and leave them in the room for a while and the scent gets them all going. Then I hit the F/T with the hair dryer and they don't even wait till I try to wiggle it. They have already nailed it 6 inches above the tub when I open it.

[amrakweno]

Mine fed for the first time last night, I thawed at room temp for a couple hours then hit it with the blow dryer for a bit to warm it up to around 100 degrees or so then danced it in front of its hide for about a minute or so and got nothing. So I heated it back up and uncovered him and danced it around him for another minute or so with little interest. So back to the dryer to warm it back up then I started lightly tapping the mouse against the snakes body and boy did he perk up then and got REAL interested in it. After a missed strike and another reheat of the mouse , a few more light taps on the body of the snake I put somewhat close to his face(never touching the face) and he struck it had it tied up for about 2 mins then swallowed it in a matter of 3 mins. Covered him back up with his hide and I will check the enclosure when I get home to be sure all is well. Hope this helps

[Zincubus]

Mine fed for the first time last night, I thawed at room temp for a couple hours then hit it with the blow dryer for a bit to warm it up to around 100 degrees or so then danced it in front of its hide for about a minute or so and got nothing. So I heated it back up and uncovered him and danced it around him for another minute or so with little interest. So back to the dryer to warm it back up then I started lightly tapping the mouse against the snakes body and boy did he perk up then and got REAL interested in it. After a missed strike and another reheat of the mouse , a few more light taps on the body of the snake I put somewhat close to his face(never touching the face) and he struck it had it tied up for about 2 mins then swallowed it in a matter of 3 mins. Covered him back up with his hide and I will check the enclosure when I get home to be sure all is well. Hope this helps

Yep , they're all so different , nice to see someone else whose prepared to put the time and effort in as well ...


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