Ball python feeding

[WildSnipez]

I been asking a lot of questions lately sorry but I got my ball python 3 weeks ago and I like to wait a week between each feeding it is a baby and the first time I tried to feed it did not take so I left it there and went away for four hours I come back seeing it in the same position head sticking out of hide kinda shakey like it was scared so I seen some people assist feed there python I was not going to do that I simply wanted to help it a little so I got it in one hand and snake tong with mice on the others I barley even got near its mouth and it strikes and latched on I put it in the cage and let it be it ate it fine ik it can be stress being held while eating but I put it down instantly and didn't touch it fir 3 days. The next week i just put the mice in and it took 5 seconds for it to start eating which I take is good but some apsen got stuck to the mice I don't think it was large enough to do damage but this week I want to put it on the rock hide on the other side of the cage do you guys think it will come out for it and go on top of the rock I'm doing this to avoid aspen getting on. And also is it ok for me to watch it eat. I won't touch it fir 3 days just want to see it eat initially.

[cchardwick]

Actually that was one of my biggest problems with aspen, I had a few snakes get a mouth full when trying to strike their prey. I switched over to Reptichip and never had that happen again, it's a coconut husk substrate that comes in a block that expands when wet. Because of that I would never go back to aspen.

Personally I would never try to force feed a snake anything, especially using tongs. It can be a traumatic experience for the snake, especially if you don't do it right, and that alone can make them go off of food.

I've also never had luck just leaving a dead rodent in the cage with my ball pythons, I usually use tongs and just hang it in front of the snake for about 30 seconds. If he doesn't eat I'll try again in a day or two with small snakes, or for bigger snakes try the next week. I feed my hatchlings twice a week and my larger snakes once a week.

[WildSnipez]

Actually that was one of my biggest problems with aspen, I had a few snakes get a mouth full when trying to strike their prey. I switched over to Reptichip and never had that happen again, it's a coconut husk substrate that comes in a block that expands when wet. Because of that I would never go back to aspen.

Personally I would never try to force feed a snake anything, especially using tongs. It can be a traumatic experience for the snake, especially if you don't do it right, and that alone can make them go off of food.

I've also never had luck just leaving a dead rodent in the cage with my ball pythons, I usually use tongs and just hang it in front of the snake for about 30 seconds. If he doesn't eat I'll try again in a day or two with small snakes, or for bigger snakes try the next week. I feed my hatchlings twice a week and my larger snakes once a week.

Ye I shouldn't have done it but I didn't even need to stick it in it just ate it as soon as it was near and now it seems to be eating fine and for coco husk I was reading up so post other users made and they had bad experiences with their python swallowing cocohusk to I was thing if using those flooring I seen some people use it's like green and like a carpet basically is it good or no, also I'm going to leave my my mice on top of my rock hide so no aspen gets to it I'm just wondering if it will travel from one side to the other to get its food it fed well the second time took the food as soon also left it there and can I watch it eat or will it get stressed out?

[Craiga 01453]

PLEASE do NOT try to force or assist feed any animals until ALL other options have been exhausted and you have the experience to safely do so.

Reptile carpets are horrible to keep clean as well as hold humidity. So not a good choice for a BP.

If a snake ingests a small amount of substrate it will be fine. Nobody cleans their prey for them in the wild. They also digest fur and bone, a little dirt or wood shavings won't hurt it as long as you don't have large, sharp chunks of substrate.