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  1. #1
    Registered User William Snakespeare's Avatar
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    Ball python not eating

    Hi guys, I've had my BP for about 5 weeks now and I've tried multiple times to try and convert him from live to frozen thawed. But no luck so far, I tried exposing the brain or blood and also tried leaving it in the cage for 1 day but still no luck. Seems like I've got a picky eater on my hands. Maybe he's still a bit stressed or uneasy.

    Any suggestions or tips?

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  2. #2
    Registered User donnadudette2003's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    Is it because he's flighting during his "fight or flight"? Does he show no interest at all, or run away? Do you hold the prey?

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  3. #3
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    You can:

    Mess around with temps. We have some snakes who will take a F/T without warming it and others who need it to a specific degree

    Feeding under a red light. Then you can see the snake and prey but the snake (a nocturnal hunter) is closer to its instinctual hunting pattern

    Don't offer for 2 feeds. Refusal can become a pattern.

    Those are our 3 most successful methods!

    Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Registered User William Snakespeare's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    I hold the rat with tongs and try to mimic a live one. He just looks at it and then ignores it

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  5. #5
    Registered User William Snakespeare's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    Do you guys suggest trying a live one or not

    I don't like the idea because of the disastrous effects that could happen like the death of a snake but I am willing to try

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  6. #6
    BPnet Senior Member tttaylorrr's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    Quote Originally Posted by William Snakespeare View Post
    Do you guys suggest trying a live one or not

    I don't like the idea because of the disastrous effects that could happen like the death of a snake but I am willing to try

    Sent from my SM-T815 using Tapatalk
    did you correct the husbandry issues we covered in your last post?

    did you get a thermostat and are your temps regulated? this is most likely a husbandry issue and you need to correct your husbandry before trying anything else.
    Last edited by tttaylorrr; 08-31-2017 at 09:31 AM.
    4.4 ball python
    1.0 Albino 0.1 Coral Glow 0.1 Super Cinnamon paradox 1.0 Piebald 0.1 Pastel Enchi Leopard het Piebald 1.0 Coral Glow het Piebald

    1.0 corn snake
    1.0 Hypo

    1.0 crested gecko
    0.1 ????

    0.1 cat
    0.1 Maine Coon mix

    0.1 human ✌︎

  7. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to tttaylorrr For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (09-10-2017),Craiga 01453 (08-31-2017),dylan815 (08-31-2017),GreenTea (09-10-2017)

  8. #7
    Registered User William Snakespeare's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    Not yet, the guy that sells thermostats is out of stock but that is right at the top of my list right now. I am now checking the temps regularly

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  9. The Following User Says Thank You to William Snakespeare For This Useful Post:

    omglolchrisss (08-31-2017)

  10. #8
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    I am now checking the temps regularly
    That is usually what people with animals suffering from a burn will say, if you do not have a way to control your temps you MUST unplug your UTH. A temporary solution is a lamp dimer from lowes or home depot and that can be bought TODAY.

    If you do not provide proper husbandry and the animal has never ate for you, you will not make progress any time soon.

    Husbandry is VERY important and with an animal that ate live for most of it's life switching will not happen overnight, it may not even happen.

    Your best chance is before converting him is to have him eat for you, a well established animal will switch better than one that is not so I always recommend to feed the same prey as previously offered 5 consecutive times before switching. Switching can take MONTHS just like getting an adult to eat for you for the first time can take months as they can take longer to adjust.


    I don't like the idea because of the disastrous effects that could happen like the death of a snake but I am willing to try
    Based on whose experience, graphic pictures no depicting responsible live feeding that are floated around to scare people off without educating them?

    I have been feeding well over 25000 live preys over the last 10+ years without issue, the key is to be educated on the subject and feed responsibly. Feeding should be done based on the size of that 3 YO, knowing that a male even the largest one in the 1500 grams range does not need anything larger than a 75 grams rat.

    Keys for live feeding

    Never feed an over sized prey

    Pre-scent the room by leaving the feeder near the enclosure

    Feed and hydrate the feeder prior to being fed off

    Do not stress, or stun the feeder

    Open the enclosure, drop the feeder, supervise feeding and remove after 20 min if uneaten.
    Deborah Stewart


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  12. #9
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    If your husbandry is off then definitley wait before switching. Where I live F/T is the ONLY option. So when we get snakes flown in that require a switch we do it. There cannot be a never for us. If the snake won't switch it will die. So far we haven't had a snake that won't switch. We have even gotten our babies to start live on F/T....not an easy feat!! But no switch should happen if your temps are off. If the guy who sells thermostats is unavailable Amazon will have something and be here in 2 days with Prime.

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  13. #10
    Registered User William Snakespeare's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python not eating

    Great info, thanks guys. Good news I got the temperatures regulated with thermostat, now the feeding part.

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  14. The Following User Says Thank You to William Snakespeare For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (09-10-2017)

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