Feeding issues

[Lethora45]

In July, I got two baby ball pythons from a breeder in Florida. The male, doesn't miss a feeding, really great feeder. Not exactly the friendliest, but to be expected. The female, I can't seem to get her to eat anything. She goes an average of every two weeks and this past feeding this is the third week she's refused to this time. I've tried feeding her in her cage, I have tried taking her out and putting her in the feeding tank I have for the male, I tried leaving a small hopper in their pre killed in her tank overnight, and no matter what I do it seems like she has no prey drive almost. It's like she doesn't care whether she eats or not. I put a live Jumper in her tank and she comes out and investigates a little and smells but she doesn't actually try to strike it or anything. I'm slightly concerned about the situation, especially being that the male has gained 150g since the end of July (this is normal I assume?), and she's barely gained 50.
I got them both at just shy of 200g. The humidity is correct, between 50 and 70, the temperature's fine gradient from 75 / 80 to 85 / 90 depending on the temperature in the house. I've also been trying to hand tame her and I don't seem to be getting far. She is very jerky and skiddish at every movement and touch. I try to hold her about 15-20 minutes a day two days a week. Because of her I have only been able to hold my male about 4 times for short periods since I got them, and he it's still more relaxed then her. Please help. I need advice about earning their trust, I've tried Google and the only thing I get is hold them, not how or what to do when they do whatever and when to stop etc, and what to do about her feeding issues. I've tried both rats and mice and I was informed they we're feeding on frozen thawed rat pups.
Thank you.

[Craiga 01453]

First off, I suggest ditching the seperate feeding tub. You're not doing yourself or your snakes any favors there.

Seperate feeding tubs are old-school and proven counter productive over time.
Using a seperate feeding tub can:
A) lead to refusals because the snake is stressed from being moved
B) lead to regurgitation because you're moving/stressing a snake that just ate
C) increase the chance of you getting tagged by an animal in feed mode.

If you're worried about cage aggression/the snake associating opening the enclosure with food, don't be. I have always fed all of my snakes in their enclosures and have never even been struck at INSIDE the enclosure. I've been tagged OUTSIDE the enclosure though.

If you're worried about substrate ingestion, don't be. I've had hundreds upon hundreds of feedings and never an issue. Remember: they eat in the wild, nobody puts them in a clean little box, and they've survived thousands and thousands of years.
If you're worried you can throw a piece of cardboard or paper plate down in the enclosure ahead of feeding time, but I find they drag the prey off if it the vast majority of the time anyway.

[Craiga 01453]

I just re-read your thread and noticed a lot of fluctuation in your temps...
- How are you heating the enclosures?
- How are you measuring the temps?
- Are your heat sources regulated by a THERMOSTAT?

...and just to be sure, they are housed separately right?

[Zincubus]

As above ....

Incidentally why do you describe him as not very friendly ??



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[zina10]

Sounds like you are housing them together?

Big nono. He is obv. More dominant and will choose the best places.to be etc. Therefor she is constantly stressed and handling her to tame her doesn't help. No matter if only twice the week.

Please clarify if they are housed together or not, because the rest of the advice will all depend on that.

Kudos to you for seeking out help and advice. This will get straightened out and she will eat once it's done.


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[Lethora45]

So to clarify one thing, they are NOT housed together. Definitely not. I say she isn't because she is very very skiddish. She runs away at any movement. She had gotten a little better lately with my holding her, and for the first time in a month, she ate today. I was ecstatic. Their temps fluctuate because the temperature in the house fluctuates. The temps are always in range though, where they are supposed to be. I'm new to ball python problems. I'm sorry.
I have a ten gallon tank I feed the male ball in, and when I said I've tried feeding her in there i meant after he was fed, I thought this was obvious. They never have any contact with one another for anything.

[Lethora45]

First off, I suggest ditching the seperate feeding tub. You're not doing yourself or your snakes any favors there.

Seperate feeding tubs are old-school and proven counter productive over time.
Using a seperate feeding tub can:
A) lead to refusals because the snake is stressed from being moved
B) lead to regurgitation because you're moving/stressing a snake that just ate
C) increase the chance of you getting tagged by an animal in feed mode.

If you're worried about cage aggression/the snake associating opening the enclosure with food, don't be. I have always fed all of my snakes in their enclosures and have never even been struck at INSIDE the enclosure. I've been tagged OUTSIDE the enclosure though.

If you're worried about substrate ingestion, don't be. I've had hundreds upon hundreds of feedings and never an issue. Remember: they eat in the wild, nobody puts them in a clean little box, and they've survived thousands and thousands of years.
If you're worried you can throw a piece of cardboard or paper plate down in the enclosure ahead of feeding time, but I find they drag the prey off if it the vast majority of the time anyway.

I am not worried about aggression or anything, and I have paper towels in there cage. I don't really have a reason, I just do. I guess it's because my adult I have was routinely fed in the persons bathtub so he was used to that so I just kept how he was fed the same when I got him and keep doing it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If the general consensus is that it is better to just feed them in the cage than that is what i will do.

[Lethora45]

I just re-read your thread and noticed a lot of fluctuation in your temps...
- How are you heating the enclosures?
- How are you measuring the temps?
- Are your heat sources regulated by a THERMOSTAT?

...and just to be sure, they are housed separately right?

Undertake heating pad
Electric Thermometer in the warm and cool side of both tubs
Yes yes yes. And anyone who doesn't needs education on how to treat heat burn on a snake and what signs to look for because that is exactly what will happen.