Suddenly stressed?

[camerynn]

Hi guys,

I've had Kyle since December and he's been model bp from day 1.
The guy who sold him to me said he was eating live so I was worried about switching him to F/T. However he took it right away and has been a fantastic F/T eater ever since.
His set up is in a ~70 qt tub with a UTH and 2 hides for each side. During his shed cycles I put in a humidity box and he's had 2 perfect sheds.
He has been a happy, sweet boy who ate like a pro ever since the day I brought him home.
Until ...
A few weeks ago I figured I'd try switching to rats. He's getting bigger and it's hard to find the right size for him since he's in between the large mouse and small rat.
So I offered him a small rat and he was NOT having it. I tried 2 of them before accepting that he just doesn't like rats.
Ok, no big deal. I switch back to mice.
He won't take it. First time ever he refused a mouse!
Tried again a few days later. Phew, he takes it!
Go to feed him again a few days after that and he won't take the mouse.
Try again a few days later, won't take one.

So he's eaten one mouse since the rat debacle a few weeks ago, and now he's trying to escape all day and night. I've cleaned his enclosure to remove all rat smell, added plants, switched from paper towel to Aspen, adjusted his temps up and then down...no change.

Last night I took him out and made a little fort for him on my bed. He slid under the blanket and poked his little head out from under it and stayed still for what seems like the longest period of time in weeks.

It's like I traumatized him with the rat and now he's not himself. I read they can sometimes go off food in the spring but that wouldn't explain his constant escape attempts.

Any ideas why my little guy suddenly changed so drastically?

[MattEvans]

Im not sure what a few means to you. But offering food to often can stress a snake out. It sounds to me like you are offering food too often. Offer once a week and if he refuses wait a full week to offer again.

[JodanOrNoDan]

If your husbandry was right put everything back the way it was then don't mess with him for a week or two, then try again. as far as the actual eating goes, they eat when they want to. If he is not loosing weight, there is nothing to worry about. You cannot stress yourself out about balls not eating. When he becomes an adult he is going to go off food for a period of months. I've had boys go six months without eating. Their biology is set up to eat for periods then fast for periods. This probably has something to do with food availability in the wild.

[camerynn]

Thanks guys.
New parent nervousness I guess...I've never seen him stress easily. He even took food during shed.
I am a little worried about his weight, maybe I will post a picture and see if he looks at all underweight to you guys. It's hard to be objective when it's your first one

I will leave him alone for a while and try again!

[JodanOrNoDan]

Thanks guys.
New parent nervousness I guess...I've never seen him stress easily. He even took food during shed.
I am a little worried about his weight, maybe I will post a picture and see if he looks at all underweight to you guys. It's hard to be objective when it's your first one

I will leave him alone for a while and try again!

Get a digital kitchen scale scale and track his weight. It is what I did when I first started. After awhile you will be able to eyeball it.

[ballpythonsrock2]

What is his weight in grams? You say he is in the in between stage. ( which is what mine is in ) that would be the 350 to 500 gram I believe. If he is not 500 grams a small rat might be too big for him. It might not be the idea of it being a rat (but could be) it might be the fact the feeder was just too big as well as the new smell.
I agree with the previous poster, sounds like you are trying too often. I would try every 7 days. If he weighs around 400 grams you might want to try 2 small mice ( totaling 40 or so grams ) Unless you can find a rat size around 40 grams. But that is a hard size to find except maybe on line. Then once your snake gets to 500 grams and over ( which won't take very long ) you can try a small 50 gram rat. Some snakes do get stuck on mice I had one that wouldn't eat rat so I know what you are talking about. But right now I'd say it might have been the size issue and now it's because you are trying too often with the mice.

[ballpythonsrock2]

Just out of curiosity you never mentioned. Is this live feeding or fro. thawed? A live rat can be pretty scary to young snake use to mice. Unless the snake is of good size to deal with the rat.

[camerynn]

Get a digital kitchen scale scale and track his weight. It is what I did when I first started. After awhile you will be able to eyeball it.

I have been weighing him, but only every 3-4 weeks. I should weekly to get a clearer picture.

[camerynn]

What is his weight in grams? You say he is in the in between stage. ( which is what mine is in ) that would be the 350 to 500 gram I believe. If he is not 500 grams a small rat might be too big for him. It might not be the idea of it being a rat (but could be) it might be the fact the feeder was just too big as well as the new smell.
I agree with the previous poster, sounds like you are trying too often. I would try every 7 days. If he weighs around 400 grams you might want to try 2 small mice ( totaling 40 or so grams ) Unless you can find a rat size around 40 grams. But that is a hard size to find except maybe on line. Then once your snake gets to 500 grams and over ( which won't take very long ) you can try a small 50 gram rat. Some snakes do get stuck on mice I had one that wouldn't eat rat so I know what you are talking about. But right now I'd say it might have been the size issue and now it's because you are trying too often with the mice.

Correct, he is about 350 now I believe. It could have been the size, that's true...

[camerynn]

Just out of curiosity you never mentioned. Is this live feeding or fro. thawed? A live rat can be pretty scary to young snake use to mice. Unless the snake is of good size to deal with the rat.

Oh no, he's frozen only. The breeder started him off with live but he was a champ when I first fed him frozen and he's gobbled them down ever since!