Just need to vent about this Ball Python...

[pbenner]

It sounds like you've only dealt with Syrian hamsters, or else inbred Russian Dwarf hamsters? Because the latter are NOT biters, they're cute & friendly...I worked with them for years & sold many to pet stores. I even guaranteed their temperament, even if one was mishandled & not at all at fault, & I only ever replaced one or two out of SO many. That said, I hate to have the prolific cuties be snake food...so rock on & feed your ASFs. Good luck.

Teddy Bear Hamsters were my first experience and I got the crap bit out of my finger twice by the "class pet". I was the only one interested in cleaning his cage (haha). Looking at it, yes, it was a Syrian hamster. Also, the second one you listed too. Such a smart chap you is! Probably mishandled and would agree. I know that if I bought a line of them that I could work out issues, but I'm happy to go with ASFs for now. We should have (3) colonies soon with space to expand for more.

Paul

- - - Updated - - -

Same here. My baby, hatched 8-12-19, is making me crazy! Our other 4 eat like Champs! No muss, no fuss. This one, who hasn't yet reached 100g, just will not eat. She's afraid of hoppers, so I went for multiple fuzzies, nope. She gathered them up into a pile and curled around them like they were her eggs. I ended up adding them to my ASF colony since one of my ASF'S had just birthed a litter(our first litter! Yay!) She took them in, no problem. This week, I tried a hopper again, thinking maybe the fuzzies were too small for her to recognize as food. Nope. She made friends with it. She won't touch f/t or freshly killed. Aaaaaagh!

The best advice is to just keep trying and to watch for the point where they may need to be given help.

Paul

[Bogertophis]

Teddy Bear Hamsters were my first experience and I got the crap bit out of my finger twice by the "class pet". I was the only one interested in cleaning his cage (haha). Looking at it, yes, it was a Syrian hamster. Also, the second one you listed too. Such a smart chap you is! Probably mishandled and would agree. I know that if I bought a line of them that I could work out issues, but I'm happy to go with ASFs for now. We should have (3) colonies soon with space to expand for more.

Paul ...

I can relate...I've known about 4 Syrian hamsters as pets from way back when they were the only ones available. Mixed results, even friendly ones could be cranky pets.

Many years later, I had a fussy snake that I wanted to breed Russian dwarf hamsters for. The first ones I got (from a pet store) were so inbred that even though very young, they literally charged & attacked to bite hard (!) from across the cage. I'm good at taming most creatures but these were like wild psychos, no kidding. Took 'em back to store after a week, & later I fully understood why some other nearby pet stores refused to carry them at all: they had the same large source from nearest big city (L.A.), & all the local pet stores were ending up with hamsters they couldn't sell, except to snake keepers, & I sure hope no one fed them live! (that was in Calif, btw)

I then got a pair of R.D. hamsters from a herp society member- they had wonderful temperaments but were plain (agouti) type fur; as luck would have it, I was offered from elsewhere a sickly albino with a litter she could could barely feed with all sorts of coat colors (interesting genetics) & I saved them all (pinkies have teeth and will bite, so I supplemented them with cottage cheese & bits of raw kale...it worked!). They reproduce fast, they're social & friendly when not inbred...very cute pets actually. With a promise to exchange any unsatisfactory ones, I then sold tons of them to local pet stores* (all different colors- they were very appealing & sold well as pets). Only 1 or 2 ever returned out of countless...they're also social with each other, not loners like the Syrian type. They really "supported" my snakes well... They're on the small size for BP meals, but you might find that BPs like them so much they'll eat multiples, lol.

*The best pet rodents come from snake-keepers that have "customers" for any that should be culled, LOL. Even I was amazed at the quality I had in no time, & still kept all my fingers... Best of luck though with your ASFs.

[pbenner]

Well,

We decided that we would eat again. I'd noted that she was actually out and about in her tub more than usual and threw her a rat this AM before I left for work (Live, Crawler 2weeks 4 days, male) and she had it dead before I came home to let the dogs out. Obviously it doesn't show that she ate, but she did take in some more nutrition.

Last meal was the ASF posted above.

Paul

[pbenner]

Either I got lucky or I am finally winning. I gave her the sibling of the other rat she ate, so 3 weeks old) and she pounded it too. So hopefully she's coming around. Was normal feeding day and I hadn't remembered her more recent feeding.

I'll give her another go next week.

It's about time!!

Paul

[pbenner]

Dang, has been right at a month since my last update. After the 2nd male rat she refused again. Over the holiday I was finally able to trade some rats for a group of ASFs and have been waiting for her to come out of her last blue. This morning during cage cleaning I took the oldest ASF, broke his neck and put it right outside her hide. She smashed it immediately.

Maybe ASFs will be the answer, we will see.

Ugh!

Paul

[Bogertophis]

Ball pythons...can't live with 'em, & ya can't live without 'em! (keeping my fingers crossed for you & "Ms. Picky")

[pbenner]

Probably the last post I make here. Obviously making a public complaint post *and* changing her offered food source has done the trick.

We are 4/4 on ASFs and 4/30+ on normal rats. For now we'll stick with the ASFs and hope she starts gaining weight seriously.

Thanks again for the support. Proof that not giving up is the key. I'll check back in a few months here with some weight gain information once she starts.

Paul

[Bogertophis]

Good job! So happy for your well-deserved & slow-to-arrive success.