Ball Python ate A LOT of substrate

[OoohShiny]

I do that too, sometimes. Especially for my longnose snake, that eats about 6 fuzzies & it takes a while- this keeps them out of his substrate, otherwise he tends to push them off the cardboard that I leave them on. It's a good technique, as long as it doesn't stress out your snake; I think it might put too many B.P.s off eating, since they tend to be shy, & feel bolder striking & taking prey from their 'doorway', so suddenly taking that away could easily make for a failed feeding. Otherwise, it's a good tactic. You can always use either an extra hide or a shallow bowl to feed in, just leaving their actual hide in place.

Thankfully, I am extremely lucky to have two BPs who are fantastic eaters. Both ladies eat without problems, especially Tonks, who has never turned down prey and in fact the only eating problems she's had (wild striking, accidentally striking substrate) were from being a bit too eager. In fact, I offered Tonks her first rat last night, and she didn't even seem to notice it wasn't a mouse, just grabbed it and down it went. Ana Gwyn got her first non-white rat last night and again, didn't even notice. And Ana Gwyn seems to know that when I turn her hide over, it means food, and she starts looking for her rat. I would definitely be more hesitant to try the technique with picky eaters or sensitive snakes, but my girls don't have any of the typical BP eating issues.

[MowgliPups]

Thankfully, I am extremely lucky to have two BPs who are fantastic eaters. Both ladies eat without problems, especially Tonks, who has never turned down prey and in fact the only eating problems she's had (wild striking, accidentally striking substrate) were from being a bit too eager. In fact, I offered Tonks her first rat last night, and she didn't even seem to notice it wasn't a mouse, just grabbed it and down it went. Ana Gwyn got her first non-white rat last night and again, didn't even notice. And Ana Gwyn seems to know that when I turn her hide over, it means food, and she starts looking for her rat. I would definitely be more hesitant to try the technique with picky eaters or sensitive snakes, but my girls don't have any of the typical BP eating issues.

Mowgli is the same way! Never has been picky and always eats what I give him, he sounds a lot like Tonks lol

[MowgliPups]

Update again!


so far so good, he is alive and being normal Mowgli
I fed him today again and he took it like a champ! I tried putting a plastic plate in his cage to eat on but it didn’t lay flat so he ended up looking for the rat UNDER the plate *face palm* I’ll try card board next because I can cut it to the weird shape that it needs to fit in.
almost so substrate eaten this time! I dried the rat completely and this time he did not strike at the substrate!