My First BP.... Please Help

[AriesEarth]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here. I recently bought a baby ball python from Petco (on Valentine's Day). When I bought him he was in the middle of a shed cycle (his eyes were blue). He shed went pretty roughly, it was all in pieces, but I helped him through it, due to some useful posts I came across here. Now that he's got almost al of his old skin off, I tried to feed him, but he seemed afraid of the mouse. I think it was the first live one he's ever encountered. So I took the mouse out and tried offering him some thawed pinkies (I'm pretty sure that's what he got at Petco). So far he's just hiding in a corner of his enclosure and completely ignoring them. I have about 50% humidity, 93 degrees on the hot side. He's in a 20 Gallon Long glass aquarium. He's about 23 inches long. Any advice? Please? I really really really don't want my new baby to die! Also, I think he might be dehydrated? This is my first ball python, and my second snake (the first one died due to my own lack of knowledge =[ ). Thanks for reading this, and please help me out.

~Riya

[nathaniel]

I am assuming there is a bowl in the tank? He might just be getting used to the new surroundings.

[HALEN16]

he might be stressed....i would give him a few days to calm down and try again.

He might eat F/T you never know,,,,,,,,

[BMorrison]

Make sure you thaw the pinkie in hot water for about 25 minutes and then put it under a heat lamp for about 30 seconds. That worked for me. Don't leave it in there more than 10 minutes because it cools down enough that the snake looses interest.

[AriesEarth]

OMG. Reptiles need water?! Just kidding. Yes yes of course there is a bowl of water in his tank, haha, forgot to mention that.

[waltah!]

Are you talking about a pinky mouse? If the bp is just under 2 feet long it will eat bigger prey than that. If you did not handle it during the first week of having it then you should be in good shape as long as husbandry is good. Petco feeds f/t, so it may have been intimidated by the live one. Try covering the enclosure with a towel or shirt to make it completely dark at feeding time. Good luck and keep us posted

[wolfy-hound]

50% humidity is a little low. Like was said though, leave him to relax without bugging him for about a week. That should let him settle. Make sure he has plenty of hides and the tank isn't too open, so he doesn't think he's a sitting duck.
Congrats on your new snake.

[AriesEarth]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. I don't think I've left the poor guy alone since I got him, what with me fretting over his horrid shed. I just raised the humidity to about 60%, and I'll leave him be for another week or so before trying a frozen/thawed mouse, not pinky, in his enclosure, in the dark. Hopefully that will cover everything and SARS will eat and grow and be healthy =D. Thanks so much everyone.

~Riya

[trumetal96]

You didn't mention any hides, snakes need hides, you should have at least 2 hides in your tank, or else the snake will feel to exposed. Gl ^^
Also you should keep bugging the snake, let them be for a bit. Is it a baby?

[West Coast Jungle]

How big is he? An adult mouse is big for a baby.

First, i would crumple up some newspaper and put it in the tank so he's got alot of cover and will feel more secure.

Then give him a few days to a week to just settle in and down.
Then, if he is a small baby you should be giving him a mouse hopper or rat fuzzy(live preferebly). You could leave them in ther overnight, at that size the rodent cant harm snake. If you were soaking him in water to help with shed he shouldn't be too dehydrated.

If you tried to do too many things at once(bring him home, assist with shed, handle, etc..) this will stress him out before he even got a chance to settle in, that could cause him to go off feed.