Not eating, don't know what to do...

[A.VinczeBPs]

How long do you wait between feedings? You said at the start you waited three days, simply not enough. If you have a refusal of a meal, you try again 7 days later.

Trying too often will just stress him out. Don't handle him at all until he eats.
Try leaving it in over night. Try filling the tank with newspaper (in balls) to give lots of hiding places.

Tons of things to try, he's still young, but that doesn't mean going 4 weeks without food will harm him. Be patient.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Yes, definitely try the crumpled newspaper trick before assist-feeding.

Assist-feeding is NOT force-feeding, by the way. I hesitate to tell someone new to ball pythons that they should assist-feed a snake. Although the risk of injury is not as high as with force-feeding, there is still a risk. It also takes even experienced folks 2 or 3 tries sometimes. It's not particularly easy to do.

[ronniec02]

i had the same exact problem mine went 3 months before i got it to eat. the trick that i used was. i let the fuzzie sit out for an hour to thaw. then i kept it in the plastic baggie and let it sit in warm water for 15 minutes after that i took a knife and punctured a hole in the top of the fuzzies head and squeezed some of the brains and brain juice out. after that i used tongs and moved it around in front of him and nothing happened so i just stuck it in the hut next to him and within 5 mins of doing that i look over and he only has the fuzzies tail sticking out of his mouth lol..

when u squeeze the brains out it will give off a strong foul smell which will get him hungry and excited to eat.

[Kaorte]

hairdrying the rodent will give you the same smelly effect...and you don't need to stab a dead mouse carcass in the head and squeeze out its brains..

[Tyrannosaurus Rex]

Don't feed it in its cage, i use a Petco box to feed my BP in, they let you take the boxes no problem

[Kaorte]

Don't feed it in its cage, i use a Petco box to feed my BP in, they let you take the boxes no problem

Why not? I feed all my snakes in their cages. They are doing just fine

[ronniec02]

Why not? I feed all my snakes in their cages. They are doing just fine

i dont know some people have told me its because if u feed it in its cage people say that it will get used to it and maybe in the future when u go to pick it up and hold it. it will bite u thinking that ur food.

[Kaorte]

i dont know some people have told me its because if u feed it in its cage people say that it will get used to it and maybe in the future when u go to pick it up and hold it. it will bite u thinking that ur food.

For some bigger species of snakes, this can be true. For ball pythons, not so much. I feed every single one of my snakes in their home enclosures as well as many members of this site. I have never been bitten.

Most bites are feeding related incidents where the keeper moved the snake but smelled like a rodent and got tagged. You are MUCH more likely to take a bite if you feed outside the enclosure.

Also, no where does my hand enter the feeding process, so how can the snake associate being fed with my hand if it isn't even present?

[stevepoppers]

Check out actual experiences with this: Cage Aggression Due to Feeding Practices.

Now, you just might wanna read a little more before you start throwing advice out there. Stickies, caresheet, posts, etc.

[rabernet]

i dont know some people have told me its because if u feed it in its cage people say that it will get used to it and maybe in the future when u go to pick it up and hold it. it will bite u thinking that ur food.

100% not true with ball pythons - all of mine are fed in their enclosures - none of them mistake me for food or are cage aggressive.