HELP! - Baby BP won't eat for months

[assistancerequired]

Greetings,

I purchased a 6 month old or so ball python snake from a pet shop 4-5 months ago that refuses to eat ... no matter how i approach feeding him, he just seems completely disinterested or frightened. After 3 months of not eating i decided to force feed him with success. That was about 1 month ago, and since then he still refuses to eat by himself. I have been following these instructions: keep good temp and humidity in the tank, leave the snake alone for a few days before feeding, feed during the night time, i have tried dangling the dead rat on a string in front of him and even leaving the rat in his tank over night. I was told to thaw a frozen rat, then let it soak under hot water so the rat becomes warm and then attempt to feed the snake using tongs. He has shed only a few times since i purchased him, his most recent shed being a few days ago. Am i going to have to force feed him for the rest of his life? If someone could help me i would greatly appreciate it! Please pardon my ignorance...

[PitOnTheProwl]

What was the snake eating before you got it?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Has this BP EVER took a meal for you? have you offered live? What type of prey was offered by the pet store.

How big his your BP and can your provide details on your husbandry, cage size, temps, how you measure them, with what type of thermometer do you measure your temps, where do you take your readings, how tight are your hides, what is your humidity, how often do you handle your BP.

And please do NOT assist or force an animal that knows how to eat, if he was 6 months when you purchased him he was obviously eating.

90% of the time it is human error and husbandry related.

[assistancerequired]

Has this BP EVER took a meal for you? have you offered live? What type of prey was offered by the pet store.

How big his your BP and can your provide details on your husbandry, cage size, temps, how you measure them, with what type of thermometer do you measure your temps, where do you take your readings, how tight are your hides, what is your humidity, how often do you handle your BP.

And please do NOT assist or force an animal that knows how to eat, if he was 6 months when you purchased him he was obviously eating.

90% of the time it is human error and husbandry related.

The guy at the pet store took care of me and had me purchase my whole setup from scratch, he sold me the tank, wood chips, 2 reptile hides, warming pad that is underneath the tank of one of the reptile hides, reptile tank thermometer, and even the same frozen rats he was apparently using to feed him... The snake spends almost all of his time underneath one of the two hides, and is quite active at night time or especially when i'm cooking food and there is a smell... the temperature in his tank is in low 80's and higher 80s and low 90s in his heated hide.. i don't know what the exact humidity is, it fluctuates often depending on the weather outside my apartment, but i was told to pour some water into his tank to keep it more humid during the drier days. From the videos I have seen on youtube, the owners literally keep their ball pythons in a small plastic container with nothing but a plastic hide and a bowl of water.. and the ball pythons just snap at the food they're given like its nothing.. so easy....


here are some pics to give you an idea of my setup and his size:
http://imgur.com/a/ZzvHu

[Albert Clark]

Hi, is the heat pad connected to a thermostat? Try cluttering up the enclosure more with plastic foliage and some cardboard paper towel rolls as extra hides. Use some dark colored construction paper to tape 3 sides of the enclosure so as there is only the front that is viewable to the inside. That will add to the feelings of security for the python.

[StillBP]

If that screen lid isn't partially covered you will have humidity issues. I would cover 2/3-3/4 of it with plastic to keep the humidity up

[BPGator]

What size are the rats you are trying to give him? And if you have a weight of your snake can you provide that; if not, what's the diameter of the fattest part of his body?


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[bcr229]

From the videos I have seen on youtube, the owners literally keep their ball pythons in a small plastic container with nothing but a plastic hide and a bowl of water.. and the ball pythons just snap at the food they're given like its nothing.. so easy....

Yes it is. Ball pythons in the wild live underground and they hunt at night. They like dark, humid, tight-fitting places. They typically don't do well in open tanks, and they get stressed to the point of not eating because they are exposed, don't feel secure, aren't warm enough, and are too dry. People who keep and breed a lot of them keep them in tubs and racks not so they can keep a lot of critters into a small space, but because the snakes thrive in that environment.

Of course, the folks at the pet store won't tell you this because they would rather sell you a heavily marked-up tank than tell you to go to Walmart and buy a Sterilite latchbox for five bucks.

I also don't see where you were sold a thermostat for that under-tank heater. What is the surface temperature of the glass over top of it?

[assistancerequired]

If that screen lid isn't partially covered you will have humidity issues. I would cover 2/3-3/4 of it with plastic to keep the humidity up

When I pour a bit of water in his tank the sides of it condensate and fog up a little bit, think that is a sign of enough humidity, no? Also, I cover the top part of the tank with a towel and leave enough space for air.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi, is the heat pad connected to a thermostat? Try cluttering up the enclosure more with plastic foliage and some cardboard paper towel rolls as extra hides. Use some dark colored construction paper to tape 3 sides of the enclosure so as there is only the front that is viewable to the inside. That will add to the feelings of security for the python.

I have some dark colored towels, can i use them to cover up the sides of his tank to help him feel more secure?

[assistancerequired]

What size are the rats you are trying to give him? And if you have a weight of your snake can you provide that; if not, what's the diameter of the fattest part of his body?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The rats are a bit under 3inches in size... here is a picture: http://imgur.com/a/o2hM9 . I tried weighing him on a food scale but had difficulty keeping him still in the center and not move off it a bit, he is somewhere around 400grams (14.1 Oz)