Somebody help! Something's wrong with my snake! :(

[angllady2]

Aww, she's not aggressive, she's terrified. There is a big difference. You didn't say where you got her, I don't think, but at 8 months to a year old, from a breeder she'd be a pretty good sized snake, from a pet shop she's likely been underfed to keep her small until she sold.

take things one step at a time. First off is to do the best you can to fix her home. The tank is really big for her, because unlike most species of snakes, ball pythons like smaller, tighter spaces. Space to her means more chances of being spotted by a predator and ending up a meal. She has no clue there isn't any danger from predators. So, think small, tight, and fairly dim. They don't like bright lights. Do try and get yourself a thermostat as soon as you can because heat mats can and do burn snakes easily if not regulated and a burn is a horrible thing. I do think your temps are swinging a bit much for her comfort, and that is only going to make her crabbier. Try to get them as stable as you can. Depending on where she is, maybe a small room heater for a night might be an option, they aren't very much.

I am not a bit surprised she hasn't eaten for you, she's been through an awful lot recently. Please do explain to your mom she's not mean she is just scared, and once she isn't so scared she'll act better and eat better. But also don't panic if she doesn't eat for a while, it won't hurt her. If you really want her to eat f/t prey, once she's a had at least 7 full days all by herself with very little disturbance from you, try this: Thaw they prey item, usually in warm water or if you have the time, by leaving it at room temperature for a few hours. Once you are sure the prey is completely thawed, dry it off with a rag and get yourself a hair dryer. Get everything ready right next to her home, the prey, feeding tongs and hair dryer. Gently lift off her hide and set it aside. Grip the prey with the feeding tongs, and hit it with the hair dryer for a minute to warm it up good, then really blast the head of the prey with the hair dryer for about 30 seconds so it's really good and hot and then place it down about 8 - 10 inches in front of her. As long as the prey is putting off a massive heat signature and she's relaxed, she should hit it pretty quickly as long as you don't scare her with it. If she doesn't strike right away, gently wiggle the prey around just above the cage floor for a few seconds and see if she starts forward to investigate. Keep the movements small and steady, and chances are good she'll hit it. If she doesn't after about 5 minutes, lay the prey item down and walk away. Turn off any nearby lights and make it nice and dim and quiet. Give her 30 minutes, then go check to see if she's eaten. About half of the time she will have, the other half she won't have. If she did not eat, remove the prey, return her hide and wait another 5 days before trying again.

Trying to often or too hard to get her to eat is the best way to ensure that she won't eat. She's perfectly capable of going a couple of months without eating, so try not to get too upset about it. It is much harder on us than it is on them, believe me.

I wish you all the best with your new snake.

Gale