Got my first BP today, have a few ?'s

[Blender345]

Hey guys, my name is Billy and I just got my first Ball Python, or even my first snake since I was like 10 (which doesn't count much since my dad took care of it). I am very excited to have the little guy but I have a few questions. The breeder told me he is only about 2 weeks old and has not even eaten a meal yet. He also told me to feed him in about a week. Now this scares me because I do not know how to establish good eating habits for any snake, let alone a baby BP that has never eaten. So any advice or help with that would be great.

My next thing is what he is housed in. I have him in a 10 gallon with coconut fiber substrate, a heat mat, 2 black little hides and a bowl of water. I read that it is good to have tight hides to make him feel comfortable. I have handled him a bit today which leads me to my next problem...

Can snakes get poison ivy? I just realized I have poison ivy between my ring and middle finger and did not know it while I handled him. I don't remember if he may have touched it or not but I would really like to know if he can get it.

I appreciate your time guys and hope you can all help me out. My main concern is the eating issue, when do you suggest I feed him, what do you suggest I feed him? Life or f/t? How big? And how should I feed him? (out of tank? with tongs? lay it down?) I appreciate your time guys thank you.

[JLC]

Hi, and welcome to BP.net!

The little guy will be ok to wait a few days or a week before eating, although ideally, you might have bought one that was already an established eater. Allow him a few days to get used to his new home...which means no more handling (I know you can't resist that first day...many of us can't!) So from now on, until he's eating well, keep the handling to a bare minimum.

Live or f/t is up to you...especially as it's his first meal, hopefully he'll eat whatever you offer and be happy with that. So choose whichever is easiest for you to obtain on a consistent basis.

For a new baby that hasn't had his first meal yet, I'd go with a hopper sized mouse or a fuzzy rat. I'd let the little guy eat in his own home...but that's always been my preference. Some people have success at feeding in a separate enclosure. It's up to you. Personally, I say start with what's easiest, and see if it works.

Prescenting the area is always helpful. F/t or live...let the animal sit nearby for a few minutes. You should see the snake start tongue flicking and poking his head out of his hide to see what's up. Then gently open the enclosure and place the rodent in...not so close to the snake that you startle him...but not too far away either. If it's live...get in the habit of staying and monitoring the feeding process. (The baby rodents can't hurt him, but older ones can, so it's something you should just get used to doing) If it's f/t...you can lay it down and wait to see if he eats it.

If he refuses this first meal...wait a few days before trying again. Offering food too frequently can cause more stress.

I'd also highly recommend covering three of the four sides of that glass tank with some sort of opaque paper or cardboard...and maybe the bottom few inches of the front. That way you can still see in...but the snake feels more secure and cozy.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[JLC]

OH...as for the poison ivy...I have NO idea, but I would imagine that its outer layer of scales would protect it from such a mild exposure it may have gotten from your fingers.

[frankykeno]

Welcome to BPNet, Billy. I'm a bit sorry to hear a breeder sold an inexperienced person a ball python that had not even taken it's first meal yet. That's just not a great situation at all really but one you can get past with some help from our members here and some reading on your part.

Go to this site www.8ballpythons.com and read the page there about getting hatchlings started (sorry I don't have the link handy but it should be easy to find) Adam is a member here who is also a very experienced snakekeeper and breeder of ball pythons.

Try to not handle the snake much right now. You want it to settle in and feel secure and safe enough to hunt. What are you planning on feed it as far as mice or rats and frozen/thawed or live prey? Have you already found a good reliable source of high quality food for this snake?

Did you get contact information on this breeder so that if you have any issues with this hatchling you can contact him/her for advice and support?

[Blender345]

Unfortunately I don't know what the breeder sold me it was. I plan on feeding f/t from petco/petsmart. Is coco fiber good substrate? I was thinking of trying to get a live pinky for his first meal assuming it would make him eat easier. How do you prepare a frozen thawed meal? I am very inexperienced obviously and feel foolish for making the mistakes I've made. I just thought it was a good deal and he claimed it was CB but has not eaten yet. I did not think it was a big deal at the time. It is male btw. Any more help is greatly appreciated.

[Simpson Balls]

I am not sure about Coca Fiber but I know for sure if you could use it you would have to take the snake out and put him into a feeding bin to prevent a impaction. Now I am confused on why a breeder would let a snake go without giving it a couple meals. Most including me give them 3-5 meals before letting them go! By the way the way you thaw it is put it into warm water for about 10-15 Minutes.

Daniel

Ps: It's ok you don't know this stuff it takes time to learn!

[Patricia]

I was thinking of trying to get a live pinky for his first meal assuming it would make him eat easier. How do you prepare a frozen thawed meal?

The mistake I made was thawing out the mouse in the bag it came in, as that resulted in a wet mouse. What works better is to take the mouse out of the bag and put it on a paper towel, leaving it at room temperature to thaw. Just make sure it's not at all frozen, even inside (tummy should be soft).

I've read that once they've had live, they won't take frozen, or at least it's much harder to.

Heck, at least you know yours if a male. We don't even know that about ours! Welcome to the boards. There's a ton of info here, the advanced Search function is very good, and those sticky threads are goldmines of info.