Hello Folks Noob here w/a few questions & pix

[boogerbob]

Hello Rick! I'm pretty much a newb too. I adopted an 11 year old Ball. He has eaten live mice his whole life (from what the previous owner told me) and is very docile. I've not been bitten for the three weeks I've had him. This has been through 2 feeds. He's shedding right now though so I haven't really been getting him out. I will have to though tomorrow so I can change his substrate.. But I don't think that feeding live will necessarily do that. If there's another more seasoned herp here that knows better, correct me.

[Bigboyindiego]

He ate its first full sz mouse I weiged tyson and he is at 180 g

[Eulogy13]

i would recomend getting 2 identical hides.. so the snake does not favor 1 over the other... 1 warm side, 1 cool side... also if the tank seems too empty throw some crumpled up news paper in the so the snake will feel more secure. just dont put anything in the tank the snake can get cut from or stuck in.

Also the next time you feed, place a piece of cardboard in the tank that covers a good part of the substrate and feed over the cardboard.. that should greatly reduce any chance of your snake eating any substrate.. then after the snake gets its meal down... wait awhile then pull the cardboard out of the tank. just a tip i picked up on here! good luck

[Bigboyindiego]

WELL since ive been doing so well ,I DECIDED to spring for a albino MALE ((also found out my tyson is actually a TARA )) I bought a male to hopefully eventually start breeding . WELL my first bp is now over 650 grams and eating veRRRRRRRrrrrry well . On xmas day I bought my albino from a breeder on line I received him like 2-3 days later I put him in the same exact tank I had my original bp in ((LOOK IN MY OLDER POSTS FOR SETUP ))) did not touch him for abt a week he weighed in at 83 grms when I received him I started feeding him live pinkys didnt touch him. Tried a frz/thw fuzzie a day later didnt touch it !!! Dropped the breeder a e-mail as to what she feed him and how. She stated she would drop in a hopper at night leave the mouse and snake alone all night and in morning viola mouse was gone !!!!! I really didnt feel safe doing this as ive heard of the horror stories of mice attacking snakes but I did stay up most of the night and the mouse literally was jumping A-L-L over the snake and snake didnt touch it !!!!
Took out mouse flicked it quickly behind neck to kill it used tongs to kind of twitch it in front of snake he struck at it squeezed it a few seconds then went back in his hide !! WITHOUT EATING IT !!!
iVE NOW BEEN OFFERING HOPPERS or pinkies every other day for a total of 3 weeks to no avail ...........
Ive heard sometimes the stress of shipping can freak out the mouse but its been 3 weeks another thing I'd like to add when i received this guy it was shipped overnight but thee breeder sent it in a very tiny box w/a heat pack box was sz of abt a large camera box and box was completely sealed NO AIR HOLES is that ok ????
So its been over 3 weeks and it still hasnt eaten he drinks alot but shows absolutely no intrest in eating .
I paid a lot for this lil bugger ,THIS may sound horrible but I cant afford to take him to a vet it took me this long to save just to get him . WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THIS LIL GUY TO EAT
tHE BREEDER now has not written me back anymore so I'm probably not get a refund but My lil girl who I bought this guy for is really attached to him and I dont want him to die I have no idea what to do here Ive tried every thing I can think of ANY HELP wld greatly be appreciated!!!
You can see my setup here on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rick.ostrowski I have a picture the albino is actually lying w/its head on the mouse and sat there for 3 hrs like that I swear to god he fell asleep on it for cripes sake lol
plzz feel free to e-mail me also w/any thoughts bigboyindiego@yahoo.com THX AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME !!!!!

[shelliebear]

Pinkies are too small for a BP to eat, in terms of mice. Keep offering hoppers, I wouldn't go smaller than that.
One of my snakes would not eat F/T. I tried leaving him in a tub by himself, and within 1 minute of me closing the lid he struck the rat. He felt insecure out in the open.
I also got the rat to the point where it was MORE than room temperature, he seemed to like that.
If you can get ahold of some ASF"s maybe he'll take those.

[Bigboyindiego]

Pinkies are too small for a BP to eat, in terms of mice. Keep offering hoppers, I wouldn't go smaller than that.
One of my snakes would not eat F/T. I tried leaving him in a tub by himself, and within 1 minute of me closing the lid he struck the rat. He felt insecure out in the open.
I also got the rat to the point where it was MORE than room temperature, he seemed to like that.
If you can get ahold of some ASF"s maybe he'll take those.

sorry to sound ignorant but what is a asf !?!

[ballpythonluvr]

sorry to sound ignorant but what is a asf !?!

African soft furred rat.

[Bigboyindiego]

ahhhh thx !!

[rdoyle]

My son is 3 and he hold my male BP but I am always there. and he does not hold him for long and he always pet his tail never near the head of the snake

[Bigboyindiego]

Well guys still no luck on the eating !!!! Ive tried everything I know how he still wont eat . hE IS WEIGHING IN AT 83 GRMS .The breeder has stopped answering my e-mails .So i think I paid for a sick lil snake or one thats got some eating issues !! The last email I received from the breeder she states that she would drop a mouse (hopper) in over night and leave it there the only thing I can come up with is maybe a mouse bit this snake and now he's shy ?!?!/ towards them !?!? He shows absolutly no intrest in any mouse ive brought to him hes struck 2x and thats about it !! The only question Ive got is at 83 grms how long can he go like this (without eating) b4 I really got to start worrying here hes drinking alot see him with head in waterbowl but food is still a no-go