Quote Originally Posted by Pyth View Post
Hello all,

First and foremost I'm new to the forum and yes, I'm reading the Sticky thread, so don't be concerned there are no newcomers reading the highlighted topics.

Here's my Python Story:

I've had a Ball Python for 2 months. She's about a year old. 29". Female. Named her "Ophilia," her original name was "Genevieve."

Feeding/Eating

Well, she wouldn't eat any of the frozen fuzzies I gave her, even if I left them in her terrarium over-night. This had been going on for the entire duration which I had her. Nor would she take the food when I tried to tease her with the prey using elongated feeding tweezers.

Called the pet store, they said it wasn't an issue, she'll eat eventually, and she's likely to be acclimating to her new home. They also gave recommendations to leave the food in her cage throughout the night because at that point I was using frozen mice, which i imagine cannot actually do any harm to the snake, so leaving dead mice in the cage isn't a risk.

Time goes on, I eventually decide to get a small live mouse to feed her; I went to a pet store, got a very small mouse, put the rodent in front of her, and with my mom and I both watching her every movement, she ate the prey within 3 minutes. Problem solved!

As far as her behavior around feeding time goes, I would look for these signs:

* Reptile tunneling or making small holes in the wood-chip base in the terrarium.
* Snake exploring hers or his way up the glass siding of the terrarium.
* Python attempting (with no real risk of it happening) to escape the cage by pushing its nose against the screen at the top of the enclosure.

These clues have been a solid indicator my snake is hungry.

In fact, she has actually continued this trend of behavioral changes, so I am wondering now if I can continue feeding her mice until she no longer eats, or do I leave her as is?

Thanks a lot.

Pyth
First of all, welcome to the forum. After reading your post, I'm not sure if you were offering advice or asking a question or both?
Some general feedback, though - If your girl is 29" and a year old, I'm sure she should be eating small rats. If she'll only eat mice, you should probably be feeding her a couple at a time. A single mouse is not enough for her,

Also, if she's out exploring at night, no problem - BP's are nocturnal. If she's out during the day, she may be stressed. Make sure her hide is tight enough that her body touches all sides when she's in it. It enhances the feeling of security. Most BP's pip their heads out of their hides when they are hungry. They like to lay in wait so to speak.

Good luck and, again, welcome!