Baby Ball not accepting food

[RichsBallPythons]

Rich, breeder feed pinkie mice, I feed pinkie mice. I was not going to change food right after getting them, that would be stupid.

Then you came here to the site for nothing. Pinky mice for a ball pythons is STUPID. They have no nutritional value to the snake what so ever. Its waste of time and money to even offer them.

If your not going to take the advice to properly offer food then why ask.

[AkHerps]

I think really the only problem you have is too big of an enclosure.

I would suggest a small simple tub set up with a heat pad for belly heat controlled by a thermostat, and your temps and humidity should be almost perfect with maybe a little tweaking.

I don't think what the OP is doing is stupid, they were just misinformed. =\

I would try a hopper or small adult mouse your next feeding day. Try once a week to feed, if you can't find weanling or baby rats.

[PghBall]

Rat fuzzies would be the way to go food wise. Also, I'd suggest a smaller enclosure (you can get a 15qt tub cheap at Target or Wal-Mart if you don't want to purchase a new tank). A small water bowl..two small hides (give your BP a tight fit for added security) and you can use a small UTH (Under the tank heater) with a thermostat to heat it. Tubs are easy to keep temps and humidity. Oh, a digital hygrometer/thermometer can be picked up cheap too under $15 most places and that is one with a probe. Good luck!

[Vini Sourile]

Well first, your temperatures are all over the place, Which is one indication why its not eating. Temps need to be properly measured and controlled. As so humidity needs to be properly measured and controlled. Get digital thermometer and not stick on dials ones.

Another is you have a 50g baby is a 20g tall tank. That baby should be in a 5-10g tank at most, or even better a 6qt plastic bin. Your doc/vet is just that, they dont know the first thing to properly housing reptiles. Ive yet to see a vet know what their talking a bout when it comes to proper care of reptiles. Theres very few that know the requirements of reptiles.

you need to have a 78-80 cool side and a 88-90 warm side. This needs to stay constant 24/7 with no night time drops. Also need a thermostat to control the temps properly to minimize stress and overheating.

Food needs to be offered live till they are eating. Offer either live pinky rats or live hopper mice. Dont stand over the snake and gawk at it, drop the mouse / rat in and walk away. Neither will harm the snake and will help with privacy.


And till all this is fixed, no handling till snake eats for you 3-4 times consecutively

Every care sheet I have read says night drops of 5 degrees. I do have a heat grade...78-80 cool side and 85-90 hot side. sometimes 2 degrees more due to house change. Not sure why you say my temps are all over. Thermometers are glass, not dial...the kind used to calibrate digital ones. They are feed in a closed box 7"x7" in a room by themselves...no gawking as you put it. I have a 20H tank because I had 2 BPS, and have had snakes in smaller tanks but heating grades are not the greatest in 5-10 gallon tanks.

As far as the doc goes, she is owns numerous snakes, BPs, boa and berm. She might not be perfect but I didn't bring a snake to a cat doctor.

[Vini Sourile]

I will attempt to place in a 10g I have and see if that helps. She ate 2 meals in this one so I'm not sure why she not good now in the 20H. But, I will try it.

[AkHerps]

Don't feed in a separate container, try it in their enclosure. It can be very stressful for a baby to be fed out of their house.

[Vini Sourile]

Then you came here to the site for nothing. Pinky mice for a ball pythons is STUPID. They have no nutritional value to the snake what so ever. Its waste of time and money to even offer them.

If your not going to take the advice to properly offer food then why ask.

Sorry Rich, I was waiting for advise, not just empty blame.

Everyone else is helping, you not so much in the beginning. I did not say anything more then the breeder had them on pinkie mice and did not want to switch the food until they were settled. I usually feed fuzzies or hoppers to babies, pinkies are not much more then fluid and skin.

[ogdentrece]

Not to diss you Rich but sometimes I feel many are quick to jump to certain conclusions and find someone to blame. I dont think his temps are all over i think he was just referring to his temp gradient.. I dont think his temps would really be 80/82/85/88. If its a 20g tall the floor space is about that of a smaller one, its a little big but i think it shouldn't be horrible if you just clutter it a little more if it isnt already. Yes pinky mice aren't the best food source but he has his reason. You could suggest increasing it to a hopper or subadult but don't jump on him over it so fast. Just let him know.

So, back to responding to the post, as many have said, slightly large cage, and as I have said, fill it up. Best thing you could do for now if you can't get a smaller one. Black out the sides and back if you have not already done so, helps with security. Night time temp drops are not necessary, I know many care sheets have said so but really is not. If it happens, so be it, but it does not need to be deliberate. Some breeders do it, some dont, both successfully.

[Vini Sourile]

Don't feed in a separate container, try it in their enclosure. It can be very stressful for a baby to be fed out of their house.

Tried that too bud, no luck.

[RichsBallPythons]

Smaller tank and feeding in the cage will help wonders in getting it to eat properly.

I keep all hatchlings i hatch in 6qt tubs and they have 81 cool side and 91 warm side with no effort. Tanks you will soon realize are not best option for them.