Change in behavior has me concerned

[theJuju]

Hey! I apologize for making another thread, but I'm a little concerned and don't know if this behavior is normal, or what the change means.

So, my BP hadn't eaten for a month and a half, but she was a docile snake and very laid back. On Sunday she finally took 2 tiny pinkies, and then yesterday (Monday) I bought fuzzies. She immediately took a fuzzy mouse, then crawled back into her hide and poked her head out like she was waiting for more prey. I offered a second fuzzy mouse, and she ate that one as well. I didn't want to overfeed her despite her initial hunger strike, so I didn't offer her another.

But since yesterday afternoon she hasn't moved a bit. She is in her hide box with her head and neck poked out in an 'S' position, once again like she's waiting for more prey to come across her path. Each time I walk by the tank, however, she is very alert to the movement (and she hasn't been like that before). I opened the cage to mist it down, and she looked around with sudden movements and flicked her tongue.

Basically, opening the cage since I fed her, or movement outside the cage, causes her to be very alert and look around with sudden head movements to where the motion comes from. What does it mean? Should I offer more food? Is she still hungry? It also makes me a little timid to hold her tomorrow once the 48 hour post-feeding has passed, because I don't want her to strike me out of hunger or association with the cage opening meaning food. I've never been nervous about handling her until now.

[Ezekiel285]

How much does she weigh? It could be that you are under-feeding her. Or she could just be hungry after not eating for so long.

[Skittles1101]

It's normal, she's probably still hungry though. If you go to handle her, just tap her on the head with an empty paper towel roll or something. If she's in hunger mode it will snap her out of it.

[Abaddon91]

whats the age of the snake i would assume that feeding pinkies (rats or mouse?) that its less then 100g but most bps around that size tcan take rat pups if your feeding mice switch to rats they are bigger (an adult mouse is abut the size of a rat pup) i think that you may want to offer bigger prey

[theJuju]

I don't know her weight. I don't have a scale. She's pretty small, and when I got her from PetsMart they couldn't prove she had eaten. And then it took her nearly 2 months after having her before she ate from me, and she got skinny. But after 2 pinkies, then learning here that I need to up to fuzzies, and feeding her 2 fuzzies (which are as big as the biggest part of her, if not a little bigger), I didn't want to overfeed her, even though she hadn't eaten in a long time.

It's normal, she's probably still hungry though. If you go to handle her, just tap her on the head with an empty paper towel roll or something. If she's in hunger mode it will snap her out of it.

Haha, ok. I'll try that!

[Spyderco1116]

It's normal, she's probably still hungry though. If you go to handle her, just tap her on the head with an empty paper towel roll or something. If she's in hunger mode it will snap her out of it.

LMAO!! That's classic. You're AWESOME!!

[theJuju]

Tried to reach my hand in and she perked up and looked like she was ready to pounce.

[AK907]

I don't know her weight. I don't have a scale. She's pretty small, and when I got her from PetsMart they couldn't prove she had eaten. And then it took her nearly 2 months after having her before she ate from me, and she got skinny. But after 2 pinkies, then learning here that I need to up to fuzzies, and feeding her 2 fuzzies (which are as big as the biggest part of her, if not a little bigger), I didn't want to overfeed her, even though she hadn't eaten in a long time.

Fuzzy mice are bigger around than your ball python? I've never seen a ball python that skinny. Pics?

[Homegrownscales]

That would be an extreamly skinny ball. Perhaps a fuzzy rat to a hatchling ball but........ My hatchlings go from hoppers to adult mice very quickly.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[evan385]

Pics please? Petsmart is very stupid when it comes to ball pythons, she may be very underweight.