feeding questions

[steffa]

when i first got my BP she literally ate a gerbil 4 days later the next week she wouldnt eat and again tonight all temps are right i dont understand?

[Mike41793]

Why are you feeding her gerbils?

[The Serpent Merchant]

Why are you feeding her gerbils?

x2

Also temperatures alone do not make a ball python eat.

[Slim]

I really urge you not to feed your BP gerbils. Once they get started on them they can be impossible to switch over to more practical prey like rats.

As for her not eating. We could really use a lot more information. BPs can go off feed for any one of a thousand reasons, or for no reason at all.

How is your enclosure set up? How do you heat it? How do you measure your temps? Where is it located? A picture would be worth a thousand words as well.

[steffa]

she wont eat mice or rats , i breed the gerbils so money isnt much of a issue she loves them!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...06217272_n.jpg

[kitedemon]

she has been eating regularly in the past and has skipped this past meal? if that is the case it is not an issue at all. It looks like you have one large hide? I would suggest that it seems to large and two smaller hides would be better on on the hot side and one on the cool. I might also add more plants too if the animal has not been feeding regularly.

What are the temps INSIDE the hot hide and ambient and cool hide if I failed to spot it.

[Slim]

How long have you had this snake? The following post makes it sound like you've only had her a few weeks. Maybe it's just be the way I'm reading it. Some punctuation would make it easier to read. Please correct me where I'm wrong.

when i first got my BP she literally ate a gerbil 4 days later the next week she wouldnt eat and again tonight all temps are right i dont understand?

she wont eat mice or rats

If I read your first post right, and if you've only had her a couple of weeks, how do you know she won't eat mice or rats? It's actually kind of rare that they will only eat gerbils.

she loves them!

Maybe not...after all, this thread is about her not eating.

[steffa]

well i offered her a mouse and she wouldnt eat it but i offered her a gerbil and she devoured it!

[ShutUpAndSmile]

Gerbils are also problematic when she starts growing and then you'll have to feed her multiple gerbils instead of just increasing her rat size.
You could try leaving the mouse in over night. Some snakes are shy about eating.

[Mike41793]

Gerbils are also problematic when she starts growing and then you'll have to feed her multiple gerbils instead of just increasing her rat size.
You could try leaving the mouse in over night. Some snakes are shy about eating.

Its sounds like shes feeding live though, in which case you cant leave it in over nite...
So you tried a live mouse once an then just jumped right to gerbils??? It still doesnt make sense to me lol.