My baby Ball Python

[Matt T]

How often should my python shed? He is about 14" long and very docile. Only eats every two weeks but seems happy.

[Daybreaker]

Depends on the snake and how often its fed. Some shed on a regular basis while some are sporadic. I would personally feed him every 5-7 days.

[kitedemon]

I also feed every 5-7 days for babies. My little one is growing quite fast and is shedding every 2-3 months. There is no exact time however one of the rescues I have is only shedding every 6 and is about the same size.

[Matt T]

Thanks, my little guy has shed twice since we got him in March. Seems to be OK acording to the replys. I feed him frozen(thawed) fuzzy mice and seems to be pickey at times. Since his substrate is shreded coconut shells he swallows some with the mice. Could this cause an issue?

[Matt T]

Depends on the snake and how often its fed. Some shed on a regular basis while some are sporadic. I would personally feed him every 5-7 days.

I try but he does not show intrest and we waist many frozen(thawed then discarded) fuzzy mice. I would like him to be more consistant with eating but is not. I hear live mice is the wat to go but think he is to small for them.

[Daybreaker]

Thanks, my little guy has shed twice since we got him in March. Seems to be OK acording to the replys. I feed him frozen(thawed) fuzzy mice and seems to be pickey at times. Since his substrate is shreded coconut shells he swallows some with the mice. Could this cause an issue?

He should be fine ingesting some of the substrate, you could always put the feeder on top of a paper towel/plate in his enclosure too if he takes it off the bottom of the tank/cage.

I would bump him up to AT LEAST small adult mice: he can easily take those. Fuzzy mice are way too small for baby BPs, even when they're right out of the egg. You might have a better feeding response with bigger feeders?

[kitedemon]

No I use coco coir substrate no problems it is digestible. The only common snake substrate I have ever seen cause serious issue is actually paper towels. Babies it isn't a problem but adults it has been. Ingestion of paper towels is often fatal not common but it has happened (my vet has operated on 5 snakes in the last 3 years to remove paper towels) if not fatal it is still a regourge that is also serious. I would not recommend paper towels with any but the smallest of snakes.