Stubborn Baby Ball Python

[durke]

I have a baby ball python that will not eat frozen rat pinkies. I thaw the pinkie rat out in hot water and make sure it's very warm when I offer it. I make it zombie dance. Timothy (my snake) will flick his tongue at it for a few seconds, then act like he wants to be nowhere near it. He went exactly a month without eating (I tried once a week to feed him f/t) and got very thin, before I finally gave in and plopped a live mouse in his tub, which he ate right away.

I have done all of this over the month that I have had him:
- Brained it
- Let it marinate in fresh poopy mice bedding for half an hour
- Left it in his cage overnight on the warm side, twice
- Put a live mouse in a clear container inside of his enclosure while I zombie danced the pinkie

I have even put a live mouse in his enclosure with him and zombie danced the pinkie in his face, and he goes around the pinkie and snatches the live mouse as if the pinkie isn't there. I'm still going to try putting him in a pillow case with the f/t pinkie and putting chicken broth on the pinkie. Any other tips? Am I doing something wrong? Please help. :(

[I-KandyReptiles]

It's possible that your snake just won't switch.

[RoseyReps]

Well, you could try switching him to live rat pinks / fuzzies before attempting to switch 2 things at once (frozen and rat transition)
If he gets used to the live rat, after a few good feedings then try the f/t again. Or, try a f/t mouse, and once you get him on those then do the rat swap?
I don't have any secrets personally...my girl is a piggie. But perhaps the change of 2 aspects is too much for him.

Also, could try blasting the f/t head with a blow dryer right before dance.
My girl shoots out of her hide like she hasn't eaten in months when she hears the hair dryer lol.

[luvmyballs]

I have I few that will only eat live and or fk. Took me awhile but finally realized feeding live/pk was the way to go. All mine eat with vigor now. Plus it is so much easier than thawing heating and making them dance. Just my two cents.

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[BHReptiles]

That sounds like my girl except she won't eat F/T rats but she will eat F/T mice. Your snake may just be a mouser like mine.

[durke]

Unfortunately, there is no place around here that I can get live pinkies, but I will definitely pick up some frozen mice and see if he likes those better. Maybe he just doesn't like the pink color of pinkies? The mice I've been feeding him are adults and they have brown fur. If I can at least get him to eat frozen mice, that will give me some hope. I also forgot about trying to feed him a f/t rodent right after he eats the live one, so I can still try that.

If I get really desperate, I can also go to the next reptile expo which is in 4 months and pick up some live pinkies, if they have any.

Thanks for the help, guys. If he's a mouser, I guess I'll just have to get used to it. I'm not gonna give up on him yet, though!

[BHReptiles]

I feel you on the mouser stresses. My girl ate hoppers for 3 feedings and now she's already up to medium mice. Lordy. She's growing so quickly!

[I-KandyReptiles]

Hey now :p
Mousers aren't THAT bad
1/6 of my snakes eat rats xD

[DooLittle]

Hey now :p
Mousers aren't THAT bad
1/6 of my snakes eat rats xD

You have 5 mousers?

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[durke]

I went to a pet store and got a frozen adult mouse, although I was dismayed that it was white and not brown. I thawed it out completely and rubbed it on some live mice (poor guys probably thought it was Night of the Living Dead), then jiggled it outside of my snake's hide. He striked and is eating it right now! So even if he is a mouser, at least he is willing to eat f/t. Thank god. I'll order him some frozen hoppers and keep him on those until he's bigger, then try to transition to rats.

Again, thank you guys so much for the help!