First feed in a new home

[schrammalot]

Are you keeping the mouse dry when you thaw it, or is it going in wet?


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[timely.grace]

I put them in while they are still wet. My bf suggested blow drying them but I was like ".......... ........." haha.

[schrammalot]

When you thaw it, put it in a plastic baggie first. Mine take it instantly from there.

[NormanSnake]

When I feed f/t I just use a paper towel to dry them off a bit. Just gently rub the fur with a paper towel the same way you do with a towel when your hair is wet. This helps them not pick up as much substrate as well.

[Sam71312]

Exploration during the day is a sign of stress. If they are exploring at night that's fine as they are nocturnal. I say make the whole tub more secure - make sure 3 walls of the tub are covered and also make the hides tight and small. Get some man-made foliage in there, also, to give them more dark spaces.
Do this and try feeding again in a week.

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London, UK
1.0 bumblebee (Hachi-C)
0.1 normal (Kali)

This x2. Ball pythons will spend almost of of their time in their hides; if you notice them exploring their tubs frequently this is actually a sign of stress. A hiding ball python is a happy ball python: this is a good rule to live by with these snakes.

[Zombie]

I put them in while they are still wet. My bf suggested blow drying them but I was like ".......... ........." haha.

Blow drying them right before trying to feed will actually help with the feeding response. It's very common practice to use a blow dryer on the head of the thawed rat/mouse for 30 seconds to heat it up. Even when the rat/mouse is dry before hand .

Like someone else said, thaw in a ziplock bag and wet is no longer an issue

[vettech1990]

How do you feed the prey item? Do you just dangle it , put it in there and leave it , or do you do the zombie mouse dance? Sometimes stimulting the prey item to mimic a live one will kick start the feeding response . Also try not to brush their heads with the mouse , You probably already knew alot of this already so im not trying to educate you as im sure you have done a ton of reading ,

[timely.grace]

Noah thinks its great that what he suggested is actually something we should try lol. Guess I'll whip out the blow dryer and give that a whirl.

I have caught them out during the day but generally it is in the evening or while we're heading to bed. They haven't been out much at all the last week so maybe that's a good indication that they're more settled.

I don't know how exactly they were being fed prior to us bringing them home. I've just been dropping them in and checking back in about an hour or so. I'll probably send a quick text to the breeder and ask. Would be a good place to start lol.

[Zombie]

Noah thinks its great that what he suggested is actually something we should try lol. Guess I'll whip out the blow dryer and give that a whirl.

I have caught them out during the day but generally it is in the evening or while we're heading to bed. They haven't been out much at all the last week so maybe that's a good indication that they're more settled.

I don't know how exactly they were being fed prior to us bringing them home. I've just been dropping them in and checking back in about an hour or so. I'll probably send a quick text to the breeder and ask. Would be a good place to start lol.

Even the snakes that have come to me only feeding live will take FT or pre killed, just takes a little finesse. Using tongs, try moving the rat around in a natural way and even wiggling it a little. This usually stimulates the feeding response. That coupled with the blow dryer trick and you should be good. Just remember to be careful to not accidentally hit the snakes nose while doing the "zombie dance" with the rat, this can detour them from wanting to feed.