Just Got My First BP!

[Perry_Koda]

I got my first Ball Python on Saturday and just recently fed her today which is Wednesday, and she took it almost immediately. When I went to pick her up to put her into the plastic feeding box I have for her, I had to talk to her for a little bit until she visibly relaxed. Then after she ate I waited about an hour before picking her up and putting her back into her regular Terrarium. Again she seemed to need some time to warm up to me before I felt comfortable picking her up. Now she is moving around her terrarium a lot, she keeps lifting her head to the screen top like she is trying to find a way out. My question is, if she is trying to find more food? The pet store I bought her at said she had only eaten two fuzzies before I bought her. So I gave her only one for this feeding. So how many should I give her? She is still small, I'm not even sure if it is a she. She is about a little over a foot maybe. I need every and all kinds of advice, this is my first one after all!

[The Serpent Merchant]

I would stop feeding her in a separate container, it is a myth that feeding a BP in its cage will make it aggressive, and you only increase your chances of getting bit feeding in a separate container.

For young BP's you can use the 15% rule to get an idea of how much rodent your snake should eat every week. Simply multiply the weight of your BP (in grams) by 0.15

So a 100 gram snake should eat about 15 grams of rodent. (100 grams x 0.15 = 15 grams)

[steve_r34]

After u fed it was there a nice size lump in the stomach if not up the size ... for example u see the butter in my avi box he's only maybe 2 months old n he eats rat pups ... so look at him then go look at some pic of rat pups n then u shouldget some idea

[Perry_Koda]

Why would feeding her in a separate container make my chances of getting bit higher? Also I don't have a scale so how should I weigh my snake?

[Diamond Serpents]

and a new ball will explore like that in a new enclosure at night. They are a nocturnal animal so it will be looking like it's hunting for food at night but its probably just roaming. You both will get use to it.

Yeah definitely don't feed in a separate tub I did the same thing as a first time owner it's a pia and you will probably increase your chances of getting bit that way. Remember after feeding give your BP some time alone you don't want to stress them. Most of us here give them a 2-3 day rest period after a meal to handle them again.

Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

[boyer.michael.s]

Perry_Koda, the reasoning behind there being a greater chance of being bitten is simply because before moving your snake to a separate enclosure for feeding, you probably were handling the food in order to prepare it for feeding. You now not only have the scent of food in the air around your snake but also on your hands. Your hand is naturally a warm signature to a snake because of your body temperature and a warm heat signature + rodent scent = bite waiting to happen.

[NYHC4LIFE8899]

I always feed in his enclosure,I been advised to do so by a few friends as well as its what I reds around here.. I have fed him twice put of the enclosure and picked him up mins after he was done to put him back in his normal home and there was no aggression,he never is aggressive,so far atleast

[NYHC4LIFE8899]

Why would feeding her in a separate container make my chances of getting bit higher? Also I don't have a scale so how should I weigh my snake?

Did u do any of your own investigating before you got a snake,doesn't seem so.