Please help hiding under water bowl and not eating for almost 3 weeks.

[mother_of_monsters]

Hey guys,
I got a ball python bumblebee morph a month ago. When I first got him it took him about a week after being home to eat. Which I heard is normal for them. Well I tired feeding him a week after that and he did not want to eat. During that time I notice he had been hiding underneath his water bowl. Now mind you he has two hides in his tank. I went on vacation the week after that when I came home I pulled him from underneath his bowl and he tried to strike at me. Now while I was gone one of my friends who has an adult female ball python came to take care of him. She told me he stayed mostly under his bowl. So I tired feeding him and again nothing. Tried the next week nothing, then I noticed his head has been scratched from his water bowl. So I recently traded it out for a glass Pyrex bowl. I added a smaller hide and stuffed his bigger hide with newspaper balls. He is still hiding underneath his bowl. I have also added plants and his humidity is around 50-60% in the day and gets about 70% at night. What I'm I doing wrong? He has no mites and he is drinking I caught him doing that.

[kc261]

He likes it under his water bowl. No problem with that. He's using it as a hide. The fact that you know he is drinking and he is "mostly" under the water bowl instead of never ever coming out makes me think everything is fine.

What do you do when you offer him food? Are you offering the same thing the previous owner was (rat/mouse...live/f/t)?

[Bluebonnet Herp]

3 weeks without feeding all while hiding under a water bowl... sounds like an average month in my book. lol

As long as he's showing no signs of losing weight, it's likely not a big deal. That said, try finding out what your snake was eating before you bought him and offer that. If you are trying to feed frozen/thawed, try switching to fresh pre-killed.

[mother_of_monsters]

yes he was feeding white mice frozen/thawed. I am doing the same. I am thawing it out properly and using the blow drier to up the temp. I put him in his feeding tank and move it around his face. he has taken it before, but now he wont.

[Dave Green]

Try feeding him in his enclosure.

[mother_of_monsters]

I can try that.

[mother_of_monsters]

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

[Dave Green]

If he doesn't take it from you try leaving it in the cage overnight. Sometimes they just want dark and quiet.

[mother_of_monsters]

You know what I will try that tonight.

[Dave Green]

is that ok to do. I heard somewhere that that can lead to aggressive behavior when trying to handle your BP. My friend did that ad she became aggressive.

That's a myth. I have quite a few ball pythons and they all eat in their cages and they are fine to handle as long as the smell of rodents isn't in the air.