New Ball Python Eating Issues

[alydric1]

I brought my new ball python, Zanzibar, home on the 11th, so on Tuesday it will have been 2 weeks.

I waited exactly one week before offering him a F/T fuzzy mouse. I thawed it overnight in the fridge and then used the bag in warm water technique to try and warm it up for him. When I offered it, he didn't react at all and after a couple of minutes of wiggling it around close to his face with no reaction I stopped and then left it in the enclosure overnight. In the morning it was still there so I disposed of it. I tried again 2 days later and at this point he was moving around his enclosure because it was night. When I presented it, he turned away and ignored it. I tried again to leave it overnight but again he didn't touch it.

His enclosure is correct size, he has multiple hides, a warm and cool side, spends the day sleeping or moving between hides and the nights roaming around and being quite active. He is in a room that has very little traffic and I am the only one he sees. He appears healthy to me but because he's young I'd like him to start eating soon since it will be 2 weeks since I received him and don't know how long before that he ate. I handled him one time for 5 minutes and he was very calm and relaxed and this was more than a week after I got him since I gave him that time to settle in and not be bothered.

Should I attempt a live feeding? I was told he eats F/T but I've had no success. I went with fuzzies because he looks not quite skinny but not quite plump either.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Need more information about your husbandry.....
Humidity?
Exact surface temperatures?
Ambient temperature?

[gaitedappy]

If you can get us the actual temps and the humidity reading that would be helpful, as well as a picture of the enclosure. Feeding issues are usually related to husbandry. That being said, a fuzzy mouse is way too small, even for a hatchling bp, you should wait at least five days after the last attempt and try a hopper mouse size f/t feeder. Also, make sure you have the weight of your baby to keep track of any weight loss in the meantime.

[alydric1]

The thermometer on the wall generally reads about 84 degrees F during the day. There is also an UTH under the warm side hide. Solid 75 degrees at night
Humidity goes as high as 60-65 and never below 50.

[PitOnTheProwl]

The stick on you are using is honestly telling you nothing.
It may be close to an ambient but probably off by several degrees.
What are you using to regulate the UTH and to check the actual temperature your animal can touch?

[Vipera Berus]

As said above what temps and humidity do you have, I couldn't get my bp to eat at all until I had the humidity right. If the conditions are not right then they wont eat. I found also that if you warm the rat/mouse sufficiently with a hairdryer then they will eat it, for example - just got mine to eat less than 30 min ago. First she struck and ignored it so I heated it more with a hairdryer and she promptly grabbed it and strangled it.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

First a fuzzy mouse is to small for any average BP, even out of the egg they take a hopper mouse so here is problem number one

Problem number two your temp should be STABLE with no variation between day and night.

His enclosure is correct size

And how big is that and how big (weight) is your BP?

Here is the OPTIMAL setup for an hatchling until 200 grams and it also explain how what need to be done to get a new hatchling to eat.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-hatchling-101

[MrKai]

Sometimes they just don't want to eat. My snake Pedro, didn't eat all weekend after trying to feed him. But last night he seemed like he was looking. When I let the rat thaw on his enclosure he was investigating hardcore and went straight at it when I put it in front of him

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[alydric1]

UPDATE: Last night he took a live pinky rat so we are all good now. Thanks for the all the replies everyone.

[BMorrison]

I'd definitely upgrade the prey size from pinky! As Deb stated right out of the egg a fuzzy mouse is too small. A rat pinky is definitely way to small. All my little noodles take a rat fuzzy until 170-200 grams then nothing but rats pups and up from there!


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