Prey fixation

[Vipera Berus]

I currently only have one ball python, my issue is she refuses to eat anything except mice, I have tried scenting other prey types with mice scent and they aren't eaten. She is eating mice like no tomorrow - 5 days ago when I weighed her she had a weight of 450grams and she ate that day then again a couple of days later and again 2 days later for a total of 114 grams of mouse. Or in other words a meal every second day totalling nearly 1/4 of her own weight in less than a week. Getting her to eat isn't the problem as she is grabbing the mice I offer every time - even during shedding. Any advice on how to convert her to other prey types would help and would be greatly appreciated.

My record notebook states on the 3rd January 450gram weight and she ate a 34gram jumbo mouse the same day, on the 5th she ate a 43 gram mouse and around midnight 7/8 January she ate a 37gram mouse. Any advice on what I might be doing wrong I would appreciate.

[bcr229]

Is she on live or f/t? I've converted picky boas and retics (yes they exist) from f/t rats to rabbits by sewing a rabbit to a small rat using absorbable sutures. Just make sure the total weight of the two feeders makes an appropriately-sized meal.

[ShaneSilva]

Have you tried not feeding as often?

[Vipera Berus]

I am currently feeding her F/T mice and I tried not feeding her as often, when I tried that she started showing hunting behaviour although she wasn't loosing weight she looked way too skinny for a ball python - I didn't want her to end up looking like a corn snake rather than a royal. I was feeding her on a weekly basis about 10-15% of her weight and she was still showing hunting behaviour.

As far as sowing them together goes - what sort of thread should be used?

[PitOnTheProwl]

You are feeding way too many mice over too short of a period of time.

[bcr229]

Yeah I missed the every other day thing. I'd give her 10-14 days without food and then offer a rat weanling. Let her hunt and get a little hungry, she won't starve to death.

If you don't convert her now, when she's hungry and growing, it'll be much harder when she's an adult and doesn't need to eat as often.

[ShaneSilva]

I feed mine every other week and he looks nothing like a corn snake

[Stewart_Reptiles]

First you are feeding too much at that size 1 mouse a week is more than enough, if you keep feeding at that rate don't be surprise when your BP goes on a fast.

2 switching requires tough love, you want to switch offer the rat but DO NOT offer a mouse if you get a refusal, this could take a fee weeks or a few months or even a year or your BP might not want to switch at all, bottom line feed what works.

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[Vipera Berus]

First you are feeding too much at that size 1 mouse a week is more than enough, if you keep feeding at that rate don't be surprise when your BP goes on a fast.

Aye It is quite possible she will go on a fast, since I usually offer too much food to all my pets.

2 switching requires tough love, you want to switch offer the rat but DO NOT offer a mouse if you get a refusal, this could take a fee weeks or a few months or even a year or your BP might not want to switch at all, bottom line feed what works.

Is it worth only offering rats for say a month or so - if not how long should I try to convert her to rats before I give up on it?

I do know that every species is different so am very cautious about applying anything about corns snakes to ball pythons since they are the snake I have kept. From what I have read Ball pythons are more likely to be fussy eaters than corn snakes so am probably over doing it somehow.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

if not how long should I try to convert her to rats before I give up on it?

There is not guideline like do it for so many weeks and than stop, it's a judgement call you have to make based on that specific animal, size, overall health, body condition etc.

If it was my animal at that size I would do 5 feeding using rats than on feeding number 6 if I still get a refusal with rat I would offer a mouse than I would do the same again, and again and again.

Best time to switch is when they are young however they need to be hungry too and with the amount of food you have fed recently it will take time if it is meant to happen, not all of them will switch and some may much later on in live after months or trying.