Ball Python Won't Eat Unless I Feed Him But I can't Live With Him Right Now... Help?

[royalreilly]

Thank you for your advice, everyone! I came here for help so I'm glad even for the blunt comments. I appreciate advice from all of you!

I'm going to talk to my parents and get a thermostat and after that we'll work on the eating problem if he still isn't eating for them.

[Craiga 01453]

Just sit back and let the co-owners of the snake rule.

Cuz you people should think about how y'all are answering some people. Its one thing to give advice. Its another to give it like your giving an order. You don't exactly own other peoples snakes too.

I gotta side with the others here. Nobody is claiming ownership or demanding that people take the advice. Questions are asked, advice and answers are offered. You seem to interpret things differently from most, and via text it is easy to understand.
Generally speaking, we are here to help BECAUSE WE CARE. You chiming in with what comes across as negativity (maybe I'm misinterpreting here, tough to tell) that is in no way relevant to the OP's question doesn't help anybody. It tends to take threads in different directions that aren't what the forum is here for.

[OTorresUSMC]

I'm just gonna say this. We all know how important a thermostat is, we all know how important monitoring humidity is and I won't fault anyone for pointing that out to the OP however I think everyone is missing that this snake eats in its current set up, consistently, when the OP personally feeds it. So husbandry issues aside the key take away is what's different when the parents feed. So having said that I think as someone else mentioned already you need to monitor your parents during a feed attempt. Let them do it but watch to make sure they are doing what you always do. Then make sure they are not handling the snake too close to feeding or too close after. Beyond that not really sure as I never would have personally thought snakes would imprint on one human and not want to eat if they weren't present but hey we are not snakes so what do we know lol. At the end of the day they are animals. All we can do is provide the best environment possible for them to thrive which comes back to the husbandry. I recently had a snake that hadnt eaten since the end of Feb. Different prey, live F/T etc all a no go. Moved him from a tank to a tub still didn't eat. Yesterday threw a live mouse in there and he chowed right down. Sometimes you just have to wait for the animal to decide they want to i guess lol. Good luck with your snake and keep us posted.

[donnadudette2003]

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@donnadudette2003 - When I got the snake it was probably a few months old. I don't know the exact age since it came from a chain pet store but it was pretty young. I'm not the only he's interacted with. My parents actually enjoy taking him out just to lounge on the couch or whatever. But I am the only one who feeds him. He's fine around even strangers but he never grew out of his shy baby stage. It's never been a problem so I've never pushed him. He's never tried to strike at someone but he is incredibly shy. He comes out of his ball but he is very shy about anything being near his head so when people are holding him he often gets spooked and jumps back. I think maybe since I'm the one who always feeds him he trusts me and associates me with being fed. It's hard to tell how far snake psychology goes but I think he knows that I'm gone and might be a little upset that his main caretaker isn't the one taking care of him anymore.

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If he does have a previous relationship with them from before you left then he's probably just being a bit bratty about change. they don't like change much. Also, some balls are willing to stick it out and not eat until they are starving if they don't like that something has changed.

Did you have a handling schedule previously? Either case of too much or too little handling can be true. Since routine is important for snakes that are skittish, if you used to take him out twice a week and they're only interacting with him to feed him it might be an issue. Or the opposite, if you didn't have a schedule and now they take him out more often it might effect him.

With the husbandry, has nothing in his tank moved? Even the simplest thing as one perch being 6 inches to the left or a climbing stick out of place could be upsetting him.
The curious thing to me, is if it's heat/humidity/husbandry, why will he still eat when you come to visit and its specifically you feeding him?
Interesting case indeed.

I wish you luck on your quest of talking your parents into getting needed equipment.
I like the idea of them joining the forum for times they need help.

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[royalreilly]

@OTorresUSMC - Thank you for the advice! Hopefully he'll eat when I'm home next week. I know they can fast for months but I'm worried about him

@donnadudette2003 - Thanks! I never had a handling schedule for him so that could be a contributing factor. According to my mom nothing has changed in the tank. She said the only thing that's changed at all in that she took out and cleaned the water bowl and put it right back. I just hope he'll start eating again soon. It's only been a few weeks so I'm not super worried but it's still concerning. Thank you very much!

[Craiga 01453]

OP, when you feed, does the snake eat off tongs, or do you leave the prey in the enclosure and let the snake come out and grab it?

[royalreilly]

OP, when you feed, does the snake eat off tongs, or do you leave the prey in the enclosure and let the snake come out and grab it?

I feed him by moving it around with the tongs. He seems to like the movement. I also do feed him in a separate bin from his tank. I know there's some mixed opinions about that but his substrate is coconut fiber and I don't want him to end up ingesting any of it

[tttaylorrr]

I feed him by moving it around with the tongs. He seems to like the movement. I also do feed him in a separate bin from his tank. I know there's some mixed opinions about that but his substrate is coconut fiber and I don't want him to end up ingesting any of it

i highly recommend ceasing this method of feeding. snakes can digest bones, some coco fiber will have no affect on the snake.

[MissterDog]

I feed him by moving it around with the tongs. He seems to like the movement. I also do feed him in a separate bin from his tank. I know there's some mixed opinions about that but his substrate is coconut fiber and I don't want him to end up ingesting any of it

I wonder, do you think it's worth having your parents feed him in his enclosure since they are having no luck? They may have better success with that since it won't involve moving him around and increasing his stress.

You can always ask your parents to place a paper towel or cardboard "plate" over the substrate if you are worried about substrate ingestion and making sure the feeder is dry.

[Craiga 01453]

I feed him by moving it around with the tongs. He seems to like the movement. I also do feed him in a separate bin from his tank. I know there's some mixed opinions about that but his substrate is coconut fiber and I don't want him to end up ingesting any of it

Ok, maybe next time you're home try feeding within his enclosure and leaving the prey item for him outside his hide. That will eliminate your parents needing to move him to a separate feeding tub and will eliminate him taking off tongs. If it is a quick drop off without any real human interaction it shouldn't matter who puts the prey item into the enclosure.

If you're concerned with substrate ingestion, consider this: nobody cleans their food in the wild. They can digest bone and fur, a little coco husk won't hurt them. Just avoid larger pieces of substrate and pieces with "sharp" edges. Maybe set the prey item on a small piece of cardboard directly outside the hide.

Getting the animal to eat consistently is your ultimate goal, and this may be your best bet. You may need to divert from what you prefer and do what the snake needs, unfortunately. We all need to make some changes to accommodate our animals, and BPs can be some finicky little buggers.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Your parents could always try this before you are home next week as well.