Should I keep my bp

[Barthojak]

I have had my ball python for 6 months and he has not fed I have done everything in my power to get him to feed and did everything the pet shop who I got him from said to do and still no success .3 months in I gave it back to the pet shop and he fed once but even then they said it was a challenge so it got to a point in which i think it could be the best to give him back to them permanently .I have other snakes that feed perfectly fine so I don't know if I'm being to hasty

[Craiga 01453]

I think only you can make that call. But, I will share a few thoughts I have:

Have you exhausted all options you are willing to try?

Is the store a reputable reptile specialty store? Or a big box store?
If you're talking big box store, you definitely won't be doing the animal any favors bringing it back to them.

If you ultimately decide to regime the animal, maybe somebody here on the forum is better equipped to work with a trouble feeder?

[rufretic]

Finding someone with more experience or even returning to where you got him if they are having more success feeding him, may be your best option for this particular problem snake.

If you have done your research here and have followed the exact directions given from this sites stickies on how to get your ball python to eat and have still been unsuccessful then this may just be a very difficult snake. If you decide to give up on him, don’t let it get you down and give up on ball pythons. Even though some can be very difficult, it is not the norm. Most are quite good feeders as long as there husbandry needs are met. So if things don’t work out with this one, try another one but from a good trusted breeder and you can specifically ask for a good eater that is on whatever prey you plan to feed and I’m sure you will be successful.

I know from personal experience that one problem snake doesn’t always mean it’s you and it definitely isn’t all ball pythons. My very first ball python over 20 years ago never ate for me and I was already an experienced reptile keeper. I tried many things but after almost 12 months the poor thing didn’t make it. I almost gave up on ball pythons but thank god I didn’t. Now I keep over 30 and 90% are as good of eaters as any other snake I’ve kept. I have a few picky eaters but even those still eat when they want to and it’s still enough to keep them healthy. I am keeping and even breeding many ball pythons successfully now so just because you might fail this first time, don’t let it spoil these wonderful animals for you.

If you have not read the sticky about getting your ball python to eat yet, read this and follow it exactly before you choose to rehome this guy.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101
Good luck with whatever you decide to do, just don’t give up on ball pythons.

[Zincubus]

Haven't had time to read the whole thread ...

Before you decide at least try the hairdryer method - pm me if you want a detailed rundown - that's presuming you're feeding thawed frozen !?!


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[ElliotNess]

Where are you located?

[PastelSerenity]

That is a decision that only you can make, however, there may be some things that you can do to increase the chances of it eating.

Depending on what type of pet shop you got it from, they may have little knowledge.

What type of enclosure are you keeping it in?
Although not appealing to the eye like a tank, keeping young BPs in tubs works wonders. It provides a secure feeling environment for them and keeps humidity super well.

What is the average humidity of the enclosure? Temperature?

Are you providing enough hiding space?

Researching and making a checklist of what you need to be doing/are doing is good.

[bcr229]

Find someone local who can check out the enclosure and make sure that everything is set up correctly. Most of the time if the snake isn't eating it's related to bad husbandry. The rest of the time it's either a male looking for a girlfriend, or a gravid female.

[dadofsix]

When my snakes consistently show no interest in food, that's my "uh-oh" sign to check out my husbandry. I live in a very old house that gets very cold sometimes. Last night, it was 11° outside and probably 66° inside the house. Sometimes you just have to work extra hard at making sure the ambient temps are up and that may mean you have to bring the room temperature up with space heaters. I know that this problem has been going on for six months, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this particular snake was comfortably warm in its enclosure when it was warm outside where you live.

As we all know, snakes, being cold-blooded, need to be warm to digest their food. If a snake knows it's not warm enough to properly digest a meal, we shouldn't be surprised if it shows no interest in what is being offered.

Do you have friends nearby who own ball pythons? If so, you may be able to get some ideas on how to acclimate this snake's enclosure for the local weather.

I know that you'll do what's best for your little friend and I do wish you the best of luck.

<><Peace

[Godzilla78]

All good advice here, I can’t add anything except for “ditto”


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[cchardwick]

How big is your snake and what morph? I have one pied female that refuses to eat, hasn't eaten for probably over six months. She is in a tub right in the middle of a rack system, the tub is set up exactly like all my other ball python tubs, she just is on a fast. It's totally normal. If your snake is less than 200 grams I would start to worry after six months, but anything 800 grams or larger is probably fine. If it's 1500 + grams I'd say it's to be expected. You should post a photo of the snake, how is his body condition? My pied female is thin but doesn't look bad, I'm not concerned at all, it's totally normal.