https://www.wilbanksreptiles.com/feeding-questions
I am having a feeding problem. My new Ball Python has refused a second time. What should I do?
Follow these steps EXACTLY and your snake will eat.
1. Contact our team via text by clicking the Text icon at the bottom of the page, to inform us that you are having a problem.
2. At night, after the sun has done down(not just a dark room, but at night), turn all of the lights in the room off. Snakes are nocturnal predators. They know the difference between night and dark. This is the most important of these steps.
3. Place a LIVE rat fuzzy in the enclosure and immediately leave the room. Do not watch through the glass. Leave.
4. Leave the rat fuzzy in the cage over night and do not even look in the room until morning. A quiet, undisturbed environment will make the snake feel secure and when he/she goes out to "hunt" that night they will find the rat fuzzy. A rat fuzzy still has its eyes closed and is still nursing, it is not a danger to your snake. It should have a little fur. A pinkie rat does not seem to have enough odor or move around enough to elicit a feeding response. NEVER LEAVE A LARGER PREY ITEM IN THE ENCLOSURE OVER NIGHT.
5. If it is gone, then you should be on track to a normal feeding schedule and regimen. If the fuzzy rat is still in the enclosure the next morning, remove it and wait for 5 days. Do not attempt to feed every day. Please contact us to update us that you are still having an issue.
6. This time, still in the dark room and at night, except this time place a LIVE mouse hopper in the enclosure. A mouse hopper can harm your snake, so you should also place a few small pieces of dog food in the enclosure at the same time. Given the choice between eating the dog food and eating your snake, we have never seen a mouse make the choice of the snake. Most chew incidents happen because the rodent is hungry.
7. Only wait 1 hour with the mouse hopper in the enclosure in the dark room. It is too dangerous for you to leave the mouse in overnight.
8. When you check in an hour, the mouse should be a lump in the snake. If it is not, remove the mouse immediately.
9. Contact us again via the text icon and we will make arrangements to either exchange the snake or offer one on one advice about how to proceed. We rarely ever make it to this point, so do not worry.
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