Banana ball being picky

[Bogertophis]

Thank you!
I purchased him on 4/30. He's about 18 inches long. I have a 40 gallon enclosure (I bought a ball python kit) so it has the heating mat, bulb, hides, etc. I realize it might be too big.

He did poop the day I brought him home, so I tried to feed on the 5th day. I then waited until 4-5 more days had passed to try again.

I tried to feed in a separate enclosure, he did not seem interested at all. When I tried to feed in his home, he would strike.


I did handle him once this last weekend. I can hold off on that if it would help, I don't want to stress him out!!


For size, he struck at a small mouse, did not strike at a fuzzy. I left in the fridge overnight and warmed up in a bag in water. I tried putting the head under the lamp. The blow dryer is a good idea!! Both times I tried to feed were at night (1030pm or later)

Thank you

40 is most likely gigantic compared to what he lived in before. Remember BPs are ambush-predators that spend most of their time hiding & waiting for prey to pass cluelessly within reach.

For best results, always start off by providing conditions as similar as possible to what the prior owner (or breeder or store) was doing- same goes for prey. Mice & rats smell vastly different & some snakes like one but not the other, so first off, ASK what he was being fed for best results, & stick with that for a while, until he's eating regularly. Only then make changes if you want or need to.

NEVER feed outside a snake's home enclosure: that alone can stress them into not feeding, & especially for a shy snake like a BP. Remember that the only thing that picks up a snake in nature is a predator that's about to EAT it. Your snake, even if captive bred, relies on instincts to survive...therefore, when you handle him before feeding, he has stopped thinking about food & is most likely afraid. Fear is a real appetite-killer!

Also: you're more likely to get bit trying to handle a snake before & after feeding: first, when they're hungry, they may mistake your warm & wiggling hand for prey, & again AFTER they eat, IF they eat in a side container -please understand that snakes can stay in "feed mode" (ready to bite prey!) for hours or even days after eating, meaning you're likely to get bit when you try to return them. A BP bite certainly won't be the end of you, but it won't be pleasant, and handling a snake that's in feed mode can be a dangerous habit to make with larger snakes. Also, when a snake bites you, you're more likely to drop them & cause them injury, so there's many good reasons to avoid this whole mess.

For BEST results: NO handling of your new pet until he's fed easily at least 3 times at normal intervals- to give him time to settle in. Eating is important for his growth & health- handling can wait.