Feeding a New Ball Python

[Ktzero3]

After doing mucho reading about BPs, I'm still a little confused about something...

Say that I were to get a ball python shipped to me. What do I do? They're not supposed to be handled for a week so how does feeding happen? (I decided that I don't want to feed it in its enclosure after all my reading) Or is it just okay for me to pick him up and drop him in his feeding box with minimal handling? And then just wait 2 hours and take him back in his enclosure?

Also, should I handle him a day before the day I feed him, so he doesn't forever associate me picking him up with food?

Thanks in advance.

[jdmls88]

Ball pythons in my opinion should be fed in their cages, the are ambush predators. They usually use the hides in the cage to hide behind out of sight. If it was me when i get him put him in his cage (perfect temp and humidity already set) let him settle for a week. they will be fine not eating for a week. They can go a good while with out eating. after a week has gone by get a mouse/rat of a proportional size (about the width of the snakes widest part). Pre scent the room your snake is in ( place the food item in the room with the snake) after half an hour place the food in the cage and watch. do not leave live food in with the snake. If everything is good it shouldnt take but five minutes total. also try not by all means to handle him for that first week. and after he east wait the 2 hours to handle.

[frankykeno]

After doing mucho reading about BPs, I'm still a little confused about something...

Say that I were to get a ball python shipped to me. What do I do? They're not supposed to be handled for a week so how does feeding happen? (I decided that I don't want to feed it in its enclosure after all my reading) Or is it just okay for me to pick him up and drop him in his feeding box with minimal handling? And then just wait 2 hours and take him back in his enclosure?

Also, should I handle him a day before the day I feed him, so he doesn't forever associate me picking him up with food?

Thanks in advance.

The breeder may well skip a feeding the week the snake is being shipped (so it's not shipped during digestion) and then you leave it a week so it may actually miss 2 feedings depending on what days you and the breeder feed on. That's really no issue for a healthy snake. If you over-handle a new snake that's a bit stressed by the shipping and the new enclosure it may just refuse to eat anyways.

Personally we feed all our snakes in their own enclosures but do what works best for you. As long as your hands are in his enclosure for regular cleaning and handling (once he's eating well for you for a few weeks), most snakes won't immediately assume you are food. Never smell like a rodent of course LOL. Does this mean you will never get tagged....of course not...snakes nip, take a jab at you or hiss occasionally for whatever snake reason or mostly due to something stupid we humans have done. Some snakes are just more reactive then others. Just part of being around snakes as far as I'm concerned.

Find habits and routines that work for you and your snake, stick to them. You and your snake will be happier that way.

[Amy1217]

After doing mucho reading about BPs, I'm still a little confused about something...

Say that I were to get a ball python shipped to me. What do I do? They're not supposed to be handled for a week so how does feeding happen? (I decided that I don't want to feed it in its enclosure after all my reading) Or is it just okay for me to pick him up and drop him in his feeding box with minimal handling? And then just wait 2 hours and take him back in his enclosure?

Also, should I handle him a day before the day I feed him, so he doesn't forever associate me picking him up with food?

Thanks in advance.

I would say not to handle him the day that you are going to feed him, if you have to pick him up and move him to another place to feed, then go ahead and do that, but make it a minimul handling thing. If the snake is really freaked out from shipping, it is possible that he will refuse food anyways, being shipped, then in a new enclosure, and then being moved to eat might be too much for him/her. I also prefer to feed in another enclosure, i use Aspen substrate, and i dont want a snake axidentally digesting it.

But for feeding, what i do is, I have 2 showers, so i always have paper towels on the bottom of one of them, covering the whole thing, and that bathroom is exceptionally warm, so i put the snake in the shower, feed, then let them eat in peace. I have sliding glass doors on it, so escaping isn't really an issue. My RTB takes like 15 minutes to eat, so i want to make sure that they are in a safe place ,and ocassionally he'll drop it if i keep watching him, so i just leave him alone. lol. I also know people who put the mouse/rat (f/t) and the snake into a shoe box, close the top, and let them eat.

It's all up to you, just use your judgement on how freaked out the snake is, good rule of thumb is to stick to one week after arrival, no handling before eating, and not for 2 days afterwards.

[Sapphire7]

Whenever we get new snakes, no matter what we give them a whole 5days (at the least) to acclimate with their new surroundings, so they'll not be stressed out and be stressed with a full belly. But that doesnt mean you cant look at them, the snake needs to get used to you. Also if you wait 5-7days, on the 7th day you can try and feed your snake, and when its fed, leave it be for another 3days and then start handling it. Start easy (it may be hard, but your snake will get use to you) like every time you handle it do it for 10-20mins, a few times daily, and week by week you can up that. Our snakes are handled a lot. Heck we have a 14 and half male retic python. If we dont handle him daily, Im sure he'd be pissed at us by feeding day and take out his anger on us not the food. We feed f/t to all of our snakes. I like the one-on-one interaction we get with out snakes when feeding and live feeding just doesnt cut that. When you've had your snake for abotu a month you can probably handle your snake for a couple hours at a time but you must make sur eyour snake is ok with that, if it keeps trying to slither off and way and acts frightful you may want to put your snake back if you notice thesr things. And if the snake is acting aggressive you need to work with him. Feel free to keep on asking, Im sure many people here can answer them much better than I can

[Ktzero3]

Thanks for everyone's thoughtful replies, and for not lecturing too much about wanting to feed my snake in a different enclosure.

However, I'm still curious as to whether or not I should handle the snake the day before I first feed him (maybe for like 5-10 minutes?). I figured this way the first time I pick him up won't be to feed him. Thus, he won't associate me with food and hopefully there'll be less chance of bites!

What do you guys think?

[frankykeno]

So you mean if you feed say each Tuesday should you handle him Monday kind of thing? I'd say that's perfectly fine...short, calm handling sessions shouldn't bother him overly but always be aware that some snakes never do take to handling much. It's more for our pleasure than any need they have for human contact. We don't handle the day of feeding but they day before is often the time they get handled, maybe get weighed if it's a weigh in week, that sort of thing. If your snake is acting up, it'll be a judgement call on your part whether handling that day is a good thing or not and that can change week to week depending on circumstances.

Don't worry about getting lectured. You have to make your feeding choices yourself based on what works for you and ultimately and more importantly what works for your particular snake. If you want to use a seperate feeding tub by all means do so. As with anything just remain open to ideas and realize that you may have to change up stuff for a certain snake...what works for one will not always work for another. They are very unique and wonderful creatures but can drive you nuts occasionally trying to figure out what makes them click LOL.

[recycling goddess]

one thing i didn't see mentioned here... find out what your snake is eating... mice or rats and then continue on with the same prey item.

if they are being fed live... then start off with live and then if you choose to go to f/t or p/k (frozen-thawed or pre-killed) do so once they are eating well for you.

my snakes are handled occassionally, not every daily - but that's just me and mine. if i take them out too often, they get grumpy