New to Bp's and the FOrums!

[Bobsean]

Hello Everyone,

I just came across these forums in the past week. So far they have been a blessing in trying to setup a home for my new ball python. I just wanted to drop a word and say hello and also ask a few questions regarding my new pet .
When i brought my Bp home he was about a week from his last feeding. So i put him in his new home for a night and figured i would try to feed him the next day with a little pinky. Anyways he struck the pinky but wouldn't swollow it? and since the first night he hasnt been interested in eating at all. Thats, when i read that these guys like to get adjusted to their new homes before eating.
Today, i arrived back at school. So, all of the travel probably phsycked him out abit. How long shold i wait be before trying to feed him. If my knowledge is correct its probably been about 2weeks since his last pinky.
This is all extreamly new to me and I am still in the learning proccess, so any guidance into getting a young snake to feed would be very helpfull.

Thanks!
Sean

[rabernet]

Hi Sean and welcome!


Are you offering your bp mice or rat pinkies? Most ball pythons will take a large rat pinky or mouse hopper as their first meal, so if you're offering mice pinkies, it may be, in addition to the stress of the move, the mouse pinky was simply too small.

Have you taken a look at our caresheet here yet to make sure all your husbandry requirements are correct? Correct temp, small tight hides on both the cool and warm side, etc?

[Amy05]

welcome!! the forums here are awesome, i was in the same position as you when i came to the site . I would say wait a week, then try again. Don't handle him untill then. If he struck at it, and didnt get it/eat it, he was probably still kinda stressed from his move and being in a new home. if he doesnt eat in a week, give him a little bit more (i would say 5 days to a week), and then try again. And, try putting crumbled newspaper in his new home, it helped one of my new snakes out a lot.

Best of luck to you

[Bobsean]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think that i have been trying to use mouse pinkies instead of rats. So that will be something ill definately try to change for the next feeding. i should also work on my patients. I get to ancy in trying to get him to eat.

About that crumpled newspaper. Could you explain that idea a little more? What does it do and how much do i put in the tank.

Thanks abunch,
Sean

[Sarge]

Hey Bob welcome - I am new on here too, infact i think i registered either yesterday or the day before!

I asked the lady in the reptile shop what he had eaten for his last meal and asked for a bunch of them to stick in the freezer. She gave me a bunch of furry white mice (he's like two years old). I haven't fed Sarge yet, planning on doing so on Tuesday, i'll let you know if theres any problems and how I overcame them, if at all!

[rabernet]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think that i have been trying to use mouse pinkies instead of rats. So that will be something ill definately try to change for the next feeding. i should also work on my patients. I get to ancy in trying to get him to eat.

About that crumpled newspaper. Could you explain that idea a little more? What does it do and how much do i put in the tank.

Thanks abunch,
Sean

Oftentimes tanks are too open and overwhelming to a new addition. The crumbled newspaper helps to settle them by providing more cover, as well as the sense that something is touching them from all sides (a sensation that is desirable to a ball python).

Loosly crumble up newspaper and fill the enclosure to the rim. Leave in for the first week, then after a week, drop in a live hopper mouse (it's too young to harm your snake) and walk away. After 30 minutes, go back and check, the hopper should be gone.

Slowly wean your snake off the newspaper, by removing a piece or two every week until you are down to none.

This advice was offered to me by Adam when I was a new keeper and had a non-feeder on my hands. Mine, unfortunately, also had internal parasites, but I had him diagnosed early and treated easily with 2 doses of panacur 2 weeks apart. Poor guy had a rough start, but this tip helped me get him feeding for me.

[frankykeno]

Welcome to BPNet! Did the folks/store you got the snake from tell you whether it's been eating mice or rats? Pinky mice are, in my opinion, far too small for any normal sized BP so it may not even bother with them (too much work for too little return really). See what you can get either locally or online as far as appropriate sizes for mice and rats and also what the snake will take, then stick with it. BP's tend to be imprint feeders so some will not easily switch from mice to rats or back again and they do just fine on mice for their whole life. It's all about the volume of prey being right...either one rat or a couple of mice...no big difference in growth rates it seems.

Here's a top and side view of the newspaper trick. Just remember to remove the paper bit by bit, slowly over time so the snake can adjust.





BP's love their hides, the smaller, darker and tighter the better! Make sure your two hides are identical and easy to clean (they will use them as toilets).



If you don't already have an Acu-Rite, I'd suggest you get one. They run about $12.00 from WalMart (plus the cost of one AAA battery). A great and economical way of monitoring your snakes home. (note the leads for the Acu-Rite in the pic of the newspaper trick)

[Bobsean]

Awsome. The newspaper idea sounds great! any how im off to class. I might work on the tank when i get back. Ill let you know how everything turns out.

One last question, are there any deicent thermostats that i can get that are, well, "cost effective" for a college student? My tank set up has a small undertank heater on the cool side and then a 50W light on the hot side. So far the light does a good job keeping the temp right but the UTH seems to be a little on the hot side. I think that if i hook the UTH into a Thermostat it will help bring the temp down.

Sean

[tmlowe5704]

Johnson Controls and Ranco make them and you can order them ready to go for around $70. They are both reliable thermostats and are used by many here. If you are electrical saavy, order the raw unit for like $55 and wire it yourself.

[mmchoppers]

Welcome! It looks like your questions have already been covered. I suggest you take a look at the caresheet! Have fun