ball python digesting?

[rhkaga2]

So i fed my baby 90 g ball Sunday afternoon. I bought the wrong size mouse, went a little bigger, and he took it like a champ. He usually strikes immediatly after the mouse is dropped in the cage. This time he kind of sat back and waited to strike it. But he ate the whole thing and did not throw it up or anything. I just tried handling him (over 48 hours after eating) and he was still really fat! i could still feel the mouse inside him. so i was wondering, should i expect it to take longer for him to digest a bigger mouse and wait to handle him again? or should i not be too worried about and go ahead and play with him? thanks in advance.

[MDB]

I would say give him 72 hours, before you handle him again. I have done the same in the past no different then power feeding in my opinion.

[mainbutter]

no harm in waiting a little longer to handle. sometimes the perfect size isn't available unfortunatly.

[rhkaga2]

Thanks alot guys i put him back about 2 minutes after handling because i realized something was not right. also, i wanted to ask, his underbelly was pink for a few days and i when i took him out tonight it was gone however, his head was starting to look like it was getting ready to shed. ive heard things about their eyes looking milky which has no happened yet. hes due for a shed soon, does this process seem right? should i bump up my humidity? its between 40-50% right now.

[Hapa_Haole]

Yup, a pink belly mean a shed is coming on. I'd bump up the humidity to at least 60% and read the shed sticky located in this forum.

[Lateralus_Love]

He'll be ok with the slightly larger food item. You're right, it'll just take a little bit longer to digest than normal. No worries there

There are phases ball's go through for shedding. It's not just straight to the blue phase with milky eyes (which I think is the last phase before actual shedding, but dont quote me on this) pink bellies is the first, then it'll clear up a little bit, then he'll slowly start to show it all over his body, and his eyes will get foggy. Then he'll clear up again for a day or so and then finally shed. When my snakes are going into shed I bump their humidity up to 70%, but occasionally I still have a bad shed so I'm not sure if you'd want it higher (I haven't gone higher because I'm afraid of causing an RI)

Hope this helps

[rhkaga2]

hey guys thanks alot for the help, ill keep that humidity up and hope for a good shed!

[H2B]

what is RI you referred to?

[MDB]

what is RI you referred to?

respitory infection

[rhkaga2]

so yesterday i gave sabastian a good 30 minute soak in luke warm water for the first time and he seemed to like it, his humidity has been at around 60-70%. i handled him a little bit yesterday before the soak and he seemed dehydrated or something...his skin just wasnt the same. also he is usually out crawling around his tank checking everything out, perching on branches and what not, but since his last meal (sunday) he has stayed in his hide.? is it normal for a bp to stay in their hide for a long time right before shed?