Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son and I have corn snakes, but we were given a ball python that was abandoned and severely dehydrated. He (or she) is doing great in that regard now.

My question is, we started out feeding small until strength was back up. His first meal was a larger hopper, the next week a small mouse and this week a full size mouse with no problems. BUT, he has not pooped yet at all. This doesn't seem quite right to me. Is this normal?

Thanks for your help. BTW I'd say he's about half grown, 2 1/2 feet maybe.
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1.2 Ghost Corns, Beetlejuice, Casper and Spooky
1.1 Charcoal het pewter, Smokey and Flame
1.1 Hypo het lavender, Rosy and Rocko
1.0 Anery, Goku
0.1 Amel, Sunny
2.0 Tabby Cats, Daddycat and his son Brat
0.1 Australian Shepherd, Angel

Gypsy

My guess, since he's recovering from some negligence on the previous owners part, is he's using every bit of the mice you've fed him as nourishment. Not real sure about balls, but burms seem to do this when young. Mine would eat six or eight small rats between bowel movements. I think once you up the size some it will not use as much and will start passing the waste. As long as it's not visably looking thicker in the tail end, possible constipation, I wouldn't be too concerned yet. Hope this helps.

Quig

I bought my baby ball python on October 15 of last year. I was feeding her either a pinkie rat, two fuzzy mice, or a fuzzy mouse plus a hopper mouse once a week. She defecated on October 31 and then didn't go again until early January. In early January, she shed and defecated on the same night. When I measured her, she was three inches longer. Other people with more experience with ball pythons told me similar stories. I think Quig is right in the previous post. Your snake is just catching up.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

This is not too unusual. Generally they go around their sheds and sometimes with each feeding. But as noted the snake is recovering nutrients and may take time to settle in. If the overall health, activity and food intake appears well, likely no cause for alarm. But if you really like the snale a trip to a herp vet is not a bad idea, especially given the past abuse. It would baseline where he is in recovery and shouldn't cost you more than $60 at most good vets.

David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

Nothing to worry about, the snake will go when it needs to. Corns are little poop factories, I used to have a couple too. Balls go when they need to I have some that go every week and others that only go once a month if that! I have found that particularily ones that are eating much smaller meals or less frequently, problem feeders will go less often as they seem to be pulling everything possible out of the food before excreting, whereas a ball that is eating a med/lg rat every week will go every week.
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Nita Hamilton
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Ball Pythons
ballpythonworld.com

This website should help you learn about ball pythons:

http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/#FAQ

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1.2 Ghost Corns, Beetlejuice, Casper and Spooky
1.1 Charcoal het pewter, Smokey and Flame
1.1 Hypo het lavender, Rosy and Rocko
1.0 Anery, Goku
0.1 Amel, Sunny
2.0 Tabby Cats, Daddycat and his son Brat
0.1 Australian Shepherd, Angel

Gypsy