Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey there all, I have a a male ball Hatchling,That I hatched I cannot get him to eat I have tried washing the pink. I have tried The Bag ,leaving over night ,Braining. I am at a loss on how to get this Lil boy To eat of course he is the nicest one (my luck).
Any Help would be appreciated!!!

THanks in advance
Mike
Rep-Ta-Million

Be patient...hatchlings don't eat right away. They have the nutritous yoke in their stomach, that provides nourishment. Once it's depleted, they then typically start feeding. I think, I'm not sure, wait a week, then offer food...I think, I'm not sure, in a week they start shedding, also. Start out with an appropreate size pinky mouse. Feed it food item no bigger than the snake widest part of the body. It can result in regurgitation if the prey item is too big. This can cause physical injury. You should get "The Ball Python Manual" by Phillipe de Vosjolis and some other vets. It has really good info. regarding this. I don't trust anything on the net because they don't have standard and they don't edit. I'm compel to believe a good books. Plubishing corporations look at the authors' credential and years of experience before they publish anything...this is usually true for good publishing companies. I think Barron's is a good choice.

I think you should stop posting, and offering advice when you obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

"because they don't have standard and they don't edit." WHAT?

"I'm compel to believe a good books." HUH?

"Plubishing corporations look at the authors' credential" ???

"I think Barron's is a good choice." I think you listening is a good choice

There are good resources on the Net for BPs and other herps. Don't disregard them! There are a lot of knowledgable people, on this forum for example, who you can trust for info. just look at their websites and you'll see that they must be doing something right. They have been in the hobby for probably longer than I have been alive, and I believe that they know what they're talkin' about. The net is the best resource i have found for this.
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*~Ginevive~*

Do you have any hatchling Balls?

Have you ever produced any Balls?

The co-authors, David and Tracey Barker own Vida Preciosa International, Inc., the largest and most diverse collection of pythons in the world. They wrote the chapter about ball python breeding method in "The Ball Python Manual."

It is easy to qoute a book. Basically you have no experience, so really you shouldnt be answering questions that you have no experience with. Stop qouting books, sit back, read(dont answer), learn, gain experience....then answer questions. I mean, you cant even take care of your own ball properly(light in the cage) and then you are trying to tell other people how to take care of theirs. Please stop answering questions, so some newbies dont take the wrong advise that you give them....
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Josh
My Email

I didnt ask what Dave and Tracy have done.

I asked if you hatched anything or kept any hatchlings at the moment?

What's the differences if I'm quoting from a book? Me not answering your question has nothing to do with it. Why would it be wrong to qoute facts from expert breeders? You're twisting the situation around. Frankly, I don't see what you got against them? You twistong it around saying that I don't have any experience, beofre you said "The Ball Python Manual" is joke and so are the authors. Which clearly indicates that you don't agree with their methods, and that you're saying for me to listen to you instead. First you said you don't agree with them, and now you're saying I have no experience, which is true, but I'm quoting a book. So now the authors are right, but me quoting them is wrong. You just want me to say that your way is right, no matter what. Who I chose to listen to is up to me? You have no rights to impose your view on me.

Firstly, not everything that you read is the absolute be-all-and-end-all. If you had any practical experience, which, quite obviously you DO NOT, you would be able to take the pertinent info from what you read and apply it. This is not the case with you. NO SPEAK, LISTEN!! For a LONG time, unitl you have EXPERIENCE. PLeas edo not regurgitate information which is incorrect to newbies who are taking your word as true, god forbid!!
Now, to answer your question, which I do not believe has been answered yet; Approx. two weeks after giving birth, your hatchling will shed. She should accept food shortly after that. Don't sweat it if she does not. BP are very resilient, not as resilient as an adult mind you, but tough enough. If she hasn't eaten for you a month after her shed, you may have to assist-feed. NOT FORCE-FEED. If you do not know th edifference, DO NOT LISTEN TO KNOTT!!! assist-feed is to place the dead food item gently in the mouth of the ball, and close their mouth over the head of the rat, then place them down, and HOPEFULLY, her instinct will take over and gone. Force-feeding is to actually push the food item down the throat of the snake. However, both of these can be very stressful, so only use as a last resort. Hope that helped. P.S. this is from experience, not regurgitated from a book.

What are you talking about..force feeding? I never said force feeding...I said just hatched out snake will not feed until after the first shed...that's about one or two weeks. Captive babies usually don't have trouble eating, and even prefer a mouse pup over rat. These animal use their sense of smell to find food...snakes have poor vision--but some, the aboreal species, will hunt by site where preys' sent is harder to trace.

You know, if you keep your mouth shut, people will just think you're stupid, but when you open it, you prove it.

Captive borned snakes are easy to feed, and ball pythons do prefer mice over rat. Snakes have poor vision, and detects vibration on the ground by approaching predators...and that's usually more felt by large animals. They sight is base on movement, not sharp images like we primate. That is how they are able to tell where the predator is, together with sensing vibration. They only tell what something is when it's moving and the vibration on the ground tells it how big the animal is. Snakes hunt by tracking rodents sents and trace it back to the hole. Some snake go further by having heat receptor nerves that helpls them to see heat images as effective in total darkness as daylight. But they will follow sense trail first, because the heat vision is effective at closed range when the prey is actually infront. The heat vision actually works with the sense of smell to help pythons locate preys. But the dead food we offer is at room temperature, which in this case the snakes use their sense of smell, not together with the heat vision. Snake don't use sight for hunting...period.

Then why do Ahaetulla and several other vine snakes have binocular vision?
Besides the fact that I do have snakes that will feed almost purely on sight. I have a beauty snake that will catch a mouse tossed to him before he has a chance to tongue-flick. He's a smart one though . Smell is of course more important to most snakes, but you can never make generalizations about such a large family... unless you say that they don't have legs .

Did I miss something??? Who asked how snakes hunt??? I think you cant think of anything else to say so you are just showing how much more stuff you can read and then right.....thats pretty funny.....
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Josh
My Email

I did say some snakes use vision for hunting, usually the aboreal species because sent trail is harder to trace in trees, but most snakes have poor vision.

knott has givin me very good information in the past i am definitly not a newby but i do still have questions.

I am finding all of his ramblings and regurgitations quite amusing. They should make a comedy pilot for TV...LMAO GO KNOTT!!

Captive borned snakes are easy to feed, and ball pythons do prefer mice over rat. Snakes have poor vision, and detects vibration on the ground by approaching predators...and that's usually more felt by large animals. They sight is base on movement, not sharp images like we primate. That is how they are able to tell where the predator is, together with sensing vibration. They only tell what something is when it's moving and the vibration on the ground tells it how big the animal is. Snakes hunt by tracking rodents sents and trace it back to the hole. Some snake go further by having heat receptor nerves that helpls them to see heat images as effective in total darkness as daylight. But they will follow sense trail first, because the heat vision is effective at closed range when the prey is actually infront. The heat vision actually works with the sense of smell to help pythons locate preys. But the dead food we offer is at room temperature, which in this case the snakes use their sense of smell, not together with the heat vision. Snake don't use sight for hunting...period.

are you fu***ng kidding me??
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Josh
My Email

LMFAO...Of course I was kidding!! LOL Don't recognize sarcasm?? I think Knott listens as if he has memorized that stupid book...I have already said that there is much better advice out there...and more up to date as well. This is just too funny...I am finding the humor in it instead of getting my underwear all twisted like the rest of you.

I think we should all treat Knott the same way we treat that Uncle who gets rip-roarin' drunk at all the family get-togethers; if you don't acknowledge that he's even there, he'll just leave you alone and eventually go away. What am I saying!! Picking on his complete ineptitude regarding ANYTHING herp related is way more fun. Kinda fun listening to what he has to say, just luck that Grandma who's loosing her mind, telling you to close the barn door or all the chickens and pigs will get out!

I'll start with the first quip: "ah duh duh, I'm dah Waddaboy! Dohhhh!

Gee...I don't see what is so funny?

This is better entertainment than "The Real World!" n/p
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*~Ginevive~*

After special attention by the rat weanling with mice in general, it's inevitable that a terrestial species such as the California Green Tree Boa (Chondro Lampropeltis nigritis) or the Ball Python (Elaphe g. regius) will eat one pinkie mouse every two to three weeks, or every other Tuesday. Make sure you dust the crickets for night time feedings, Ball Pythons are nocturnal meaning the sleep at night and are more active during the day, so crickets are an excellent source of DNA for the animals that need UVB. Ball's tend to have calcium deposits build up around their arms and legs, like iguanas. so it is vital they receive plenty of warm fresh milk everyday, and cedar bedding for a substrate. BP's are lazy so you don't need a lid for the aquarium, you can house 10-15 to an enclosure but only if they're the same sex. Elaphe g. regius are easily sexed, take a pair of duct tape, vaseline, jumper cables, and a gallon of milk. Place the snake in your toilet or bathtub and firmly place...j/k

Couldn't resist, please everyone - whenever in doubt - get a second or third opinion...that's what makes these forums so beautiful...

You forgot..."a ball python uses ONLY heat to sense its prey. Period." lol

I was REALLY waiting to hear what you were going to do with the jumper cables............that was the most informative post in this entire thread. Thanks!

LMFAO

This is too much....

LOL

Your just putting words in everyone's mouths. No one said that they have something against the authors, but the book is outdated and new things have been learned since. I would much rather get advise from someone who knows what there talking abou than someone who thinks everything they read is true. Your too hard-headed to even understand what everyone is telling you. YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!! I swear, every time you post, you say "well the ball python manual says....". It gets pretty old after a while.....
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Josh
My Email

That's your opinion. You have no right to impose your view on anyone. I have to admit it might be a little out dated, but most of the info. is great.

they eat fuzzy mice to start with or little rat pups.....

try a brown or black fuzzy mouse.....one tat can walk around....

not work?.........then try a hamster ....or gerbil.....

but you have to be able to get hamster or gerbils for awhile then......

I had 3 this year take chinese hamsters first then mice the next meals........

this not work?.........

if you ever have to......you forcr feed a pink.....small...just to "kick start " the gut.....then try fuzz in 1 or 2 days.......

this not start him off?.........you should get a captive born in the usa from a breeder tat backs his stuff up.........

sorry......balls die.......alot.........

have fun....good luck....

JYReptiles.........

jyohe; my hatchling ball eats pinks, six of them per meal. My preggo rats weren't poppin' like they should.....had to get pinks $0.94/each. $6 meal. Damn.

the post was to refer to the fact that baby balls are big enough to start with nice fuzzy mice rather than wasting time with pinks.....

yes they eat them i would think

but as you said ,,,why bother at the cost........

pinks.....$.20

..........anyways...............JY

But there is NO REASON for a healthy hatchling to eat pinks - and if your ball can handle 6 at a time then he's ready for something much bigger.

Laura

ok, maybe you misunderstood, or just didn't bother reading my post at all. I mentioned that I fed her pinks because I was UNABLE to get my grubby little hands on pups at the time.

Actually I did read your post and it didn't say that at all - perhaps you should go back and read it. You didn't say anything about pups at all. What you DID say is "my hatchling ball eats pinks, six of them per meal." lol

I suppose there are instances where a ball is very small or sick and a pink is appropriate - but 6 at a time is silly.

Laura

Laura, I thought that my message was fairly self-explanatory, apparently not, so, please allow me to elaborate; My rats, (which I breed to feed my balls) were not having babies (poppin', as referred to in my post) like they should. Which means I did not, unfortunately, have any rat pups (rat pups come from rat mommies (thought that was fairly self-explanatory also)). Hence, I had to feed ONE hatchling (yes, only one, this is not a common occurence, the following day, I did, get some rat pups). What I thought would only be two or maybe three pinks to make up for the size loss of the pups. To my surprise, she ate 6 of them. Got it? Sorry I did not completely explain myslef in the last post, didn't feel it necessary to bore the readers with every little detail.

LOL, okay I guess next time I'll use my ESP to infer rat "pups" when you actually say "pinks". Oh, and I'll also assume that when you say that you "feed" your hatchling pinks that you actually mean that you "fed" your hatchling pinks. Better yet, I'll assume you have no idea what your talking about.

Laura

Well, it seems everyone else was intelligent enough to figure out what I was saying. You keep assuming.

don't worry about using the E from your ESP. You're having enough trouble with the P.

Actually disregard my previous posts. I just have difficulties dealing with people who are not as astute as I would like. I apologize for offending you. My bad. I'll be the bigger man.

126 hatchlings last year. 130 this year. All started on rat pinks. My ball pythons never smell a mouse! They stink too good.

Never say never.

MJ
Markus Jayne Ball Pythons

refering to size.........why bother with pinks.......

.......you know........

canadian mice are smellier than ours?.......(J/K...)

.......yep

JY

I know he is annoying the snot out of you, he annoys me when I see him answer almost every single post in here, and then realize he has the heat lamp IN the tank with his snake! And Knot, some of the stuff your spouting in this thread is just out right wrong, so watch that (don't hunt by site? We don't heat up F/T prey.........um, I do, and yeah, one of mine will only snag the prey if I make fast quick movements with it while another insists the prey be room temp and dumped in front of her hide in the dark)

But really guys. The advice he gave to the original question was not out of line, and honestly..........how many of you were going to answer it? Most of you got tired of typing "Read a book" a long time ago. I know I am tired repeating the SAME info over and over again just because someone won't read a book or a care sheet, and I really am reasonably new at this myself. So Knot wants to type it all out over and over..........good for him. Correct him when he's wrong, but other than that..........let him have his fun. At least this way someone is answering all those newbie questions a lot of us are bored with answering.

Just my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth.

I couldn't resist posting... The net has a lot of very good, sound advice, and it would be ignorant to disregard all of the wonderful info on the net in exchange for a single book or two. "The Ball Python Manual" was copyrighted in 1995 (I have my copy sitting next to me while i post this) thus making it 8 years old. Generally, over time, people gain more experience, and are thus able to offer better advice. Quotes such as, "ghost ball pythons have not been bred in captivity." and, "The only known specimen of the clown ball python is an extreme variety of black-backed ball python." give a little perspective as to how much was known at the time of the book being published. I do not intend to try and discredit or say that the information in the manual is unsound. It is a good book, but there are holes, and things that could be updated from the well informed, and highly experienced people who post here on the forums.
-Steven

Hi Mike –

You didn’t give any particulars, but can I assume you have your difficult-to-get-started one in a container by himself? Do you have access to live mice? I’ve always found that live fuzzy mice of the size that sort of stagger unsteadily around the cage are the best choice for a first meal. Offer one at night, and unless you hear that tell-tale squeaking, don’t disturb the hatchling until the next day.

There's always assist feeding if all else fails. And with ball pythons it is quite easy to do.

-Joan

I have a clutch that began hatching July 21. Everyone was out of the egg by July 23. They averaged 8.5 days until they shed. I did not offer food until the last shed, then I offered 1 rat pup to each. Average weight of the snakes was 58 grams. All but one ate within 15 minutes. The one that did not eat, ate at the second feeding (for all) which was 16 days after hatching. She would not eat right away but took the rat pup by 11PM.

You said you have tried several things. If this is a hatchling, all this attention to feeding and constant disturbance, is most likely stressing it out. Just leave it alone and try a fuzzy mouse or hopper once every 5-7 days. IMHO, I think a mouse pink is too small.

Good Luck!
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Jay A. Martin