Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all! I'm new to the site, and to the ball python world.

I'm having a huge feeding problem, now granted it mgiht not be huge to the experienced, but as a new daddy i'm freaking out. i know I need to be as descriptive as i can...so here it goes...

I bought him last sunday at the white plains reptile expo, from a reliable breeder. He is no more than a year old, maybe even less. I was told he was on a regular feeding schedule of 10 days, being fed live feeder mice. He had also told me that he hadn't be fed in 10 days.

The first day i took him home he was in his hide for most of his day. And btw,his tank set up is as follows: 20gal long, cypress bedding, one heat lamp, under tank heater, and water dish. The temps are usually at a steady 75-80 degrees.

The next day I tried to feed him. No luck. I fed him a male feeder mouse; live, in his tank, he seemed more scared of it than hungry. I then killed the mouse and left it for him. The next day woke up and the mouse was still in the tank, so I disposed of it.

The next few days I let him be. I handeled him for a bit over the last 2 days or so and his behavior seemed normal: sccared at first, but then curious and exploring. Then today, a week after trying to feed the first time, I'm having the same problem. I left him in a box with the mouse, again live, and again he just seemed scared. I waited about 30mins and nothing. I then killed the mouse and now have them both in the box together.

I don't know if maybe I'm just freaking out, or maybe I'm actually doing something wrong. Please, any help will be greatlyyyyy apprecaited.

Sometimes Balls can just not be ready to eat. a few yrs ago I had an adult female that went about 3 months. Keep trying. He prob not settled in yet. might try alittle smaller feeders

p.s. try freezin and saving the prekilled it doesnt eat...in a few months you might want to switch to frozen/Thawed. I find it safer and easier. good luck
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Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

Welcome to the world of balls.. Leave him be no handleing ( i know that is hard to do) at least a week or so then try what he was eating befor you got him. I got a pastel 5 weeks ago and he just this week took his first meal. They get stressed out with change. Eventually he will eat..

If you bought him from a breeder it is likely they were keeping him in a rack setup. This provides an environment with a lot less stressful things (lamps, cypress, large area, open glass sides). The racks are a confined dark space for the ball python to feel secure in. So he may simply not be used to his surroundings. You may want to talk to the person you bought him from and find out exactly how the ball was kept. That way you can replicate it until you get him feeding well. Moving to a new home also causes them to go off feed. I know many people who simply bought new cages or new racks and the ball quit eating. Also find out if it was used to eating from tongs. I always try to find those things out with a new snake, that way I can duplicate what the breeder/prior owner did. If it is different from my normal practice I slowly get the snake over to how I do things.
If it has been just over a week I wouldn't worry. But I would contact the breeder and let them know about the situation.
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http://www.GilbertBoas.com/

Everyone gave great advice, I just wanna add - Try taking off the heatlamp. It's unnecessary if you have a heat pad (just dries out the air). Also, if 80 is the highest that might be too cold for the snake. Is that the ambient temperature or are you measuring the temp right above the heat pad? Usually temps between 85 and 90 are preferred for the hot side - my snakes all have a hot side of about 90, give or take a few degrees.

Also, NEVER EVER leave a live rodent in with your snake overnight. The rodent can seriously injure the snake, even if its just a lil ole mouse. I have a 5 ft female whose tail end got chewed down to the bone and then some by a rat that I left in overnight a few years ago.

Like someone mentioned before, don't handle the snake for at least a week. I prefer to wait until the snake is eating regularly before I start handling them.
And, a note - once the snake starts eating it can probably handle larger prey than a mouse. My 9 month old ball eats medium rats

Even if your ball doesn't eat in a week, give it a few more before you start worrying. Unless the snake is dropping significant wieght or it's been over 6 months since it last ate, you probably don't have anything to worry about. They do this all the time!
Good luck!

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!

well, the 80 degrees is right about the heat pad,even with the heat lamp on...what can i do to make the tank hotter?...i have a heat pad suitable for a 20 gal tank, which is what i have..and if the heat lamp isnt good,then what can i use?

and also,i didn't leave the mouse alive with him overnight, he was killed. both times he was offered food i tired first live for about 30 mins, then killed over night.

thanks again to everyone who has replied

How much cypress do you have over the UTH? If its a lot oyu may try thinning it out a little bit. Also the ambient room temps in your house can affect how hot the UTH will heat it to. Usually tho it has to be pretty darn cold in your house but most UTH's are built to work with 68 degree room temps. If you notice your UTH getting to hot then look into getting a dimmer/rehostat or a thermostat to control it. So you should have 88 - 90 degree's on the UTH (Hot spot)and an ambient (air temp) of 80 - 82.
I personally use a lamp aswell to keep ambient temps up but I have it set up on thermostat and it is a night viewing bulb that can be used 24/7 without disturbing my ball. Ofcourse its harder to keep humidity up but with a wet towel layed on 60% of the screen top and misting every few days its good to go! Eventually a boaphile plastics cage will be his new home!

Eventually you will find that if temps are not in the range there supposed to be, off feed your ball will go. Not a big deal just get them back up and feeding will resume. There are ofcourse other factors that can cause it but in your case it sounds like temps!

Good luck hope this helps.

M
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

i do see what you're saying, but in regards to the thermostat, and i almost feel like an idiot for asking this, but how do they work?

lol Na man dont ever worry about asking a dumb question. Most of us are here to help and some people are just rude in nature. Im a bit of both but not usually when it comes to people learnign reptiles! Im still learmning myself but who isnt realy! Dont ever feel like its to dumb of a question, if you feel like send me a personel message and if I dont know it then Ill take it upon myself to get a few good answers for you!!

Look them up @ MGReptiles or just about any reptile place.
Basically its like this.. You have the main unit, a wired probe, electrical cord and outlets to plug into.

You plug your UTH or light into the thermostat and set the wired probe in the desired location (on top of UTH or somewhere below your lamp. Set the temprature you want it to turn on/off the unit and your good to go. Mind you this should never replace the practice of checking temps but it basically serves the same purpose of your thermostat on your house heater, it keeps the temps at a constant so your not worried about your ssnake getting to cold or hot.
There are many options to choose from and most people i think like the rancos or johnson controls (MGReptiles.com). I myself do not have either one of these brands and use a slightly cheaper version. Cheaper ones tend to not last as long from what i have read but i have had good luck with the one I use and have another thermostat on the way but is made from a diferent company. Mind you I dont have a huge collection so I can still spend a good amount of time on each reptile that we have so there temps are all checked a few times a day usually.
Another option like I stated is a rehostat or a dimmer switch. Those basically just supply a constant amount of power to your device so that you can control how hot it gets. These things will not keep your device at a constant temp like a thermostat due to flux in room temps, substrate depth etc but are a must in my opinion if you do not have a thermostat. UTH's just get to hot for the 88 - 90 degrees that the balls need to stay healthy. Temps must be checked on a regular basis if one of these methods are used.

M

Check them out see what you like and you can form your own opinions.
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

I can only speak from my own experiences.

I would leave him alone for a time in the cage you have set-up.

I agree he may be used to a rack that provides security, but if you have a nice hide to provide security, 1 on the cool side and 1 on the hot side, it will give him the same feeling. I think its really a great thing when people try and provide a more natural setting for their snakes. I try to do this as much as possible, even though I use a rack set-up too, as well as a couple natural set-ups.

I have found that after the snake acclimates for a time, it is better if you then handle them. The skittish snakes seem to be the ones that are hard to feed. When you say he was scared, I would try to get him used to people. Handling him will, in the long run, calm him down.

The person who sold him to you may never have had time to even pick him up. This snake may have only known being kept in a confined baby breeder tub, with a live mouse thrown in at him every 10 - 14 days...

Hes not used to the new life you are providing him.

Good luck to you and ask as many questions as you like.