Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had this baby ball for bout 7 weeks and offered her live,dead, pinky, fuzzy, hopper, and everything at the right tempertures, tried alot of tricks but i CUD REELLY use help

You've probably tried this already, but have you left the snake in a small container for a couple hours with the f/t food? Make sure the container is totally dark, or covered with a cloth.

That usually works for most stubborn feeders but recently I had a picky snake that after 4 months I finally gave in and force-fed (first time ever). Well, I guess it was more like "assist-feeding", not really force-feeding. One of my picky eaters went through a normal winter-fast but then never came out of it. To get her to eat, I only used a tiny pinky mouse and carefully pushed it to the back of her throat, closed her mouth on the food, and then immediately put her back in her cage and turned off all the lights in the room. She swallowed it just fine, and a week later I did the same. The third time I offered her a live fuzzy rat and she ate it just like she used to.

I think that if ball pythons go too long without food their brains (and stomachs) stop telling them that they are hungry. Their metabolism slows down and they are no longer aware of needing food... but once they get food in their stomachs their metabolism kicks in again. I still would only recommend force-feeding as a last result because it stresses them out alot, and can potentially damage the snake if not done carefully.
If you have eliminated the possibility of the snake being sick, and you've tried every other trick in the book, you might try "assist-feeding".

Hope this helps,
Good luck!
~kasey

yea thnks ill def think bout tryin tht nd yea i tried the box thing

Have you tried feeding at night? Since they are nocturnal, I almost always feed stubborn feeders at night. As long as the rodent is small enough not to chew on the snake, you can leave it in overnight if he doesn't eat at first.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com
www.LibertyReptiles.com

yea def have tried tht

Have you tried a live hopper? A lot of baby ball pythons don't recognize dead food as prey, they need the heat and the movement.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Pinkys and Fuzzys only don't leave any thing larger in with your snake unattended . David of DS Reptile Rescue

yea i tried but either times she tried to go near it it jumped far way then she'd shy bak away

A young BP not eating it is most likely related to husbandry issues.

Do you know if this BP ever had a meal before you purchased him, and if so do you know what type and size of prey it was?

How big is your enclosure?
What are your temps and humidity and do you se a digital thermometer/hydrometer to measure them.
Can you describe your hides, are they tight and identical with all sides touching your BP's body
Have you handle your BP at all since you got him?
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Deborah

yeaa i handeled her wen i got her i no mistake,, they sed i cud feed her frozen hoppers nd i cant afford digital so i have a thermometer in thereu no cirular-- sticks to the side of the tank ?? idk im reely tried almost everythin

I read your thread on the BP Health and Diet page and this one, but I'm just going to respond here so I don't have to type the same thing twice.
1)You said you're keeping her in a 30gal aquarium. That's probably too big for a baby. If you can't afford a new cage, I would suggest putting a divider in it (you could make one yourself) so the cage is smaller. That should make it less stressful for her. Also make sure she has at least 2 small hides (again, you could probably come up with something around the house that would work) and keep the cage in a low traffic area. You might even have to cover the aquarium with a towel or something so she doesn't feel so vulnerable.

2)In your other thread you said your temps were at 90F but if you are using one of those stick on thermometers on the glass, the temps on the substrate where the snake is are probably higher. I would turn the temps down and get a digital thermometer. You can get one at WalMart that will work better for around $9. Personally, I like the ones with the probe.

3)Leave her alone. Once she's had time to adjust to the changer, offer her a live fuzzy (or whatever you think she'll eat). Feed her at night in a dark room. I usually turn the lights in my snake room off for a while before feeding, too. I would put the fuzzy in and leave the room for a little bit so you don't scare her.

Hope this helps,
Shelly