Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a young ball python from a breeder at a reptile show and have had her for two and a half weeks. I tried to feed it after the first and second week without luck. I believe I have the provided the right environment for her. What can I do to get her to feed and when should I start worrying?

thanks!

I wouldn't panic yet, but it really depends on the size and age of the snake and if it's losing weight. If you give us some more info about your setup, maybe we can help.

1)What kind of enclosure are you using? Do you have hides? Sometimes BPs won't eat if they don't feel secure, especially if they're in an aquarium. Make sure you have at least 2 hides small enough that they touch the snake's sides when it's in them.

2)What are you using for heat? Under tank heaters work best for BPs.

3)What are the temps/humidity and how are you measuring them? Temps should be around 88-90 on the hot side, and mine are usually 78-80 on the cool side.

4) Are you handling it at all? If you are, stop until it has eaten a few times for you. Also, was it eating before you bought it?

Sorry about all the questions, but the more info we have, the more we can help. The biggest reason for a new addition to be off feed is stress, so there's probably something in the its environment that needs to be changed. Once you get it straightened out, though, it will probably be fine. Feel free to email me, too, if you need more help.

Hope this helps,
Shelly

right now she is in a 10 gallon tank. she is about 16 inches. I didn't ask the breeder if she had eaten regularly before. She has 2 hide boxes one on the cool side and one on the hot side. I am using two heating pads one on the underside of the tank and one on the side of the glass... (both on the same side of the tank). I did this because one heating pad did not seem to get the temperature up high enough. I still worry that it is not warm enough. Should I get a heat lamp too? I have had her for 3 weeks now and each weekend i have tried to feed her without luck. Last week she was not disturbed at all and I tried putting her in a paper bag with a thawed mouse and she wouldn't take it. Also each time I have fed her it has been at night. I am going to mover her cage into my bedroom because it will be more quiet but I have no idea what she would be stressed about. I just pulled her out of the cage and now towards the end of her tail it looks like that part of her belly is expanded and it feels softer than the rest of her belly.... so now i am worried... is she constipated? please help me!!

thanks so much for responding!!!!!

I wouldn't worry about her being constipated yet. If she is, soaking would fix it, but it may stress her more at this point.

What is the temp on the substrate on the hot side (those indoor/outdoor thermometers from WalMart work really well for measuring)? It would be better if you could do without the heat lamp because they tend to dry out the air.

Your setup sounds like it's correct; some BPs just get stressed in an all glass tank. My first female was like that-she never ate really well until I moved her to my rack. I would suggest moving the tank to a quiet room like you said and covering it with a towel so she can't see out (keep it covered when you feed her, too). This should help her feel more secure. Then I would wait a few days to try to feed her again. Don't handle her at all until she's feeding regularly. Don't even open the cage unless you need to spot clean or give her fresh water.

I don't know what types of prey you've tried so far, but here's what I do with stubborn feeders:

Turn off all the lights in the room for a while before trying to feed, and leave them off while you're feeding her. Then I would offer her a live mouse hopper in her regular cage. Just put the mouse in (you can put some mouse food in, too) and leave her alone for 30 minutes. You can stay in the room, just keep it totally dark and stay back from the cage. It's generally not a good idea to leave live prey in this long, but this seems to help stubborn feeders.

I hope this helps,
Shelly

>>right now she is in a 10 gallon tank. she is about 16 inches. I didn't ask the breeder if she had eaten regularly before. She has 2 hide boxes one on the cool side and one on the hot side. I am using two heating pads one on the underside of the tank and one on the side of the glass... (both on the same side of the tank). I did this because one heating pad did not seem to get the temperature up high enough. I still worry that it is not warm enough. Should I get a heat lamp too? I have had her for 3 weeks now and each weekend i have tried to feed her without luck. Last week she was not disturbed at all and I tried putting her in a paper bag with a thawed mouse and she wouldn't take it. Also each time I have fed her it has been at night. I am going to mover her cage into my bedroom because it will be more quiet but I have no idea what she would be stressed about. I just pulled her out of the cage and now towards the end of her tail it looks like that part of her belly is expanded and it feels softer than the rest of her belly.... so now i am worried... is she constipated? please help me!!
>>
>>thanks so much for responding!!!!!

I bought a female ball from my local pet store. She was pretty and seemed to be of good weight ... ect. But she wouldn't eat. When I called the pet store they told me not to worry, give it a month or two before getting concerned. It's not completely abnormal for balls to go off feeding or be picky eaters. Give it time, don't handle your snake but offer food every couple of days.

Oh, mine turned out not to be eating due to a blockage. After nearly 2 months she went to the bathroom and it looked like she had consumed some bedding and had fur and other "debris" in her stool while living at the pet store or breeder. Since passing that, she hasn't refused even a single meal (even while shedding).