Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I have this pretty female spider ball that I brought home a week ago. I tried to feed her this past Monday like I was told by the breeder and nothing. Then I was told that a 20 gallon long is too big for a baby ball. So I followed Robyns advise from pro exotics and he advised to loosly crumble up newspaper in order to give the illusion of a small enclosure. This worked in that now she is exploring her cage and seems to come out of her hide more. I tried to feed her today (saturday) and still nothing. I will try to feed her tonight in the pitch dark and see what happens. If not I do not know what to do.

My suggestion, don't try to feed her for another week. You only had her for a week, it takes at least that for a new snake to settle into their new home, especially baby ball pythons. The fact she is starting to feel comfortable enough to explore her cage is a good sign. Give her another week, leaving her completely alone except to change water. Then next Saturday, offer her some food and leave her alone for a few hours or even better over night (as long as food isn't live, unless you are offering rat fuzzies. These are still too young to pose any sort of threat to a ball python, unlike weaned rats or mice).
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PHLdyPayne

I would lose the 20 gallon tank. That is huge for a baby ball and gives it no sense of security. I agree with the other guy, leave it be for a week or so.
I would go to Walmart and buy a shoebox size container (Sterolite), go to the pet isle and get one of those gray bowls for water, add some mulch or even just paper towell for now. More is not always better and the 20 gallon is way more than needed.
I have had baby snakes go weeks without eating so be patient.....not very often you hear of a snake dying because it did not eat. It's natural instinct is to survive.
Don't open and close the container, don't handle it for a while and of curse make sure it has a cool and warm side.
Some would also add that you should include a "hide",......a place for it to feel like it is secluded form the outside world.
Just some thoughts.
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Brian Oakley
Phoenix, Arizona
BrianOakley@qwest.net

You should give a week before trying to offer food again, offering to soon after a refusal will only cause stress leading to more refusals.

Give here another week no handling and offer next Saturday in the evening, make sure the prey offer is the same your BP used to be fed.

If you try to feed F/T I would suggest live until your BP eat successfully for you.

In the mean time make sure you temps are 80-84 on the cool side and 90-94 on the warm side.

Also those temps must be measured with a digital device like this one that you can find at Walmart as dial and stick do not work

Make sure your hides are tight (all sides touching your BP’s body) dark and identical (so your BP does not chose security over thermoregulation). Also if you have log hides replace them they do not provide enough security.

I understand it can be frustrating for a new owner to have an animal that refuses to eat however it is a common problem due to husbandry issue.

If next week it still does not work consider placing your new BP in a 6 or 12 quarts tub.

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Deborah
GA Ball Pythons Merchandise
www.myspace.com/gaballpythons

Thanks to all the replies. Miss Deborah, you rock. I am replacing my logs with the critter cubbies. I should of recieved them by now but it will probably be monday or tuesday. I will leave her alone for another week. I do have the temp gun so my temps are perfect except that on the cool side it is more like 77 degrees. How do I get that up a little bit. I didn't think they need a heat lamp.

77 is probably close enough for the cool side. Give it another week, as already stated, and try again. Good luck.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

No problem this is common but with proper husbandry your BP will be on track in no time

77 is ok but it is essential that the temps do not drop below 75.

The thing is with the cool side is that it depends on the ambient temps of your home which mean you can either raise your ambient temp, or have an additional heat source.
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Deborah
GA Ball Pythons Merchandise
www.myspace.com/gaballpythons