Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have tried live mice pinkies, rat pinkies and rat pinkies scented with gerbils. I tried frozen gerbils, hamsters, rats and mice. Nothing seems to interest her does anyone have any tips. I have had ball pythons that were difficult but I have always gotten then to feed. This female is beyond difficult. Thanks.

Baby ball pythons need the movement of a hopper mouse to get them to feed. Sure you will have the odd one take a frozen/thawed rat fuzzy but those cases are rare. The quick movement of a hopper mouse will get them going.

If your albino refuses to eat and is getting to be 4-5 weeks after they have hatched then I would go ahead and assist feed her. Kill the mouse, restrain the snake by the back of the head and put the dead mouse into the snakes mouth. Hopefully the baby will decide food is yummy, constrict and eat it. If they spit it then do it again and put the mouse farther into the snakes mouth. If they continue to repeatedly spit the mouse they you will have to force feed her in that you take the mouse and place it far enough down her throat so that she can't spit it (bascially you put the mouse into her stomach for her). Usually if the snake is being shy a couple assist feeds is usually all it takes to get them going. If they are still assist feeding after a good 10 meals I usually put them down as they weren't meant to live and would have naturally died a long time ago.

Good luck with your little guy.
Corey

>>Baby ball pythons need the movement of a hopper mouse to get them to feed.

I completely agree. I saw a post where someone said it was heat over movement. I use hopper mice for slow starters for the movement. Rat pinks/fuzzies just lay there.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

totally agree...Corey is right...larger hoppers...rat and mouse will most often do the trick over pinkies...as a side note...do not underestimate what these things can eat.
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Michael Enriquez

I had this same trouble with a pastel. I put her in a rubbermaid inside a small lunch bag sized paper sack with a large fuzzy mouse. I then put her in the bottom of the closet, turned off the light, and shut the door. I went to check on her about 10 mins later, and wouldn't you know the mouse was gone and she had a little lump in her belly. Don't leave the mouse too long, but I would not worry too much about her safety for such a short time.

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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

1.0 albino
1.2 het albino
1.0 het caramel
1.0 het pied
0.1 poss het. pied
0.4 normals (beautiful pastel sibs)

>>I have tried live mice pinkies, rat pinkies and rat pinkies scented with gerbils. I tried frozen gerbils, hamsters, rats and mice. Nothing seems to interest her does anyone have any tips. I have had ball pythons that were difficult but I have always gotten then to feed. This female is beyond difficult. Thanks.

I've had luck with hopper sized mice(small but already fast moving),in a snall container..Howevr one hatchling i have will only take african soft fur hoppers atm...I think all that did was create a soft fur junky though.
....all else fails..Listen to Corey...Just putting the head of the f/t hopper mouse past the teeth will usually do it.(Then either cover it or step back or "play statue" while it decides what to do with it.)..Good luck with her.

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Charles Glaspie

If you have not force fed before I would use small items such as mouse pinks.You can push down 3 or 4 if you want to get a good meal in the snake. I have a few every year that have to be started this way .Terry

Thanks to all persons who responded to my question. I will try these suggestions this weekend and hope I am successful. Thanks again, Ken Vaughan