Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm being given a (aprox) 10 yr old ball python that has only been fed live its whole life. I was wondering how hard it will be to switch it to f/t, since live are a pain and not easy to obtain in my area...

any suggestions to help make the switch easier for him would be appreciated...
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~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Brooksi
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 German Shep mix (Shadow)
0.1 Cat (Echo)

heat it up with a blow dryer and wiggle it around. or a small hide and dangle it in front of the hide. i have a het pied male that wouldnt take ne thing but live until i used the hide method. also a female that wouldnt eat ne thing until i got the hide and then pushed the thawed rat in with her in the hide and she finally ate it (actually today)

awesome, I was thinkin I'd have to do something along those lines but I wasn't sure... All my kings were started on f/t when I got them, so I've never had to worry about it before...

Thanks for the reply
-----
~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Brooksi
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 German Shep mix (Shadow)
0.1 Cat (Echo)

My pastel female was only eating live mice, and would hiss and hide when I tried wiggling a warm f/t one in front of her, but she finally took one after I rolled it in some fresh mouse bedding and rubbed it on a live mouse. The next feeding she took a f/t rat pup that was rolled in mouse bedding. She is only a few months old, so I don't know if that would work for one that's so much older and established on live food, but it's worth a shot.

Oh, and she also only takes it if I wiggle it at the entrance of her hide.

Good luck