Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Someone recently gave me a 20yo ball python and his glass/wooden enclosure. Trying to heat this thing is going to be a challenge. So far, I only have a heating pad (it's just been a couple of days). The top is one big glass sheet, the sides are glass reinforced with wood, and the thing is 6' long and about 4' tall, but only a little under 2' wide. No idea how to heat it. I think the previous owner used a heat rock. Suggestions here would be great. My husband brought this home; a buddy at work gave it to us. Husband likes the cage and wants to keep it. He doesn't get involved in animal care too much, but lets me have whatever I want, so I'd like to humor him on this one.

The real problem is feeding. This snake has been fed live for the past 20 years and has all sort of scars on his nose. Believe me, this snake looks 20 years old! Also, he was only fed once a month, and it's been about a month since he ate last. I tried feeding F/T, just to see, and it was a no go through the whole night. What chance do I have of switching him over after two decades of live feeding? I know I should start with freshly killed, the F/T was just a trial.

Thanks in advance for any tips you can throw my way!

First of all make sure you don't use a heating rock, that is a big no no. Feeding Once a month on a 20 year old snake isn't bad as far as going to frozen you may want to hit the rodant so that it is mildly retarted, giving it less of a fighting chance slowing it down a lot, a solid flick in the head can do this as well. Then get some feeding probes and start offering him fresh killed, you mostlikely will have to wiggle it a lot to make him feel like it is a live, then you can work over to frozen.

that is how I would do it.

matt

feeding tongs not probes sorry wrong word.
matt

got that, thanks. And I never use heat rocks...bad news.

I was given a Ball Python by a friend because he knew I already had a few. This one was three years old and one of the things he told me was that this snake will only eat live food, and he had tried over and over to get him to eat frozen and he just wouldn't. So I let the snake settle into his new cage for a couple of days and then I got a frozen large mouse and thawed him out. After thawing I then heated up the mouse by simply putting the hair blower on heat, and warming it up with it. Then with feeding tongs I made the mouse look alive in front of his nose and he grabbed it within two seconds and coiled around it and ate it. That was the only feeding I had to warm the mouse up with. From then on it always ate frozen dangled in front of him.

Thanksm I'll try everyone's advice! Right now I'm going to let him settle in a bit and warm up a little more.

I'm currently in the same situation with my first ball python, an 8yo... in fact, the cage sounds pretty similar, with the previous owner using a heat rock... the cage I had given to me with mine has a mirrored glass floor with about a 3 inch gap between the floor and the table I've got it sitting on, so I'm going to stick a heatpad to the bottom of it, hopefully that'll work...

Right now, since the snakes been on newspaper his whole life, he doesn't seem to want to burrow into the aspen I put in his cage so I have a small heat pad inside the cage under the aspen... This is of course only temporary until I can get to a pet shop this weekend...

As for switching to f/t, mine hadn't ate for about 3 months before I got him, so I thawed out 2 large mice and just wiggled them in front of him, and he didn't hesitate...
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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
1.0 Ball Python
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)

20.......you say that like it's gonna die....

LOL........I got some of my big girls like 13 or more years ago and they look the same as they did then.......I have no idea how old they are....maybe 20? 30?....more....(I don't think more but?)....

I know a guy with one that is like 35....looks like a 4 year old......no marks no signs...no grey hair even....

......so.you moved it......it will be a pain maybe.....

fed once a month?.it should eat......try live?......

try a good hide and good bedding and let it alone for a week and then try a frozen thawed heated really nicely....(hair dryer)....lay it right in front of the hide (if snake is in it)...and go away....at bedtime...

......some never eat dead.....

good luck.....
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LOL! No, not that I expect it to die, but figure it is set in it's ways.

This snake is gray and scarred and his eyes look..old. I have seen older snakes that look younger.

He's been on aspen and I have him on paper. He doesn't seem thrilled.