Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few months ago I purchased my first piebald and a het female to go along with him. As I'm sure anyone can imagine, I was more than happy when 15 minutes after being dropped off at my house, he sucked down a frozen thawed mouse without hesitation. He then continued to do this weekly when I fed all of my other snakes. Then, a few weeks ago, I moved him into a slightly bigger enclosure as he was feeding and growing well. Now, when I offer him food along with my other balls(usually Monday mornings), he strikes and constricts his meal, then leaves it laying there. I managed to get him to eat last week by blow drying a mouse and offering it to him with all the lights out in the room. It looks like I'm going to have to try that again tonight. Has anyone else had snakes that were excellent feeders and suddenly got picky?

Not to be a jerk, but, I can't believe you only gave him 15 minutes to get acclimated in his new surroundings, before feeding him! Ironically, I think "new surroundings" is your current dilemma! Try feeding him in his old enclosure!

AGREE 100% , MOVE him back to the first setup , he isn't going to grow any faster in a bigger tub anyway (especially since now he won't eat in the bigger one anyway). Common sence would say if it isn't broke don't fix it.

Anthony McCain

I'm not trying to sound disrepectful, but wouldn't yet another cage swap stress the snake out more? Also, I didn't move him in to a bigger tub because I wanted him to grow faster. I moved him because I felt he was outgrowing the 10 x 17 tub he was in and I thought he should get used to a tub he would be able to grow to an adult size in, which is the same thing I have done with all my other ball pythons.

move him back to smallest tub possible. Balls like to be cramped. I keep my hatchlings in Vision shoe boxes until they are 600-700 grams. Pack them in there. They LOVE IT!!!
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Bill Buchman

Though I agree with what everyone else has said here, I've also had this happen once or twice. I hadn't moved my snake beforehand, and the setup, temperatures, and humidity were all correct.

Reactions before was that the snake was stressed, and that the strikes were purely defensive, and that's why he wasn't eating, but he had plenty of time to acclimate and isn't over-handled.

Bottom line... sometimes they're just stupid. I've had one male for about two years, and it's happened twice. ...Don't ask, I dunno.

I had already had some rodents thawed out for my colubrids, and out of curiosity, I offered him one to see if he would eat.

Does he have a hide in the new larger enclosure? I've had this same problem with moving one from a smaller to larger enclosure a couple times in the past. Offering them a hide spot solved the feeding problem and I was able to remove it a few weeks later after they had settled in. I typically do not keep hides in my racks but I have one albino male who will not eat unless he has a hide. I've tried everything to get this out of his tub and he goes off feed every time it's removed.

Yes, he does have a hide. The larger enclosure is set up identical to the old one. The feeding response is still there, he just hasn't been actually eating the prey. I'm going to try with the lights out tonight like I did last week and see if it works again.

just put him back, and give him a couple of more months to switch.

Like the others said, put him back in the old tub. If it looks like it is cramped to you then it probably just about perfect for him. I've had some of my snakes do this and I finally had to move them back into their original tub (switching between substrates can also stress them out) I just needed to use smaller water dishes so they would be able to stay in the smaller tub longer.

And since it hasn't been addressed: Yes, I've had a few that went through a "sport killing" phase (That's what I call it at least). I'm not sure why they do this - sometimes the rat I offered was live, sometimes fresh killed, sometimes it was frozen/thawed. It never really seemed to matter... they would just strike, constrict, kill and then leave the rat for me to take out in the morning. The Sport Killing Phase never seems to last long and I haven't been able to pinpoint a pattern as to why some snakes do it.

I would encourage you to offer prey at night. Balls are nocturnal and if you are feeding them in the morning it is essentially the equivalent of you eating right when you are trying to wind down for the day. I have to believe that that act of constriction and killing of prey has to have a fairly decent adrenaline rush associated with it.

I don't know if this will help YOU, but my male BP was just doing this as well, kill/constrict and leave behind. I had changed his bedding the day before he started this (same type, just cleaned) and that seemed to bring it on. I got him to eat last night by making the food seem alive longer. He constricted, and when I saw he was going to leave it, I used my Tongs to tug on the tail a bit. Instant re-interest. Mind you, if you aren't careful he may take an interest in your *hand*, but for me he just tried killing the mouse again, then he ate it.
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1.0 normal ball python
0.1 greyband hybrid kingsnake
0.2 crazy cats
1.0 husband

I had one of mine that did the same exact thing and I did the same thing to get him to eat it and he would always finish eating the second time. I have a female pied though that will strike and strike, like a defensive strike at the mouse and never bite down and constrict it but if I leave the mouse in the tub overnight she always eats it. I guess she is just a shy eater

alot of pieds are pain in butts......actually other balls do it too......yes....I have them ,yes I have a pied like that...actually a couple of them......as does a friend near here....pied and hets....

my hets were all good from the get go....they were possible hets...I think if the tag on their cage said 100% het they would have stopped eating...but it said....66% so they kept eating for the time it took to get them full size...(one laid 22 months one took 34 more or less, both proved out)

anyways....yes...I have them types....pied,clown,bumblebee,black pastel,albinos, and maybe more I can't think of at the momment....either stop till they feel like it or till i switch food items....

OH ,,,,!!!.....put it back in the small tub.....it works alot....they are that dumb.....did that three times with the bee and twice with a couple others.....

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Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie

......that's long for Mud...............................

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That he's telling you loud and clear that he is not interested in his larger enclosure. Put him back in the one he was in and I'm sure he'll keep eating for you.
It seems that as ball python breeders and keepers, sometimes our egos get too big in that we think we know what is best for our ball pythons. They will ALWAYS, 100% of the time know better than any one of us what they want. Listen to your ball pythons, they usually tell us loud and clear what it is they need or want.
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