Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son has had this snake for a week now and he is due for a feeding according to the pet shop. Well, they don't know what he ate before (which is frustrating!) so I need some help. If you were feeding your first snake for the first time, what would you feed him and how?? Do I feed him live or F/T, do I feed him in another container and not his home, do I use tongs and leave him in his home?? If I feed him in another place, do I leave him there for a couple days or put him back in his home right away?? I've read all the posts about feeding but none seem to relate to my exact situation. I've actually gotten a bit fond of this new family member and don't want to hurt him in any way. Thank You so very much for any and all help that you can give me.

Sheila
1.0 Cat (Smokey)
0.0.1 Ball Python (Boston)
1.1 Cockatiels (George & WeeOne)
0.0.1 Double Yellow Head Amazon Parrot (Putter)
2.0 Teenagers (Kayne & Tim)
1.0 Soldier/Husband (Mark)

Personally, here's what I would do. It may be different from what others do, but this is my procedure for every snake I've owned.

First, you need to decide on the size of the meal. Get the size mouse that's most appropriate for the thickness of your snake. I then thaw it in a large cup of hot water and make sure it's thoroughly thawed. Feeding a mouse that's still somewhat frozen will cause regurgitation.

I then hold the mouse with a pair of hemostats (I always use hemostats because of a nasty bite I got from a red tail boa when feeding) and dangle it in front of the hide box that the snake's in. I just dangle it very gently just above the ground for a little while and my snakes always take it. As soon as they have constricted the mouse I let go and very gently close the lid. I usually leave the room so as not to distract the snake and come back and check in about 30 minutes.

If for some reason your snake doesn't take it, you can do a couple things. Either re-freeze the mouse and try again in a few days, or go get a live mouse. I don't ever feed live so I've never gone that route. I've heard some BP's can be finicky eaters, but mine eats thawed mice like crazy. Hope this helps!

Definitely judge the size of the meal by the girth of the snake. If its a small snake, for its first meal, I would try a hopper to small size mouse. If it used to getting live then feeding live is ok. Mine was very young when I got it so I went with a smaller mouse at first. I feed mine in a feeding box, small shoebox size rubbermaid container. This allows the snake to stay in closer proximity to the mouse but still have room to move around. My ball python strikes in the 3-5 inch range. If you use a live or prekilled mouse in a feeding box, just put the snake in first, lid on, and wait about 1 minute and then drop the mouse in but not on the snake and put lid on. Try not to distract the snake. If the snake has not taken and coiled the mouse in about 30 minutes to 1 hour, then remove mouse and try again in a couple of days. If your feeding live, just be sure to observe about every 15 minutes. It's unlikely that a small mouse would inflict harm to a ball python. Try feeding at night, about 8pm or later.

Pet shops typically feed the smallest mice that will maintain the body weight of the snake. The rule of thumb is feed a prey item about as big around as the largest part of the snakes body. When feeding mice, I have never had a problem feeding live. They don't have teeth near the size that rats do. I would toss a live one in and watch the show. Feeding in or out of the enclosure is more owner preference than anything else. As long as you handle it on a regular basis, and not only before feeding time, it won't matter. If the only time you open the cage is to feed it, it will associate that action with feeding, and strike at whatever is put into the cage (your hand).
If you choose to put it in a different container, you can pick up your Ball Python when it is done eating. You will be able to tell when the mouse gets to the stomach. Gently pick up your BP from behind (not in front!) and place it back in the cage.
I always start my new snakes with live. This is the most likely to induce a feeding response. After I know it will take live, I start the process to switch to pre-killed.
Good luck, and keep asking those questions!
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Randy
www.ball-pythons.net

Well, I went to the shop where we bought Boston, the "owner" of the shop said he could have only have live food before because that's all she buys from her breeder. So I bought a small white mouse. I decided to feed Boston in his cage because we figure as long as we handle him frequently, then we aren't food to him. I put the little mouse in there and the snake ran from it!! The mouse made himself right at home and ended up sunbathing on the hide log on the warm side of the cage. I waited patiently for 30 minutes and nothing at all happened. The mouse even ran up to the snake not realizing that it was there and the snake didn't do anything but recoil a bit. After the 30 minutes, I took the mouse out because that seems to be the one thing that is consistently said to do. But now what do I do?? Wait and try again today or what?? Again, I greatly appreciate any and all advice with my new family member......although thanks to being a Mom to 2 teenage sons, we now have a newer member, a Bearded Dragon!! Uggh!! LOL
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1.0.0 Cat (Smokey)
0.0.1 Ball Python (Boston)
1.1.0 Cockatiels (George & WeeOne)
0.0.1 Double Yellow Head Amazon Parrot (Putter)
2.0.0 Teenagers (Kayne & Tim)
1.0.0 Soldier/Husband (Mark)

if you can keep the mouse alive that long. That is another reason a lot of people switch to frozen/thawed prey items....it costs less to keep them frozen than it does to keep them fed and maintained!
If your snake was wild caught, it may take a while for it to eat. Try not to stress about it. A few months is nothing to worry about. You should probably not handle him much, if at all, until he has eaten for you a couple times. Stress in BP's usually manifests itself by suppressing their feeding response.
He also may be beginning a shed cycle. Many BP's won't eat when they are in shed.
Good luck!

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Randy
www.ball-pythons.net

This sounds a lot like my first attempts to feed my ball python. First, take several deep breaths and repeat after me,"it's going to be fine, my ball python is fine, and I'm a good person."
Ok, now that we've made the right incantation/affirmation go sit down and read your favorite novel and sip on something good.

It's my understanding from your previous posts that you've had this snake for about a week or so. It's probably still getting used to the enclosure. Wait another week and then try feeding. This will allow it to feel more secure. Make sure that temps and humidity are good. Handle it as little as possible. I would recommend a feeding box as my previous post states, but that's your choice.
Don't panic, you can always do that later.