Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello-
Last Saturday, I fed my ball python a live rat. It had been a long time since her last meal and I have always fed her live rodents. I came home today to a house smelling of rotten rat. I quickly realized the smell was coming from the rat I had fed my snake 4 days earlier. The rat is in the bottom of the tank (dead obvviously.) And the snake seems to be alive and normal. I do not know whether the rat was passed through the rear like normal or if it was regurgitated. I suspect it was regurgitated. I have no idea why, or how. She has been healthy her whole life as far as I could tell. Does anyone know what might have happened or gone wrong? Or if this is even something I should be worrying about?

Thank you for any information,
Ross

It did not go through the back, 100% sure of that if it looked like a rat still. In 4 days a rat should not even look like a rat. Could the meal have been too big? Could the temperature in the tank be too cold? Is the tank in a high traffic area causing the threatening environment that is stressfull to the snake? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you have the beginning source of your problem and can most likely correct it. Now if you are just using a light for heat and you never turn it off, you have really stressed out a nocturnal animal and I would say stop doing that now because that can cause a ton of stress related problems. I used to work at a pet store and when I went through that list...90% of people just had a heat lamp they didnt turn off...they would ask "but i thought it couldn't get cold in the tank so that needs to be on" it needs to be warm so you use a heat source without visible light. undertank heater, i would not use ceramic heaters because they dry out the air...good luck.

how are you measuring heat
what are the temps
how many hides
is the snake in a high traffic area? are there any dogs/cats/kids around that can possibly stress it out during the day.

put it in a VERY VERY low traffic part of the house.

Put it in a "hospital style" tank, newspaper/paper towel water dish, and hides, thats it.

Put a towel around the tank (or if it is a rubbermaid with holes in it, try to tape a towel up right under the holes.)

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED FOR 14 days!
Do NOT handle until he has eaten for you successfully atleast 2 times.
ONLY get into the cage to clean/give fresh water.
DO NOT remove him from the LOW LOW traffic are until he has eaten atleast 3 time,
DO NOT remove the towel until he has eaten atleast 2 times.

Provide PLENTY of fresh water, a regurge can dehydrate them.

If fed to soon, he can/will regurge again, it is alot of energy to regurge, and it is extremely hard on their throats and stomaches.
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose, 1.0 red blood

Thank you. I have come to the cocclusion that the meal was simply too big. I had pretty much ruled out everything else already. But I didn't think to wait 14 days til the next feed. Thank you very much.

-Ross

I thought they wouldn't even eat it if the prey was too big. I could be wrong. so I am not sure that was the problem, could it be possible the snake has an RI? I know one of my friends snakes threw up a rat and it turned out to have an RI.

Percentage of the time if a snake has a Respritory Infection wont eat anyway. Too painful and way too stressfull.
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1.1 Tangerine Honduran Milk Snakes
0.1 Mexican Milk Snake
1.1 Desert Banded California King Snakes
1.0 Okeetee County Corn Snake (Okeetee County Documented)
1.1 Sand Fire Bearded Dragons (Sunfire Ranch)
0.1 Ball Python (Mark And Kim Bell Line)
1.0 Ball Python (Jungle pattern WC)
1.2 Ferrets (Albino, sable, and cream)
JOSHUA

I also thought that a snake wouldn't eat in the first place if the prey was too big. So if there are any other explanations out there, i'm still open to them.

-Ross

i gave my opinion and if you have great conditions...just dont handle it or cause stress. a big meal will be more likely to regurge if the snake feels vulnerable they want to lose that huge thing in their stomach...not simply the meal is too big.

the meal could have been to big, but if you had been feeding med rat before that, then that shouldn't be the problem.

Some snakes are just pigs and will attempt/actually eat a prey item way to big for them, figure it out and regurge it later.

if you are VERY worried about it you could take your snake to the vet. If you don't have a vet try finding one at

herpvetconnection.com
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose, 1.0 red blood

Im not to worried about it. She seems fine. I just wanted to get a few other opinions, and check with you guys.

thanx

-Ross