Reptile & Amphibian Forums

October of last year I purchased a mite infested wild caught female ball python. It wasn't until last night that she finally ate. I want to thank the person who posted tips on getting wild caughts to eat. I did a search to try to find the name to thank them personally, but my efforts were for naught.

I utilized a dark substrate consisting of a mixture of peat moss and bark. A tight hide was constructed out of a modified half log (I enclosed it on the open sides with cardboard that was stapled on, a small hole was cutout for entry/exit) that was partially buried. The difference in behavior I noticed under this set up was immediate. She took a live rat one night after switching to this set up.

Questions: should I try feeding a pre-killed rat next? When can I switch her back to a newspaper substrate?

Thanks,
Mark

I'm glad it worked for you!

I don't know how long to leave them before moving them back to Newspaper substrate. This is what I've been doing. I did the substrate change on 4-30-04. All the girls who have eaten have deficated (SP?) So when I scoop I am not replacing the substrate. This is getting them down to less and less substrate after each feeding and dump. I have removed the towel covering the front of the rack and allowed a natural daylight cycle~ and everyone who started feeding with the substrate change is still feeding. (#37 is still holding out and refusing to feed) I did switch one girl (#33) to wood chips about 4 weeks ago (She got little gnats breeding in the soil bedding so I switched her) and she is still feeding. I plan to switch the rest of the girls to wood chips in the next week or two, and then slowly try to wean them down to almost no substrate and then to newspaper.

Thats what I have in mind anyway. I've updated the page I made with more current weights (weights on 6-24)of the girls if your interested.

Good luck!
Tootles
Feeding WC balls

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Cheryl Marchek
AKA JM
Check out my website at:
The Red Dragons Den

I appreciate the strict data keeping you are doing on your site. Once again thank you for sharing this information.

Mark

She did an awsome job, and it will help alot of people.

If you can get Deer mice (Paramiscous?? on spelling) try them. I have 1 female that will not touch live or thawed of mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters (Chinese & russian), but will slam a live Deer mouse everytime.

Good luck
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CB

"expertise is measured by time, but never 100% correct"

She took another rat last night (7/11/04). This one was gone fairly quickly, I'll try a pre-killed rat next time. She also shed between feedings and is looking wonderful. I'm glad that she seems to be settling in now.

Mark