Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok...so I know I shouldn't worry but I was wondering if anyone had suggestions. I purchased a normal ball as a larger hatchling in July 04. He (sex?) is about a year old. He has been checked by a vet and a fecal was done last year and he was treated for a few parasites (not sure what). Ever since I have gotten him he eats like a pig. Up to 3 mice a week now. About 3 feet long. Never missed a meal, even through sheds, until last week. Now it has been 2 1/2 weeks - which I know isn't long as he can safely go for a few months without much worry as he is nice and plump. But he is acting different. I feed in a separate container and normally he strikes before the mouse leaves the tongs. Usually a great feeding response, sitting in stike pose before the mouse is even in the container. He has shown no interest in frozen thawed or freshly killed so he is still on live. Now he shys away from the mice. He balls up and hides his head. I have tried to dangle it with the tongs, kill it and left it in there. He just shows no interest. I have changed nothing in the cage or surrounds. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
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Jessica

0.1.0 Sharpei-Husky mix...all attitude
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.2.0 Corn Snakes
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Blotched Tiger Salamander
...and a saltwater tank!

has anything happened in his last couple of feedings where he got bit or otherwise attacked/intemidated by a mouse? not that it may have anything to do with it, just a thought.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

Not that I noticed. I watch feedings. His last feed was fine...he has learned to be a pretty good aim and has never gotten more than a scratch that comes off with the next shed. Any other ideas?

>>has anything happened in his last couple of feedings where he got bit or otherwise attacked/intemidated by a mouse? not that it may have anything to do with it, just a thought.
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>>Bryan, Atlanta GA
>>
>>1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
>>1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
>>0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
>>1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
>>0-1-0 Wife
>>2-0-0 Kids
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Jessica

0.1.0 Sharpei-Husky mix...all attitude
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.2.0 Corn Snakes
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Blotched Tiger Salamander
...and a saltwater tank!

Nope, that was about it. I am new at all this and that was the only thing I could think of. Sorry.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I've often noticed that around a year old snakes eating will tend to even out. Usually when they are doing most of their growing in the first year, they eat pretty good, but then at about a year they start to taper off. I wouldn't worry just yet, if everything else appears normal, it could just be that the last food item is digesting slowly and he's not hungry yet.
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Tosha

"Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed." Don Wood

"Of course, that's only my opinion...and I believe I am God." =) Chris Bianco

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul)
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 Pool skimmer rescues for this season

I would not worry. Make sure the temps are not getting to high with Summer on the way, be sure he has water, and give him a few weeks before you try again. He could go off feed for 6 months or more and everything would be all right. It could be he is comming into shed ( sometimes they go off feed for a shed before you can tell the shed is comming) even if he ate in shed before this may be it. It seems that they eat in spurts. The ball proably feels it has enough weight put on now and is going to sit on its reserves. Like I said, don't even bother trying to feed for a while. It sounds like you were feeding heavey since you got him. He was bound to take a break. It happens all the time.

One thing to try as far as frozen thawed goes is give him a few weeks like I said and then offer a nice hot frozen thawed. The key seems to be getting the f/t mouse or rat nice and hot. I have tried to feed picky feeders a f/t mouse a cooled down mouse and got no respose. Then heated it up good and bam. Try this out sometime.

Kevin

I'm having a similar problem. How do you suggest heating F/T mice or rats up? Ziplock in warm water? Under a heat lamp?

Thanks,

Tim

Even if it is for a couple of seconds to thaw 'em don't use a microwave...
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I usually pull mine out the night before feeding, put them on a paper plate with a papertowel over them (absorbs the moisture released during thawing), put them in a ziplock and put them in the fridge. They are defrosted by the following evening and I'll pull them out and set them on the counter for an hour before feeding, then I stick them under a heat lamp for a few minutes until they are about 98 degrees and feed. Be careful when heating them up you don't heat them for too long they have a tendancy to explode if not on the plate then when the snake grabs them (It's a mess that you really dont want to have to deal with, especially if you have a hungry snake hovering over it)! If you are feeding just one or two then soaking them in a ziplock in warm water works too, but I've found that those sometimes explode or often than not. Hope this helps!
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Tosha

"Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed." Don Wood

"Of course, that's only my opinion...and I believe I am God." =) Chris Bianco

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul)
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 Pool skimmer rescues for this season

I usually put a frozen rat in a ziplock and float it in warm water until it is completely thawed out. Then I will place it under a heat lamp for a bit to warm it up. The rat is usually wet from thawing out. Will this effect the feeding response from the snake? My ball hasn't eaten in 7 weeks. I'm not in a panic yet.

Tim

The wetness may erase some of the smell, or something, when I switched to using f/t I had a lot of balls that would refuse them wet/moist, so I started wraping them in papertowels to help absorb the moisure while thawing, then the heat lamp usually dries them the rest of the way out. I've also had some that could care less what shape the rat was in. Balls are picky.
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Tosha

"Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed." Don Wood

"Of course, that's only my opinion...and I believe I am God." =) Chris Bianco

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul)
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 Pool skimmer rescues for this season

Ok, thanks. I'll try drying the rat off next time. He'll put his face right up to the rat, look at it for a while, follow it when i move it but turns around and loses interest. It's so frustrating.

When my stubborn gals/guys show interest but won't take the food, I offer a smaller prey item and they usually take it. I guess sometimes they just want a small meal.

And I am now feeding the balls in the evening. I defrost the prey items by countertop or overnight fridge, ziplock in warm water then give them a few minutes of high heat from the hair blow dryer right before feeding.

Blow Dryer??? Ha, I'll give that a try. Makes perfect sense but I never thought of it. Hopefully the tips will help me get him to eat. Stubborn little guy.

Thanks,

Tim

Ball pythons are known for that. He is fine. In the wild, they are very seasonal in their feeding habits, especially as adults (babies are more ravenous usually.) Expecting them to eat every week is not in the reality for ball pythons, although we all wish it was the case.