Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I acquired my new male BP normal on Thursday, he was shipped from CA to GA.

Today I measured and weighed him and he's 18" and 74 grams. Is he underweight for his length?

Reportedly, he's been a good feeder of live hoppers. However, I was unable to find any hoppers (anyone know of a good source for them in metro Atlanta?). So, I got the smallest mouse I could get (probably a weanling) and since I didn't want Kashmire to get injured with a bite, I asked them to pre-kill it for me (I just couldn't do it myself, but know I need to learn to do that).

Kashmire had no interest. I came strait home (they are less than a mile from me) and offered it to him, dangling and dancing it around him with tongs for about 15 minutes. If anything, he seemed frightened by it. It was a brown rather than white mouse.

I also tried putting them both into a brown paper bag in his enclosure for about an hour. Looked in and he was balled up next to it.

Could it be he's used to live and it was too soon to try to switch him to pre-killed and eventually f/t? Could it be that it was because the mouse was not white?

Should I go back tomorrow and buy a live small white weanling (since no hoppers are available)? and try offering that to him? Or should I give him another week and try next week?

Any and all advice would be appreciated for this new BP owner who wants only the best for her new baby! Thanks!

Robin

Oh yeah, the mouse is currently inside his hide until tomorrow morning when I'll discard it if he's still not eaten it. He's gone into his hide with it and just lays on top of it.

Robin

Here are some pics of Kashmire from two days ago. The one in the small container is the container he was shipped in. The other two are him checking out his new home.

Also, should I get a smaller water dish? I only put about 1/2 inch to an inch of water in there, and he's been going in and out of it.

That's coconut bark substrate in his habitat.

ok, first what are the temps in the cage(hot side/cold side) you should have a hide in each area. Next often it takes snake alittle while to settle into a new home before they begin to eat. Advice is often to leave the snake alone little to no handling for awhile. Next dangling it scares them, as in the real world the mice would be on ground level. The snake might be need live to eat and then do a switch over to dead once the snake is eating regularly. If it was prekilled and it took you awhile to get home the temp of the mouse might be too low for the snake to recognize it as food. Just find the smallest mouse you can find, it won't take too many more feedings before your snake can eat reg size mice. You may consider feeding in a sep. box so that the snake doesn't ingest any of the substrate you have in your cage. So you may try to feed live tomorrow and if that doesn't work leave the snake alone for awhile and maybe try again next weekend. If the snake goes for a few weeks or looks like it is losing weight then you can become concerned.

hope this all makes sense and answers the questions, it is getting late here
-----
Misty Sprouse Ball Pythons

pretty bp! i would not be alarmed or concerned at this point. it may take a while for your snake to settle down and get used to its new enviroment. traveling from ca. to ga. will put the snake through some stress. my first bp did not take its first meal for almost 2 months, but it eats just fine know. also, don't handle it until it has eaten at least twice for you. too much handling at first creates more stress. good luck!

Surprisingly, even without eating, he's gained 2 grams since yesterday. He was drinking a lot of water yesterday. I went back and got two live fuzzies. One's in his enclosure right now, but he's not shown any interest. Flicked his tongue a few times around it, but then moved into the cool side and has curled up into a ball to sleep. Hoping when he gets active later this evening, he'll decide to feed.

Thanks for the re-assurance! By the way, he does have a second hide now, and a smaller water bowl.

Robin

just checking but you aren't leaving the mice in the cage unattended with the snake right? Mice can end up biting the snake and doing damage or even kill and funny as it sounds the snake won't fight back. If the snake doesn't seem interested then it prob. isn't. Most of mine will eat as soon as it is dropped in, another one will take up to an hour before he decides to eat and yes I sit and watch him the whole time to make sure the rat doesn't mess with him.
-----
Misty Sprouse Ball Pythons

It's a fuzzy. Can a fuzzy bite the snake too? It's actually "floundering" around in the cage" He showed a little interest, I thought he was going to take it. He's in his hide on the warm side right now, and the fuzzy is outside his hide twitching. He hasn't started his evening activity yet. I'm keeping an eye on them both.

Robin

His length and weight sound fine. Live hoppers are best to start feeding because they are very active and attract the snakes attention. Fuzzys just sit there or squirm a little. YES as others have said you need to watch live food so it does not hurt your snake. If you buy live weenlings this week they will be close to hoppers next week. If their eyes are open they can useually survive without mom.Sometimes young rodents don't use water bottles properly and get dehydrated. They may need to have a some bread soaked in water put in their cage so they get enough water.