Feeding Habits of Ball Pythons
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Ball Pythons
Ball pythons are one of the best beginner snakes in the pet trade today. They have earned this title because they are calm and docile with easy husbandry needs, not because of their feeding habits.
Ball pythons are VERY picky eaters. It is very hard to successfully get a ball python to eat F/T mice or F/T rats. But, not impossible. Many petstores feed live mice and rats to their ball pythons, so when you get them home, it become quite a challenge getting them on frozen foods.
I've tried. I've tried many methods. I haven't gotten one to work. I've attempted leaving the frozen mouse in the cage over night, leaving it in his hide over night, covering the cage with towels, and dipping the mouse in tuna juice. The only thing I have not tried is putting the snake and thawed mouse in a pillow case-type bag.
For the past year my ball python has eaten live rats, except the 1 thawed pinkie and 1 thawed mouse that he has recently taken.
Books about Ball Pythons
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The Ball Python (Advanced Vivarium Systems)
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Ball Pythons (Reptile Keepers Guide)
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The Guide to Owning a Ball Python
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Feeding Ball Pythons
Not just looking at feeding ball pythons from a live or frozen standpoint, in general they are proven finicky feeders. It is not uncommon for a ball python to go without food for over a year. Not because he's not hungry, but it could be due to various reasons.
My ball python decided to go without food for five months this past winter. I could not keep his tank temperatures up high enough for him, so he chose not to eat.
The slightest change in temperatures, too hot or too cold, upgrading enclosures, changing habitat decor, or even the placement of the tank, could all upset a ball python into not eating.
Sometimes you have to force feed them to get them started eating again. I have heard of times where a ball python will begin to loose substantial weight, even after just six months of not eating. And, a veterinarian told the customer to begin force feeding. In some cases, force feeding is the only option to getting a ball python to eat, but should NOT be attempted unless you know what you're doing.
You can, also, look at what you're feeding him. If he's used to eating frozen and stops eating, you could try feeding him live. I would wait several months before attempting this, giving the snake plenty of time to take a frozen mouse or rat, since that's what he's used to. It's VERY hard to get a ball python, much less any snake, to go back to frozen feeders after they have had a live feeder.
Sometimes, ball pythons can get even more picky than frozen versus live. Sometimes, they will only take one color mouse or rat, if that's what they're used to. I've even heard it so bad, that a particular ball python would only eat white FEMALE rats. It would NOT eat a male rat.
The biggest thing that you, or any ball python owner, must figure out, is your pet snake's tastes. I know it sounds funny, but somethimes that's the case.
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Comments
i recntly bought a 3ft ball python from my teacher and he hasent eaten in a month and a half is there any advice u can give tohelp him be less stressed
Mychal, a month and a half isn't anythign to worry about. What was he eating before- frozen or live? Stick with that. Sounds like it's either a full grown male at around 2 plus years or a growing female. So you shouldn't have anything to worry about. They can go over 6 months without eating and not have any health effects, and it's not uncommon for them to go over a year without eating.
As the season is a chilly one, he could be feeling the change in season. Even if your enclosure temps are correct (90F), the season could be affecting the feeding strike. My 2 yr old hasn't fed in over 6 months bc of the season, and that's not for lack of trying.
Also, yout purchased him. Make the enclosure as similar to his last one. But, in many cases the change alone will upset them. When putting my 2 year old into a 29gal from his 10gal, he quit eating for several months.
Just bare with it. You've chosen a ball python, just something you have to deal with at this point. They're well known picky eaters. It sucks. It's the one thing I hate about the species.
My ball python is 3' feet long and eats like a pig! It eats 2 medium rats every two weeks and still hungry. I don't know if I am feeding him too much or he just eats alot.
MY BALL WAS A HATCHLING WHEN MY BOYFRIEND AND I BOUGHT HIM ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, HE WAS CAPTIVE BRED AND HAD BEEN EATING REGULARLY AT THE PET STORE.. HE ATE THREE FUZZIES (PREKILLED) ONCE WE GOT HIM HOME AND JUST UNDERWENT HIS FIRST SHED AND HAS NOT EATEN IN OVER TWO WEEKS.. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ I SEEM TO BE OVER REACTING BUT HE LOOKS AND FEELS SKINNIER THAN WHEN BEFORE. ANY ADVICE?
Joker- I would personally stick with one medium rat or 1 large rat. Make sure that the rat isn't bigger than the widest portion of the snake.
Jessie- You're worried for nothing. He may feel skinnier, but in order to tell if he really is, you'd need to weight him, and keep up-to-date weights on the snake. 2 weeks isn't really that big of a deal. I would watch him. I wouldn't say it' hatchling if it's eating fuzzies by any means, but in any sense, just keep trying on the regular day that he normally is supposed to eat. Because he's young, if he doesn't eat after 6 weeks, you'll need to find someone, preferrably a vet, to show you have to force feed the snake. If he's already eating prekill, frozen feeders, don't go live on him. Ball pythons are very sensitive snakes, and you have just changed the environment that he was used to. It's going to take time for him to adjust.
I just got a ball python about 5weeks ago and it's about 16inches long. i still have not been able to get him to eat. I have tried very small pre killed mice and even some very small live mice. It shows no sign of hunger. I know adults can go a good while without food but im worries because he is so small if I should do something. Cause he needs to eat to grow. I have only seen VERY little weight loss.
Scott- ball pythons get stressed easily and quickly. Moving to a new enclosure is a big change in a snake's life, and can create stress concerns. If you notice weight loss, you may consider force feeding a small thawed pinkie or fuzzy. Otherwise, let it be. For the most part, he'll eat when he's ready.
Make sure the temps are accurate, as well, because improper temps can cause a reptile not to eat.
my ball pythons havent eaten in 3 months. i have been feeding them frozen mice for about a year now and then all of a sudden they have just stopped eating. i tried to feed them a live mouse the other day and they were not interested in it at all. are they hybernating or sick? what should i try and do? and what is force feeding?
morgan, because the weather is getting warm, I wouldn't think that it's hybernating, but if there has been a drop in weather in your area, it's possible. 3 months is nothing to worry about, as they can go over 6 months without worry. My adult male went about 8 months without eating this winter. As long as there is not drastic weight loss, there's nothing to worry. Just stick with the frozen mice. Try every other week, so that you don't waste them.
i bought my snake about a month ago she is about 2 years old and the pet store didnt know the last time she ate , we have left her in her cage since we had her and take her out on occasion so she can get used to her new habbitiat, i know they only go up to 6 months without eating but i dont know the last time she ate and im worried. any help?
They can go longer than 6 months. Much longer. I've heard of snakes going nearly 1 year without eating. But, usually a vet will tell you to attempt force feeding if you notice weight loss. You may consider taking a small frozen mouse (thawed), and holding her right behind her jaws. Her jaws will open up; just put the mouse in her mouth. If she wants it she'll take it, otherwise, she won't bother and will fight you. If she really begins to loose weight consider taking her to a vet, as it could be parasites, impaction, or anyother health concern. You may have to force feed smaller prey such as fuzzies, which will be easier to force down. But consult a vet before you do this.
Excellent article, if anyone has tried a couple methods still to no avail get a long set of tongs, dangle the rat, and if necessary GENTLY tap the nose.
I have had experiences with a couple ball pythons now, and only had an issue with two of the five not eating frozen mice. However, I've found by dangling the mice from a pair of long tongs, and then gently tapping the nose, usually gets them to chow down. Both of the picky eaters have been converted to frozen rats this way, although I do have to feed one with the tongs every occasion although it is no longer necessary for me to tap the rat on his nose... he sees it dangling and comes runnin! (Okay... slitherin')
It took me a while to get my ball python eating frozen feeders. I still have a few problems with him, but for the most part if I know he's hungry but is still refusing the frozen rat, I can put the head in his mouth, and he immediately takes it. Granted that's not always the case, but it works most of the times.
I'm used to fussy snakes! My female Corn snake decided to go without food for about 3 months when I first got her, after taking 2 like a lamb at first. Now, she'll eat fine, except when shedding, then she'll leave it for her brother to have instead.
Ravyn, corn snakes are nothing compared to BPs, when you change to a new enclosure, they tend to stop eating. When you move the enclosure to a different spot, they may stop eating. Sometimes they refuse a different color mouse/rat. I've known people where their BP refuses any rat that's not a white female; it even refuses white males.
I bought a ball python 3 months ago, and he didn't want to eat at first. I found that thawing them in HOT water for about 15 minutes followed by kind of a puppet show with some long tongs....they rarely last more then a few seconds and the only time he hasn't eaten is when he's about to shed. He's about 20 inches and I feed him a small mouse every 4-5 days. I visited PetSmart where I bought him and found he's siblings to be much fatter then him, so I asked how often they feed him and they said every 3-4 days but each feeding they feed them multiple mice until they stop eating. I was told by another pet store that that is not a good idea and can lead to digestive issues.
Because pet stores get snakes in all the time, you can't be guaranteed that those are your snake's clutchmates. But you never know, they may be. Stick with what you're doing. One mouse once a week for his size seems right. When he gets bigger you can do 2 a feeding. You actually may be able to pull off 2 a feeding now, depending on the girth of the snake.
Whitney,
I am reading all of your responses because I am having the same problem as others with my new BP. I am not worried yet, thanks to all of your responses, but I was told that my snake is really young and small compared to most seen in pet stores. Some that see her say that they can't believe a breeder would ship it so small because it is so hard to get them to eat if it is put in a pet store too soon.
My question is...if force feeding does become nessecary in the future, what do you do after you get the pinky into its mouth? Can you please explain the professional step by step method of getting it to consume what you are forcing without damaging or hurting the snake's mouth and throat?
Thanks!
Usually reputable breeders wait until a snake eats at least 3 successful meals. Because you got the snake at a pet store, it came from a wholesale company and not a breeder, more than likely, which means that this feeding strengent is not guaranteed by any means. Having worked at a pet store before, I've only met a few ball pythons that would eat on their own, even thought the wholesale company supposidely guaranteed that they ahd been fed 3 successfull frozen meals.
That said, because it is a ball python, I wouldn't worry because they stress very easily, and if the snake is a young as you say, he's by far definitely stressed being shipped to the pet store and then rearranged again at you house. So, ave him alone. Don't play with him, don't touch him. Just ensure that he has water. Give him a week before you try to feed him or before you try again.
More than likely the snake is able to eat fuzzies, but pinkies are much easier to force feed. Don't forcefeed until the snake starts to loose weight. You may need to invest in a scale that reads grams ort even ounces will do. But because the snake is small, you'll need something that will better weigh the snake so you can accurately tell whether it's loosing weight or not.
Before you opt to forcefeed, you'll want to give the snake at least 2-3 tries at feeding on his own. Try leaving a VERY, VERY hot pinkie in a small kritter keeper or container with the snake for at least 30 minutes. That will give the snake the opportunity to eat it on its own. If that doesn't work, you can try wriggling the pinkie with a pair of tongs or tweezers. Try both of these methods a few times. You can also use the tongs and gently tap the snakes nose with the pinkie.
If you have to end up force feeding, you'll want to really consult a vet first to eliminate the possible threat of parasites. A reputable reptiel vet can also give you hands on pointers to forcefeeding.
But, doing it at home, gently grab the snake by the back of its head, squeeze just a little and his jaws should open up. Use the tongs and put the pinkie in the snake's mouth. You can use your fingers if you're more comfortable that way. Give the snake the chance to take the pinkie from that point (sometimes once it's in their mouth they'll start feeding on their own), but if he tries to spit it out, you can use the tongs and just GENTLY push the pinkie down his mouth. And that's basically it. Just be VERY, VERY gentle when pushing the pinkie. When I've had to do it in the past, I've found I'm more comfortable using my fingers so I can better tell what I'm doing. You may have to close his mouth once you get the pinkie down far enough.
Thanks Whitney. I will follow these instructions. The pet store manager and I are good friends. She told me this python and two other babies were shipped together from some breeder in Atlanta that they use. She said they always get them from there but for some reason, these were the smallest she had ever gotten. She looks real healthy and has awesome coloring. When I bought her they were just walking back in the door from taking her to the vet. She got checked for mites and was probed and sexed. They said something about an antibiotic shot was given? She certainly didn't feel well after the vet and laid her head in my hand for a long time. I worried about it but bought her anyway. She wouldn't go to anyone except me after that. (That could be in our heads but that is how she acted...lol)
After leaving her alone in her new 30gal tank for a few days, she has become not shy to roam around the tank during the day. I have gotten her out a few times and walked around with her outside or put her under the blanket with me while watching TV and she seems fine. Loves to be cozied in a warm place of course.
But if you think I should stop handling her for a while, I will. It is my understanding that these pythons get alot more stressed than people think and it is hard to see symptoms. Maybe in a couple more weeks, I will try to feed her again in her little 10gal tank and see how it goes. Force feeding is a FINAL option for me. I do not want to do that if I don't have to. Thanks for all of your help!!! I really appreciate it!
cb
Sorry to write again. I forgot to mention to you that my friend at the pet store said she had gotten her to eat hoppers twice, in the month it had been there, but no luck at all with frozen pinkies. I am not a fan of the frozen food anyway. Just wanted to let you know it supposedly ate at the store...
Thanks Again!
cavebuddy, frozen is the BEST way to feed the snake. At this current size, live isn't a problem, but when the snake is bigger and can eat medium to large size rats, you risk serious injury. If you start the snake on live now you'll have a hard time getting it on frozen. Stick with it. It's best for hte snake. Sorry to hear you don't like frozen prey, but it's the best option. oR you risk physical injury to the snake. And then you risk infection, which is another vet visit for medications.
You should never handle a snake for at least 7 days after bringing it home. It's the best way to acclimate it to its new home to help minimize stress. Because you've been handling the snake, you've caused more stress than just bringing it home initially. Also, a 29 gallon (or 30, it's essentially the same size) is a little big for a baby snake. They can get severely stressed in larger enclosures. A 10 gallon would be perfect for the snake until it is about 20 inches long and 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. Give or take, of course. Then you would upgrade to the 29 gallon tank. You'll need a larger tank when the snake is full grown, since it's been probed and determined female.
Force feeding is usually the last option for people as it will stress out the snake more than regular feeding. Give the snake 1 full week without you handling it and then try to feed it again.
And yes the snake coming to you alone after the 1st visit is in your head. Snake's aren't like dogs. You may have more body heat which is what the snake would be attracted to. Check the temps in the enclosure and make sure that the snake is getting appropriate temperatures on the bottom of the tank. Use a digital thermometer with a probe for like 10 bucks for the best thermometer.
i bought my ball python about 6months ago and it still hasnt eaten and it is getting really really thin. How do you force feed snakes??
6 months... It's time to see a reptile vet. You should do that before attemptingto force feed. The snake may have parasites or another illness. I don't know the age or size of the snake, but if you got the snake as a baby, then 6 months is WAY too long to have waited. You need to see a reptile vet since you say the snake is getting really thin. There may be something else wrong with it.
Thanks for all your advice. Isabella is doing great! She is eating good now and looks really healthy. I believe she will be fine.
I work in the reptile dept. of a pet store, and our last reptile shipment, we had ordered 4 normal BP's, but they accidently shipped out a lemon pastel along with them. So I set him aside for a couple weeks to make sure he was ok, and I took him home. Unfortuanatly, most of our snakes eat on sat. mornings, when I don't work, and the people I work with are very bad at record keeping. And of corse, he doesn't remember what he ate or even IF he ate. And I have no idea when he shed last, although he's starting to look a little on the dry side despite daily misting, so perhaps it will be soon.
I've had him for about 2 weeks now, I tried feeding him a F/T fuzzy after a week in his new home, with no success. I'm considering just waiting a couple weeks and trying again. After that, if he still won't eat it, maybe I'll try fresh killed. I know they can go quite a while without eating, but he's a baby, maybe 18 in. I'm just worried because I have no idea when his last meal was. He looks pretty healthy though, and he's very active. Do you think I should worry now or later?
hi i just baught i a ball python he is 2 months old i feed him a pinky once every 5 days and he seems to be hungry do i still feed him evry 5 days it would be great to get some feed back thanks......
cruxchic, You should be able to easily forcefeed a pinkie. Babies, especially from pet stores get very stressed out. You have to remember that he was shipped to a pet store from a wholesale company (more than likely, unless the pet store gets its animals from local breeders), and then it sat there for a few weeks, getting acclimated, and was then taken to a 3rd setting. Give him some time. You shouldn't have messes with the snake for 1 full week after you brought it home much less after it arrived to the pet store. At this point give the snake say 2 weeks before trying to feed again; by this time he should be really hungry and more succeptible to feeding. Put a steaming hot pinkie in a mini keeper with the snake and leave him be for while. See if he eats it on his own. The pinkie should be so hot that it steams up part of the keeper. If he doesn't eat it in say 30 minutes, force feed it. Then work up to fuzzies; the snake shound be able to eat fuzzies at its size, but since it's having feeding problems start with pinkies. Throw away any F/T feeders after thawing once.
Martino, you can probaby feed him fuzzies. Ball pythons don't feed on pinkies for long. Move up to a fuzzy mouse and stick with once a week feeding.
I have a adult BP probably 6 years old. It is now June and she has not eaten since December. She normally eats live rats but every time I attempt, she seems interested but then jerks back and looks afraid. Today, I tried for the first time in a month. She attacked twice and then lost interest. I am getting tired of buying rats and mice for her not to eat. Any answers? Someone said it could be mouth rot.
It it was mouth rot, you would notice it. She could still be acclimating from the time change.
Also, consider feeding frozen. It's safer. Plus, if you notice that the snake is lossing weight, you could purchase a frozen mouse, thaw it, and put the head in her mouth. She should just take it. If she absolutely refuses you could try to force feed, but I wouldn't go to that extreme unless you notice visible weight loss.
Check this out ab common health problems with pet snakes. I will give you tips as to whether or not your snake has mouth rot. http://hubpages.com/_reptiles/hub/Common-Health-Pr
Also, you may consider taking the snake to a vet, especially if she doesn't take the frozen mouse when you put the head in her mouth and if she's losing weight. Throw away any frozen feeders that aren't eaten. They
aren't good after you thaw them out the first time.
I just recently bought a female ball py. I knew knew nothing about them other than they were a very safe and popular snake. Your site gave me a lot of informatio that I couldn't find on others.
Thank you
My BP~Sasha, a three year old female, in the past has been eating 3-4 adult mice every two weeks. Than I read an article that suggested that I feed her more. So in May I started offering her 4-5 adult mice a week. She takes them all, and continues to act starved. (Striking at the glass when she sees anyones shadow, or reflection) She has gained major girth in the month and a half I have done this. Is it harmfull to feed her this much? When you read info. on feeding, I find there is never one answer. Is there an answer for my Sasha? Also, when should I move up to rats? And are there different sized rats to choose from like there are mice?
You could have moved up to small rats about 1.5 years ago, give or take the females girth. You can feed a snake any prey item that is no larger than the girth of the snake's body. And, yes you can over feed a snake. 3-4 mice every 2 weeks was probably fine. You could try a small or medium rat instead.
my two year old male has not eaten in about 7 months. Nothing has changed in his enclosure and I have tried changing his food choices in the last couple months. I have not however tried frozen mice since he has always eaten live rats or mice. I am thoroughly out of ideas short of force feeding. I would rather not go that route. Is there any other ideas out there.
Definitely try frozen before you try to force feed. It's better for him anyway. Check the temperatures in his tank, they may be a tad low or something causing him to not pull out of winter mode.
Hi Whitney,
I have read that BP's are fed anywhere from 10% - 25% of their body weight every 7 - 10 days by people who know things about BP's, with 10%, 10 days being on the lowest end, and 25%, 7 days being on the very aggressive side. I decided that 18% every 7-10 days seems reasonable.
My BP is 3 years old, 3' long and 783 grams. Based on my math, I'm going for approx. 141 grams. Researching online tells me that adult mice are 20 - 25 grams, which puts me at feeding it 5 - 7 mice every 7 - 10 days. Does this seem reasonable to you? I can't seem to get hold of rats from my pet store. I've just done this math today. Until now I've been feeding 3 adult mice every 7 days, and my BP seems ravenous for more, which is what led me to do the math.....
Thoughts?
Another question in case I manage to get a rat, and then on a subsequent week can't: Do you see any issue with switching back and forth between rats and mice? My BP does not appear to be a very finicky eater at all.
Thanks!
I've never heard of those percentages. I've always just kept with the size of the feeder being the no larger than the girth of the snake. I stick with medium to small rats for adult snakes. But, then I feed frozen. If you feed live, you'll probably want to stick with mice as they pose a lesser threat to your snake.
You may have a problem switching back and forth, but your could try it. I mean I've known people with snakes who only eat certain color, sex, and size rat and nothing else, so in that case switching wouldn't work, but you could try it.
I have yet to have a Ball Python that will not eat refuse an African Soft Fur Rat. The only problem with feeding the ASFR is that they tend to not want to eat anything other than ASFR.
Hm. I've never tried ASFR, but since it seems to be addicting like waxworms for geckos and lizards, it's probably something I wouldn't want to try.
We use them here only with Ball Pythons that refuse to eat and are losing a considerable amount of weight. Since ASFR are native to the Ball Pythons' regions in Africa and are a natural food source for Ball Pythons they seem to feel at home with this type of prey. Even captive born Ball Pythons seem to possess the natural prey drive to eat something they have never encountered in the wild. ASFR are very easy to breed like mice and tend to live in colonies. If you do not have the ability to breed ASFR you can keep a dead one in the freezer and rub the scent on a mouse which, in my case, has had a 70% rate to get your Ball Python to eat a mouse.
That's an interesting tip. I've never heard that one. I've only heard using tuna juice or chicken broth and drying out the frozen mouse.
Hi Whitney,
First go around with a rat didn't go very well. The snake seemed not at all interested, and initially a bit scared. Do you think it's okay to let him go another week and try again (he last ate a week ago).
He may not want to eat rats, since you've been feeding mice for so long. It would be fine to wait a week. They don't necessarily have to be fed weekly once their older, so he should be fine waiting another week. Also, did you try a small rat to start or did you go for the larger one? You may consider trying a smal rat and moving up, if you're wanting to feed medium rats.
Check the Link on the first post from me to you earlier today (technically yesterday, depending on where on earth you are) and you'll see the rat. But to answer your questions technically - it was 73 grams. The snake is over 780 grams so it's less than 10% of the body weight and definitely not any bigger than the biggest part of the snake.
Anyway - we're now caring for a couple of rats. My kids named them, so I hope when feeding time comes around nobody will be too attached to the food.
Sorry I didn't notice that your name was a link. You could probably feed him a little a larger, but definitely make sure he's eating the smalls first. Could be the color or the fact that he's used to mice. What color mice do you normally feed? Sometimes that can affect what they eat, especially if they get used to only white or only black.
So I've had my ball for a few weeks and the day I bought it, unsexxed and "captive bred" I'd been told they'd fed it that morning. The habbitat has under gone a significant change from 5 gals to 35 gals but the bedding and hide are the same I don't feed it in it's habitat and I've done exactly what the pet store did but it still wont eat I know some snakes have gone up to and over a year with out eating but this one is young it's about 17 inches long and weighs 1.9 ounces. I'm not worried yet but I'd like some tips as to how to get this darn finicky thing to friggin eat!
If it comes down to it, try frozen pinkies, force feeding it. Put the snake in a small container with a steaming hot pinkie or fuzzy, and give it about 30 minutes to see if it'll eat on its own, otherwise, you'll have to try to force feed. But don't go that route unless you notice weight loss. BPs are very stubborn feeders, and since you just got it a few weeks ago, it may take a little bit. Although, usually it only takea a week or two to get adjusted. Just watch the weight.
i'm new to having snakes as pet.
is there any other food i can feed a python hatchlings other than pinkies?
like small frogs or criket or worms?
Nope. BP's aren't going to eat crickets, and you shouldn't feed frogs. Stick with pinkies and fuzzies.
http://bp0.blogger.com/_60fQBFYjJHM/SG4xVBkI3zI/AA
what type of snake is it? is it a python?
It looks like it's a colubrid, but it's hard to tell from the picture. Why?
i caught it at a carpark staircase. as it's quite skinny but lengthy. i do not know what to feed it. mice seems too big for it to eat.
btw it's around 1.7ft long.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_60fQBFYjJHM/SG5mvPY1EOI/AA
http://bp0.blogger.com/_60fQBFYjJHM/SG5mvArMuRI/AA
i hope these pictures help.
Jean, if it's a wild caught snake, you need to release it. In many states, it's illegal to keep wild caught animals as pets. Plus, you don't know if it has any parasites or diseases. It's more than likely a corn snake or some other kind of colubrid; I will note the tail is throwing me off a bit as it's rather long and thin. It's definitely not a python. If I knew where you lived, the state, I may be able to help further ID-ing the snake, but please just release it back where you found it.
I just bought a Ball Python a few weeks ago. It's just over a footlong, and was larger than the others there. I bought it at a regular PetSmart, and it looked like it had just eated, or is just generally a really wide snake. I was told to feed (frozen food) it in about a week, and to try either 'jumper' mce which are similar to the fuzzies, or adult mice. I tried both and I've done everything, even split the mouse's skull open. Currently a fuzzy it sitting in the feeding cage with it and has been there since 9 this morning. I move him into a separate feeding cage every time I attemp to feed him. Could this be why? I was told not to feed in the same cage because they can mistake a human hand for lunch... He is not interested in the mice what so ever. He moves away from them and tries to climb out of the cage. He is a huge sweet heart and has never struck at me. Oh and he yawns when I put the mouse in with him. Boredom? I do not know. Any suggestions??
It's a young snake, and you just got it a few weeks ago. Let it sit and leave it alone for a while. Moving him to a separate enclosure isn't going to affect it's eating. Some snakes get stresses out by it, but typically it shouldn't cause a problem. What you heard about not feeding it in the same cage is a myth.
Ok so I'm going up north tomorrow untill Monday. I wont have him with me and no one else holds him or anything, so should I just try again when I get back?
Also there is no feces inside his enclosure. I searched and search, yet I see none. I was wondering if maybe he DID eat at the pet store and his motabolizim is slow and now he's constipated? I don't know how common that is or not, or if he just isn't 'going' because he hasn't had anything to eat.
I would just wait and try when you get back. If he did eat, he should have passed it within a week. He may be constipated or he may not have eaten. Try soaking him in warm water.
I just got back and I moved him into the different cage to feed him and he was completely uninterested. So I moved him back into his cage and placed the mouse on tope for a half log he llikes to sit on with all the lights off. He is a lot more interested in it now. He keeps yawning when he is by it. Is there a reason for this?
He may just like to eat in private. It's not uncommon for BP's to wait until everyone is sleeping to eat the thawed mouse. I had a friend who's adults would eat during the night. She would put the thaw small rat at the front of the main hide of each cage, and during the night the snake would eat it. But don't do this if you're using a loose substrate like aspen.
I'm using aspen that's why I put it on top of the log instead of inside the log. I'm going to try dangling the mouse in front of him in his cage, but if that doesn't work, then I don't know what will. I don't know how to force feed, nor does it sound very appealing, and I cannot feed live mice, my mom would have a fit because then when it's older I will have to feed live rats and such and she doesn't like that idea to much. But thank you for the ideas.
Hm.. Have you tried dipping the mouse in tuna juice and drying it? Sometimes that will entice them to eat. Unfortunately BPs are the worst feeders and are easily stressed. Good luck. Force feeding may be the last option to consider.
I will try tuna juice. Hopefully this works!! Thanks.
I'd give it a few days. If you try every day, you may stress out the little guy. Let me know if it works.
I'd give it a few days. If you try every day, you may stress out the little guy. Let me know if it works.
Well I tried again today, this time in his cage and he didn't want anything to do with it. There are still no feces in his cage and I just soaked him in warm water after I tried feeding him. I will wait again until next week to try. Do you think I should leave the light off of his cage for a few days? It's not a heat source so I didn't know if it will affect him or not. Also suppose he doesn't eat for awhile and hasn't eaten at all in his life, how long of a time span should pass until I should be concerned? I got him on July 6th and he hasn't eaten since I got him and I don't know if he ate before that or not... Sorry it gets frusturating but I'm just worried he won't eat, and I don't want to give him up because he is such a sweet heart!!
You can leave the light off as long as you have the UTH, but I don't think that will affect the snakes feeding habits. The light really just set the day/night scenario. You really shouldn't get too concerned until the snake starts to loose weight. You may want to consider a vet to rule out parasites, as that can be a cause for a snake to not eat. But re than likely it's just caused by the snake being a ball python...
I recently tried feeding him a thawd mouse that I let sit in some dirty gerble bedding and he was definitally more interested in it but still didn't eat. I think I'm going to try that soon again. Also I have been soaking him in warm water in case of constipation. I have now noticed that there are dry patches around his face. The rest of the body looks shiny and healthy but his head appears really dry. I've been misting the cage daily but it doesn't seem to help... Any idea what this could be?
I wouldn't mist the cage, but instead add a larger water bowl. The dry areas are probab areas where the skin didn't fully come off with the snake's last shed. Also, if you are letting it sit in gerbil waste, make sure that you get any waste and beding off the mouse before you try to feed it to the snake. Try tuna juice as well.
I only misted the cage to rise the humidity level because our air in our house is rather dry. The water bowl is big he does soak himself in it every now and then. I'm going to be getting a larger cage because he has been nosing the top of this one and the cover doesn't fit right and I don't want an excaped snake! The gerbil bedding I am using has no waste in it but it smells like gerbil. The tuna juice didn't work when I tried it and I ran out of tuna to use. I make sure to remove the bedding also. When I move to a bigger cage should I use a different type of bedding? Right now I'm using aspen shavings and I know that it can be harmful to them if they swallow it. Is there any type of bedding that would be good to use that will allow me to leave the thawd mouse in there over night? Also there is no waste in the cage still and he hasn't shed the entire time I've had him... Hmmm ball pythons! Frusturating animals but I love them!
You can use reptile carpet or paper towels, which would allow you to leave the thawed mouse in the cage overnight. You may want to consider cage clamps to prevent the snake from escaping. For te most part the snake will always be able to touch the top unless you buy a really tall tank, but they need more length than height.
Well he ate!!! I left the mouse in his feeding cage over night and it was still there this morning. I opened his jaws by hand and he didn't really care and I placed the mouse in his mouth. The first time he spit it out then the second time he took his time and ate it. I now moved him back into his other cage and he drank so I'm pretty excited that he ate. Now should I try again in a week? I'm hoping he knows now that the mice are food!!
That's good sometimes it just takes a minute to get them started. Hopefully he will start eating soon. Yes try once a week.
I have a ball python that I bought from a guy who couldn't keep him anymore. (I got a 40 gallon tank, furnishings and the snake for 80 dollars.... the snake is healthy and eating well too.) He's about 20" long. However, I don't know how old he is. I'm guessing he's pretty young... maybe a year old? I have no way of telling.
How often should I feed him?
Also is there a chart somewhere about figuring size/age of a ball python if fed correctly. I haven't been able to find anything. Also it would be nice to have such like girth of the snake v. what to feed them in a rough chart... which I also can't find. Especially for those who don't know the lingo.
Also I think it's worth mentioning that buying ball pythons from pet stores run the risk of the ball python getting BID Boid Inclusion Disease. It's a horrid way to lose a snake. At a large chain pet store I saw some ball pythons with mites that seemed to have signs of this disease...But then that pet store put the vents so that mites could crawl through them from one enclosure to the next. Rather sad thinking some unwitting fellow would buy a snake from that store and find the snake dead in 6 months... Even without mites you can spread this disease. Thought it might be good to mention that.
a 40 gallon tank is a little too big for a 20" snake. you may conside blocking off part of the tank. you want to feed it at least once a week until it's a little older. When the snake starts refusing to feed weekly, you know that it is ready for every other week or so. ball pythons grow at different rates, so it will be very hard to determine the actual age of the snake. I wouldn't say a year old by any means, but you won't really be able to estimate it. I mean females are typically larger than males, and the growth rates will vary per sex and per individual snake.
You can incounter snakes with BID with breeders as well as pet store.
There's really no need to mention that in a page about feeding; it would be better placed in a care sheet page.
Hi, I have recently bout a ball python that is maybe 14-16 inches long and I have a few questions. I hope someone can help because it is my first reptilian pet and everyone I live with is terrified of it so I am the only one taking care of it.
1. How old would she be if she is 14-16 inches?
2. What and how much should I feed the snake?
I have had her for 2 nights now and she has already shed and eaten 1 hopper. I was told to feed her once a week with one hopper. But I don't know if he gave me a baby hopper or what. It was tiny and pink and the mom and dad were bigger and white. Oh and I call "it" her because I am hoping it is so I can balance the male to female ratio in my home lol
The age will vary on the sex of the snake, as females grow faster than males. Plus, it will vary upon snake, no two snakes have the same growth rate. I cannot give you an exact age.
You want to feed the snake once a week. Frozen food that is no larger than the widest part of hte snake's body. Hoppers are hoppers; there is no such thing as a baby hopper or an adult hopper. If the hopper was pink, it was a pinkie and not a hopper. More than likely you can feed fuzzies. You don't want to go too small or too large. Just remember no larger than the widest girth of the snake.
Remember females can get up to 6 feet, so don't wish too hard it's a female unless you really want a bigger snake.
i got really lucky with my bp.as soon as i brought him home[about 2 mnths old] he settled right in.started feeding him frozen after he was fed live in the store.now every week i put a thawed adult mouse on a piece of cardboard in the cool end of his tank.within a minute everytime he is out of his hidebox sniffing.i actually think he looks out at me to thank me!i actually had a 6 foot brazillian boa for near 2 years who bit me so many times i simply traded it for my bp.happiest snake ive ever owned.loves chillin on my bed and knows when its time to go back to his crib!
My boyfriend and I have recently got a bp. that is about 18 inches long now. We have had him for about a month and a half now. I am by far an expert on snakes or any reptile for that matter. We started out feeding him once a week. (Every 7 days) Around the 4th and 5th day after he would eat you could tell in his behavior that he was hungry again, so we started feeding him every 5 days. I mean within a minute of a mouse being in his tank its dead. He thinks that we should start feeding it two small mice every 5 days. I personally think that is a little too much for a snake that is only 18 inches long! Can you overfeed a snake? Or is ours just a pig?
Yes you can overfeed a snake. You want to stick with every 5-7 days and no more. It can cause health and growth concerns if the snake grows too fast in a short period of time.
Hey I own a ball python and it has been with me for the past year, he is about three feet and he looks like hes going to shed, his underbelly is cream colored and his eyes are turning kinda blue. Last week i tried feeding him a thawed mouse and he snapped once then refused. I tried more than 3 times, and he kept refusing. its been 2 weeks and i tried again and he refused again, he didnt even snap first, he seemed uninterested. so yeah, im trying everyweek but am wasting the mice, i dont know what to do because i dont want to pay and waste the mice away, theyre pretty expensive. any advice on what to do?
I would give it a few weeks after the snake has shed and then try again. Becuase it is getting a chilled, the snake may be feeling the weather change. My BP does it every year even though his tank temps are spot on. If the snake still does not eat, try again a few weeks later. Give the snake time to get hungry, so to speak.
So I took over taking care of the sweetest BP in the world, (opinion, of course), from a friend who couldn't care for her any longer. Envy is at least 2 years old, maybe older, and I've had her for a month now. When I got her, they told me to feed her just two mice, (she's on live) every three weeks. However, I thought that wasn't enough, so i've been feeding her 3 med. sized mice every 10-14 days...see,she's been through a lot & probably should of died. The person who had her before my friend got her as a baby & didn't even have a heat lamp, so she had to be without one for months during the winter, suffice to say, I believe her head is a bit too small. However, she is now over 2 ft. long & really needs to eat more, after about a week I can see that she is starting to get hungry again. I want to start her on a rat, but my dilema is that I doubt she will switch to frozen & I am afraid that the rat might hurt her. She isn't much of a killer, and sometimes when I watch her feed & the way she strikes sometimes leaves the mouse's hind legs to scratch at her face. To be honest, it took her a while to figure out how to eat right, sometimes Envy used to try to eat the snake backward, but then would spit it back out & re-arrange it. She has gotten much better, but I'm not sure if she can deal with a rat. Plus, her head is small compared to her body so I'm not even sure if she could get it down. I was thinking of moving up to 4 every 2 wks., but was told that would take too much energy for her to kill them. Then I thought, what if I fed her every week? I realize that at some point she'll have to switch to larger prey, but how do I know when? And is there any precations I should take when first introducing her to a rat? How do I know when to move her up to two rats?? Does it have something to do with her lenth or her girth? All I know is this girl is hungry & I don't know what to do! I don't want her to get her eye scratched out by an aggressive rat! If you have any advice, please help!!! Thanks so much!
If the snake is two years old and only just over 2 feet, it's probably a male and not a female. As for feeding the snake, you want to go no larger than the widest girth of the snake's body. I've done three mice at a time before, and my male hasn't had any problems in terms of energy, but yes it can be energy consuming on the snake. The head of the snake has nothing to do with what size you can feed, as their jaws separate into like 6 pieces in order to get the prey down. Just make sure to go no larger than the widest girth of the snake. As for bumping her to rats; you're probably best keeping with the mice if she's a slow killer. You may have more harm done to her by switching, unless you can try frozen. You don't know if she'll take it unless you try, and try more than once. Since she is a slow killer the frozen may be better for her even in terms of mice, even. You can feed her once a week probably two mice and she should be fine. Generally, if you're feeding rats, the snake won't need to eat two.
I can't get my snake to eat.its been three weeks.i've gotten him to eat once,but now every time i try to he,just wants held and when i stick it in his face he hides.he's about 1 and a half foot to two foot long.the first time i got him to eat i gave him a frozen pinky warmed up.he doesn't look like he's getting any skinier.
How long have you had him? Is he drinking? Where did you get him from? What are the temps?
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Pam Christman says:
9 months ago
My Pedro 1 foot long enjoys his live white mice he eats once a week, and is perfectly content with that. He is very gentle and loves to be held. He doesn't pee in the floor or tar up stuff or shed hair all over the firniture. Snakes are great pets you gotta love em'