Feeding baby ball python??????

Question

Can i start him off on adult small white mice if i stun them first? He's only one month old. How long (In months) Do i have to handle him so he can be friendly? Thank you

Answer 1

I don't know much about snakes

but i had a ball python

and it was great for a while

but since i didn't hold it that much and i fed it in the same tank that it lived in it got aggressive and would strike when i just wanted to hold him because he thought i had food

good luck with your snake

i would do a lot of research because the poor guy who gave me the snake moved and i should have gotten a number or something because he was soo good with the snake. he did everything with it, it was crazy. you would see him riding his bike with his snake around his neck. he said that half of time he would just forget about it and it would stay with  him for hours, just hanging out.  

Answer 2

Well I can tell you with my ball python when I got him as a baby, I started him off on mice pinkies, and then from there I went to fuzzies and moved on up to rat pups. I fed mine once a week and then slowly started to only feed him twice a month as he gets bigger. snakes can normally eat up to 3 times the size of their mouth, but always be careful. also I feed my snake live mice, but some prefer them dead. you kinda just have to observe your snake during feedings and see how he reacts. also it never hurts to leave a rock in the tank during feeding so he has some shelter cause some rats/mice like to bite. hope this helps some. good luck..

Answer 3

Ball pythons, and indeed any snake, can eat prey that is appropriately sized.  What this means is that any prey item you give should be no bigger around than your snake at its widest point.  Adult mice obviously vary in size, but in my experience, would probably be to large for a snake of the size you have.  Many pet owners mistakenly feed prey that will leave a bulge in their snake; however, this is not always good for the snake.  Too big of prey can cause regurgitation, and there is nothing that smells worse than a partially digested rodent!

What has your snake BEEN eating?  That should be a good guideline.  If you just got him, ask the pet store what, when, and how often the snake ate.  Keeping the menu and schedule consistent is often crucial in keeping your snake eating (especially ball pythons, which stop eating once in a while for no reason at all).

As to being friendly, you have a species that is kind of known for its docility.  However, they will take some occasional handling (several minutes per week) as babies to make sure that they do not grow up head shy.  This can make it especially difficult to help the snake shed, inspect its mouth for problems, etc. later in life.  

Remember, though, that if you just got your snake, you should neither handle or feed it for about two weeks while it settles in and acclimates to the new surroundings.

Answer 4

Just remember that a new snake can be over handled untill it gets used to it. Over handling can cause it to refuse food. Never heard of stunning a mouse.

Answer 5

theres no real set date you just need to handle it when you can so that it gets used to people holding them. Have you tried using pinkies first? You can also use fish although its not recommended because it can cause your snake to get a disease so not a good idea! Usually the babies eat whats called pinkies ( mice fetus). If your having difficulties with feeding your snake could be dehydrated, you can use pedialyte mixed with water and they usually start eating. We once had a baby ball who did this, he didn't eat for a couple of months we gave him the water mixed with pedialyte and it worked really well. He ate as soon as he felt better. Just thought I would throw that in there.