My ball python wont eat....?

Question

i tried feeding it but it wont eat...

this is my first time feeding it...

and well i tried wiggling the food and it got it once and well it let it go....

i need a step by step guide please...it about...i belive a foot long and an inch wide...these are just estimates.... and i been feeding it frozen adult mice...after thawed of course....

Answer 1

Is it secure?

Is it comfortable?

Is it hungry?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ezV9VnjUyE8

Answer 2

Try feeding it live hoppers it worked for me. When i got my snake i fed it frozen fuzzys after 2 weeks. But it would never eat. Keep in mind that baby ball pythons are very picky eaters.

Answer 3

when i got my python i wouldnt eat dead and i got worried but i tried feed ing it live and didnt have a problem

Answer 4

I completely understand your worried but really dont be. here are the steps that i take to get my baby ball to eat.

1) I place the mouse in a ziplock bag and thaw it in a boowl hot water, NOT BOILLING YOU DO NOT WANT TO COOK IT  for about 10 minutes.

2) After its thawed i place the bowl with the ziplock and mouse under a tap with running hot-NOT BOILLING water to heat it up for around 2-3 minutes.

3) While the mouse is warming i wash my hands (to get rid of the sent so that i dont smell like mouse,) and play with my ball to make sure hes awake.

4) I put my ball in a box (so that every time i put my hands in the cage it doesnt think its getting food).

5) I take the mouse out of the ziplock and rap it in paper towels so that i can carry it and so to get off any excess water.

6) With a pair of tongs (so as not to get bitten) i hold the tail of the mouse and wiggle it about 5 inches away from his head and about 3 inches off the ground.

7) My ball will usually jump for it with in 5 seconds if hes not that interessted i place the mouse on the floor and cover the box for total darkness for around an hour hes has always eaten after that.

There are a few reasons why your did not eat if that happens just cover what ever hes in and leave him for a few hours.

The first reason i can think of that you ball dropped the food is that you moved, after your ball grabs the food do not move or he'll probably drop the food. Another reason that i can think of that he dropped the food is that he wasnt hungry. As you and your ball grow together youll know when hes hungry.

Dont be worried if he still doesnt eat just keep trying different things some balls like there food wet some soggy and others completelydry. I got most of my needed info in books and on the web. look around and keep trying and youll get him to eat. If you really start to get worried about him go see a vet or even just go to the pet shop where you bought him and ask them to see what they were doing to get him eating.

Answer 5

If this is your first time feeding it, I imagine that your python is relatively new as a pet? If so...

You should wait a week or two after you get them so they can get used to their new home. Don't handle your snake or offer food in the mean time. If you did wait the week and are trying to offer for the first time then maybe your snake is not used to being fed frozen/thawed. If you tried and it didn't want to eat, wait 3-7 days before offering again.

There are several ways to get a ball interested in food:

Make sure the prey you are offering is slightly above room temperature. You can use a heatlamp or a hair dryer to heat up the mouse so it seems more interesting. You can also try to spray or brush a bit of chicken broth on the rodent's nose. Poke a toothpick inside the nose of the mouse. This will bring blood up and nothing is more interesting than injured prey. Instead of wiggling your mouse around, tap the snake around the middle/tail with the rodent's nose, this usually causes an imediate reaction and he will most likely strike.

Try offering freshly killed mice (PK), if the snake was being fed live before it is more likely that it will take a PK before an FT. You can also try scenting. Get a hamster, gerbil or ASFR and kill it. Rub it against the mouse and you're good to go. Freeze the hamster for future use.

Ball pythons are known for their hunger strikes. If you have tried for a few weeks with no results, and your snake is beggining to loose weight, take it to the vet, but if no change is apparent, don't loose sleep over it.