New onwer of baby ball python that will not eat ??? HELP L/P

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Posted by Oilfan94 on May 08, 2003 at 13:55:30:

In Reply to: New onwer of baby ball python that will not eat ??? HELP L/P posted by mlcad1 on May 08, 2003 at 10:32:24:

First of all, you need to make the enclosure suitable for a BP to live in. That means that you have to have a temperature gradient and know what the temperature is. You must have a thermometer on the floor of the enclosure so you know what temperature the snake is exposed to. Hiding spot and water you have already provided. A good habitat is a key factor when getting them to eat.

Secondly, leave the snake alone to settle in. It is very young and most likely very afraid. Don't handle it until it has eaten at least once. It may be hard for a 12 year old to understand but he (and you) must resist the urge to handle him too early and too often. It is also important not to handle it for 24 to 48 hours after eating.

I don't know what the seller told you but you should get some good care sheets and even a book on the care of ball pythons.

A pinky is too small for a ball python, even a baby. A lot of balls can eat an adult mouse right from the start but you may have to start with hoppers. Always feed dead prey. Live feeding should be a last resort because is can be very dangerous for the snake. It much cheaper to buy frozen mice in bulk rather than to buy them one at a time from the pet store.

Lastly, have patience. Make sure the snake has a proper environment and feels safe and comfortable...when you have taken care of that the snake should eat. There are lots of tricks to get them to eat (once the set up is correct) but I think patience is the key.

Good Luck.

:We got our 12 year old son a baby ball python at the reptile show on may 3. The man we got him from told us that he had eatting already .He said it was about 2 to 3 weeks old .He is a foot and half long . We have him in a 20 gal tank with a log in the tank . We have him on paper and have a bowl of water in there.He has been realy active . He is partly shedding .I have no clue what the temp is in there (I know it's not good I Have three Bearded Dragons ) I have a reptile blue light on him I just can't remember what watt. it is . We Got him a pinky from the pet store we put him and the pinky in a rubber made tot put the top on it and waitted but he never eat. We then froz the pinky and tried two days later .We took the pinky out and put it in a bag and put it in a cup of hot water and then gave it to him again but he still has not eatten .I was told to try dipping the pinky in chicken broth and tried this but still nothing .My son is very upset that he will not eat and I have no clue what to do . I do have a vet here that does reptiles but don't know if I should take him in ??? PLEASE HELP THANKS sorry for the long post.

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