stressed out lil man

Hi guys,
I just recieved an 04 male on thurs afternoon. I have left him alone just peeked at him to see how he is. I noticed that he is breathing very heavily, but not always. I'm guessing that it's just because he can see me and I look like a horrible monster to him. The only time he's moved around the tank a bit is at night (which is pretty normal). I guess my question is... is the breathing normal? Also, with my coulbrids, I give them about three days before I try to handle them for a few minutes, this guy looks way to nervous. How long does it take before most balls get acclimated? I'm guessing I should leave him alone at least until I see him acting more comfortable in his own surroundings. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

When I have had baby BPs they seem to almost all breathe "heavily" but at a normal pace, that is if by heavily you mean their body moves sort of up and down with their breaths.
I don't think it is anything to worry about absent wheezes, or excess mucous or mucous bubbles or gaping.

As to handling them, it is different for each snake.Leave it alone for a week, except to check on it, give it fresh water, and then feed it or at least try to feed it. I usually feed my baby BPs either larger juvenile to small adult baby mice. If your snake already has eaten a meal or two, and is a normal sized baby BP, this sized mouse should not be a problem. The mice I use are almost always live, at least for the first few feedings.In my limited experience with BP babies (I have had about 30 - 40 babies BPs in the past) they are much more likely to commence feeding and go through the first few feedings on live prey instead of prekilled; and they need to weaned off live and later switched to prekilled fresh or thawed rodents. Of course you may get lucky and your's may immediately start with a prekilled.

Thanks!
Ya, I'm just going to leave him alone for a few more days. I have never noticed this heavy breathing with any of my other snakes so I wasn't sure if it was a python trait or what. Sounds like it may be. He seems very healthy though and I'm sure he's just stressed out in his new surroundings. I'm going to try to feed him f/t, but I know he's used to live so I'll have to cross my fingers on getting him to eat f/t right away. Can't say that I'd blame him if he doesn't though. Maybe you could tell me if you have any tricks on weaning balls off of live. Should I try wiggling the mouse around to trick him, or do they just take to the f/t after offering it to them a few times? Just want to make sure he eats and don't want to stress him out any more than he is
Thanks again for your help!
-Monica

The two I kept out of all the others are now about 3 years old and still insist on live, I have no secrets. I have gotten a few others to switch usuing heated thawed mice, but be careful that it does not get too warm or it will burst and be very smelly and mushy.

Well he definitely seems to be warming up a bit more now. He was out and about so while I was giving him some fresh water I handled him a little and he "came out of his ball" and was acting calm and curious. I think he'll do fine
As for the mice I plan on offering him one f/t tomorrow to see if he'll take it, if not it's off to the pet store. Man, I really hate Petco with a passion, but they are the only providers of live near by and I really don't want to start a mouse breeding project! Oh well, still have my fingers crossed. Thanks for your help and I'll let you know if I discover any "new tricks"
-Monica

Congrats on your new little one!

You have already broken the first so called "cardinal rule", no handling until it feeds a few times! With ball pythons it sometimes is very hard to tell if they are stressed...especially when you are new to them.

For feeding, I would get two very small food items, maybe fuzzie mice, one live and one frozen, feed the live one, and then if it eats that one dangle a thawed food item in front of the snake immediately after the mouse fuzzie is in it's belly. Chances are it will strike, constrict, and swallow the thawed fuzzie as well because it will still be in an instinctive feeding mode, since it's still young, it should be easy to switch over to thawed food. If it doesn't end up eating anything, wait a full 5 days and try again with live.

Good luck and NO HANDLING UNTIL IT EATS AT LEAST TWO MEALS(I know it is very very hard)!!

You know, I just read that tonight! Ooops! Well no more handling until he eats a few times. I like your idea on using the live fuzzy first, then dangling the f/t in front of him. I was thinking of at least giving both as an option so that he might at least recognize it as food after he ate the first, but it would make sense to dangle a warm fuzzy for him. Thanks for the advise! I'll keep you posted on how he does.

little something more...

If you get them used to this it works well for me...

I use hides that have small openings so i can "dangle" the rats without them seeing me at all from inside.All they see is the hole and the rat.
I usually" tweak" the hide a little beforehand to alert them so am not waiting all day.
After a while they associate the slight movement of the hide with feeding time.Just dont ever try to take them out to play when they are in the hide, .