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Ball Python Won't Eat F/T

Shadiela

Shadiela

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Hi, everyone. This is my first post here but unfortunately it is not under good circumstances. I have a breeding size butter male I'm caring for, for a friend. He got the snake in August at the Daytona Reptile Expo and gave it to my fiance to hold on to until he had a place of his own. Up to this month he could not get the snake to eat frozen and gave it to me to see if I had any luck. So far I had tried wiggling it and leaving him alone with it for a few hours, no luck. Next I tried scenting it with chicken stock to see if it may entice him, no luck he still runs away from it and keeps his distance. We were told he was eating small rats so that's the size we got for him. Next feeding day is Sunday, and I'm going to see if splitting the head open may work to perk his interest.

Any advice or tips to help would be greatly appreciated. He's a really sweet boy and I really want him to be eating consistently and gain any weight he's lost back.

I have pics of him also.
 

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You could try different colors too. If he really refuses to eat, would they be willing to get him feeding steadily on live and then reconverting him after? Personally, that is what i would do, or start offering live on tongs one way, and then try bringing live into the room one day, but feeding an FT. It could be your approach, it could be the color, it could be the temperature of the food you are offering... I wish you the best of luck!
 
It's difficult to see his body condition from the bit I can see in the picture, but it doesn't look like he's thin? It's not uncommon at all for an adult male to be off feed this time of year. His thoughts may be on love right now. Just continue to offer once a week, and he'll eventually eat for you.

Good looking boy.
 
Thanks for the input, unfortunately I don't have any way to access live where I am. I order frozen online or get them at shows. That, and keeping 2 rats as pets doesn't help me in the emotional department (reason I have pet rats is snakes lol). The place that used to sell live went out of business (or moved, unsure) a long time ago which is why I'm rather distressed about the snake right now. My fiance's friend neglected to ask the breeder what the butter ate until after he bought him and brought him to us.
 
He doesn't look too bad. I wouldn't sweat it. As long as your husbandry is on par, he'll eventually decide to eat.

I don't see a hide box in there, but realize that you probably took it out to snap some pictures. If you don't have one, that'd be the first thing I'd put in there for him.

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, just relating what I'd do in this situation based on my experiences with breeder sized males (and females). More than half my animals are off feed right now for the lovin' season.
 
You think a hide box might help? I only have hides for my juveniles since my only 2 sub adult females (which are the biggest I had until now) never use them. They are pretty social and like to be in view, but I guess I was gonna come across a shyer snake eventually. I'll look to it to getting a hide for him.
 
Some snakes like the extra security it gives them. I've got one big PIA female who despite being in a CB70 tub in a darkened room, won't even think about eating unless she can do it from her hide. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something snug he can cram himself into. It's worth trying, anyways.
 
There are a lot of things around the house you can use as a hide. He may be too big for a tissue box but you can try an empty one of those.
 
This may sound incredibly silly, but I'll share what worked for converting my BP to F/T. My little guy was fed only live from the breeder & I can't/won't do that (for many reasons that are unimportant for this topic), but after a few unsuccessful attempts to get him to eat the F/T using the usually tricks, I used my blow dryer & basically heated it up as much as I could. I can't begin to tell you how hard my boyfriend laughed at me when he walked in on me playing hair dresser on a dead mouse, but hey, I got the last laugh when he snapped that stylish baby up! I had to continue with the blow dryer for the next 5-6 feedings until he got the hang of it, but we have no problems now getting him to eat the F/T & I don't have to 'fluff & style' his dinner. ;)
 
haha really? A blow dryer? Did you thaw it out first or did you blow dry it straight from frozen to heat blasted thawed lol. It's worth a shot, I'll have to give that a try, thanks Untaimed.
 
I thaw out and use a blow dryer every time, just because I guess. Had some snakes go off feed for a few months and it's no fun. Now every single one is chowing down weekly on f/t. You don't have a Petco in your area? They sell live feeders.
 
Save the brain mashing - that's more of a colubrid trick.

1) Your best bet to getting a BP to take f/t is to get it feeding regularly first.
2) Double, then triple, check your husbandry
3) Definitely heat the prey item
4) If you don't have long tweezers, get some.
5) Hide boxes help for some
6) Not all ball pythons will convert to f/t, and some will be VERY prey specific - sometimes you just have to accept that, and deal with it.
7) Find out how it was kept before...sometimes something as simple as changing the substrate will get them eating again.
 
I would also try a frozen mouse too. Sometimes mice can jump start a feeding response or will be taken more readily. I usually get my males back on feed after a breeding season with a different rodent. I would track his weight during this process
 
If you do not want to become a dead rodent cosmetologist try super heated water for a final bath before feeding. I heat water in the microwave to 130 degrees and dump it into the 5 gal bucket of thawed and heated rodents I feed out and they snatch them right up. Sometimes they just want it really warm but do not cook them!
 
If all this fails I found this pet store (PM) sent with info, don't know if it's open but it appears to be your closest bet for live feeders. It maps as about 24 minutes from palm coast in general (don't know where you are specifically) but if they don't have them there are several other pet stores in St. Augustine. Also if you come south there are live feeder stores in Ormond and Holly Hill.

I know you may not want to feed live but there are stores with in 30ish minutes that you can get to if you can't get this guy switched over.

Good Luck
 
mgoblue347 said:
I thaw out and use a blow dryer every time, just because I guess. Had some snakes go off feed for a few months and it's no fun. Now every single one is chowing down weekly on f/t. You don't have a Petco in your area? They sell live feeders.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely trying the blow dryer trick come next feeding day. The nearest Petco I have is in Daytona 20-30 minutes away and the Petsmart I have near me only sells frozen feeders and pet rodents. Last time I went to that Petco though the rats looked sickly and put me off from returning for a second look when I was searching for a pet rat.

hhmoore said:
Save the brain mashing - that's more of a colubrid trick.

1) Your best bet to getting a BP to take f/t is to get it feeding regularly first.
2) Double, then triple, check your husbandry
3) Definitely heat the prey item
4) If you don't have long tweezers, get some.
5) Hide boxes help for some
6) Not all ball pythons will convert to f/t, and some will be VERY prey specific - sometimes you just have to accept that, and deal with it.
7) Find out how it was kept before...sometimes something as simple as changing the substrate will get them eating again.
Click to expand...

I got a temp hide made out of a box right now and he seems to enjoy it, so we'll see if that ups my chances of getting him to eat next. I have my temps around 87-88 and have a nice long pair of tongs already. Hmmm a diff substrate? That may be possible I'll have to ask my fiances friend to check back with the breeder on that. I'm really hoping he will convert, but if I must I will get live as a last resort.

Focal said:
I would also try a frozen mouse too. Sometimes mice can jump start a feeding response or will be taken more readily. I usually get my males back on feed after a breeding season with a different rodent. I would track his weight during this process
Click to expand...

That may work, I'll have to give it a try next time I get some more frozen feeders.

preacher said:
If you do not want to become a dead rodent cosmetologist try super heated water for a final bath before feeding. I heat water in the microwave to 130 degrees and dump it into the 5 gal bucket of thawed and heated rodents I feed out and they snatch them right up. Sometimes they just want it really warm but do not cook them!
Click to expand...

Haha I actually already do that :D . I figured my snakes wouldn't want cold rodents so I always give them a second dip in hot water for about 5 minutes before I start feeding.

kellysballs said:
If all this fails I found this pet store (PM) sent with info, don't know if it's open but it appears to be your closest bet for live feeders. It maps as about 24 minutes from palm coast in general (don't know where you are specifically) but if they don't have them there are several other pet stores in St. Augustine. Also if you come south there are live feeder stores in Ormond and Holly Hill.

I know you may not want to feed live but there are stores with in 30ish minutes that you can get to if you can't get this guy switched over.

Good Luck
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll have to check them out if it really does seem it's come to that point. My only fear is if the snake doesn't want the rodent, and then I have to care for it til next feeding and by that time I end up getting an attachment to it lol.
 
the blow dryer should work. After I thaw the rats I place them in a cat litter box that is lined with aluminum foil. The box is placed on top of a heat pad. On the top of the box I put light defusers (egg crate) wraped in aluminum foil. Then I place a heat lamp over it. This heats the rats on both side and brings them up slowly. Right before I feed I hold the rat next to the bulb to get a little extra heat signature. This usually works every time
 
That's a great idea Randy. You can heat up multiple rats at once pretty evenly as long as the heat pads big enough.
 
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