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Feeding Problem?

B

BBNewYork

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I have had a 4.5ft ball python for a little over a year now. I feed one knocked out rat once a week, I throw it in the tank and its only not been eaten once with this method which im happy about.
But...for the last month or so, whenever I open the cage to attempt handling, I am greeted only by striking because she thinks it is feeding time just by the sound of the cage opening and steel clips popping off (i THINK). I have tried other methods when I first got her such as a large ventilated bin or bag to keep this association from developing, but she would not eat.
I am not worried about being bitten as much as not being able to handler her, it would break my heart. The tank is big enough for her to stretch completely across with lots of room to move... do BP prefer a smaller area when eating?
I am new to this situation... help would be appreciated!
 
Some basic questions for this situation:
What are your temps? Have you moved the tank & possibly not compensated for the change?
Does she have a hide box?
Do you handle her between feedings? Not right before & certainly not right after, but on a regular basis? We all get busy sometimes; is it possible you've only had time just for feeding?
Has she been shedding ok? Is it possible that (if she isn't) her eye caps aren't coming off? Most of mine tend to freak if I move around them when they are deep in the opaque stage of shedding.
Is it possible something could be wrong health-wise? Maybe that's her way of letting you know?
Good luck with her.
 
Tiger Lilly said:
Some basic questions for this situation:
What are your temps? Have you moved the tank & possibly not compensated for the change?
Does she have a hide box?
Do you handle her between feedings? Not right before & certainly not right after, but on a regular basis? We all get busy sometimes; is it possible you've only had time just for feeding?
Has she been shedding ok? Is it possible that (if she isn't) her eye caps aren't coming off? Most of mine tend to freak if I move around them when they are deep in the opaque stage of shedding.
Is it possible something could be wrong health-wise? Maybe that's her way of letting you know?
Good luck with her.
Click to expand...

Temp is usually 89F with a quarter of the tank at 78-80F.
The tank has not been moved or changed.
She has an extra large half-log she can fit snug yet comfortably in but does not use it.
I give 2 or 3 days after feeding before attempting to handle, but other than that I have not had the time to handle her daily.
She sheds often, but i wouldnt know if she "missed" one.. and the cloudy eyes (thats the eye caps, right?) are usually not present when I try to handle her. I did try to pull a tiny handing piece of skin off one time and she FREAKED out.. other than that i've handled her mostly when shedding is done.
As for health problems, I am too novice to see tell-tale signs. I'm going to research the more common problems, observe, and see if anything fits.

Thanks a lot for the input, I really appreciate it!
 
Sorry I couldn't have been more help; someone with more knowledge & experience than I will see this, I'm sure, and be able to offer up more suggestions.
 
It's possible she has figured out that if she throws a hissy fit that you will leave her alone, and that IS what she wants. When I have had a normally tolerant snake choose to come up with attitude I just push the envelope, as much as is safe, and handle them any way to let them know that that kind of attitude is not going to get them any special treatment.

Granted, after one of the little darlings tries to get a piece of you, it can be a little tough to just go back at it. However, I have never had one continue with aggressive behaviour when I have insisted that they will get handled, like it or not.
 
I bet it's a combination of a few things:

1. What Jerry mentioned;
2. Not handling her regularly (i.e. only handling her when feeding)--they get used to your opening the tank meaning feeding time; you don't have to handle her daily--just often enough that she doesn't learn to associate you with food;
3. No secure hides. The half-log is not secure enough for secretive snakes. They like to cram themselves into small spaces, and they like to feel the container around them. I've never had a snake like the half-logs. I'd suggest something with only one small entrance and the rest enclosed.

I hope this helps!
 
R. Eventide said:
I bet it's a combination of a few things:

1. What Jerry mentioned;
2. Not handling her regularly (i.e. only handling her when feeding)--they get used to your opening the tank meaning feeding time; you don't have to handle her daily--just often enough that she doesn't learn to associate you with food;
3. No secure hides. The half-log is not secure enough for secretive snakes. They like to cram themselves into small spaces, and they like to feel the container around them. I've never had a snake like the half-logs. I'd suggest something with only one small entrance and the rest enclosed.

I hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Good point, i'm going to check out finding her a new more enclosed hide. Thanks!
 
One more thing I just noticed with a couple of my snakes...for some reason they've gotten quite pi$$y & not eating; putting them in a smaller 'home' has made a noticeable difference after less than a week.
 
Tiger Lilly said:
One more thing I just noticed with a couple of my snakes...for some reason they've gotten quite pi$$y & not eating; putting them in a smaller 'home' has made a noticeable difference after less than a week.
Click to expand...

Wow, really? Thanks for the info, i'm going to be doing some experimentation with the surroundings, I just hope it doesn't get her even more pissed off.
 
I watched a video on youtube once on how to avoid being bitten and the guy said something interesting. He had mentioned that he heard if you take a snake hook or something similar and touch it to the tip of the nose it will take them out of the hunting mode they are in when hungry. Now I personally have seen people greeted with the same thing opening a cage and once the snake is picked up it usually will not bite them.

Personally I wait until my girl is in her hide and feed her by knocking out her food and after it stops twitching placing it in front of the hide. I do this in the middle of the day because she wont just come darting out and grab it. It usually stays there about 30 minutes and then she eats it I think because its an off time for them to eat. So she isn't thinking about food during the day just sleeping. Personally doing this has never gotten me bitten yet.

I would say its the handling thing too. You could try handling her with gloves and a long sleeve shirt so if she does bite you can go right on handling her until she starts to calm down. I had one just today throw a fit at the pet store when I was trying to look at his belly and I just let him put his head in his hide and he chilled out very well and let me keep on checking him out. But this requires you handle right over the tank but they feel more secure with familiar surroundings. Anyhow hope it works out for you. It still makes me a bit nervouse when I see that s shape to the neck and they get really still. lol
 
I may be relatively new to snake care, but this is one subject I'm an expert on. I purchased a normal female as my first ball python, I got her from Bruce at Twin Cities Reptile (love those guys) so I knew full well she was taken good care of before coming into my possession. When I put her in her 30 gal long aquarium she never came out. I could handle her, but she wouldn't eat and sometimes seemed threatened when I went into her cage.

After trying everything (more hides, rearranging, feeding her in her tank and out) It just so happened my collection had grown so I purchased a snake rack from a friend. I put her in a 32qt tub, seemed to small to me but a friend told me to try it, and she eat everything I put in there now. Doesn't matter if it's f/t, live fresh kill, she eats it all.

I have to remind myself of this all the time. Quit thinking like a mammal. some snakes don't like big cages. if you have an aquarium, try adding another hide, or putting a towel over it so the snake feels more secure.

as for the biting, I feed all my snakes in their tubs, I open the tub remove the snake from it's hide, put the mice in the enclosure and close it. I find that just the small interaction I have with my snake before feeding breaks up the hunting/striking instinct. Since I feed f/t I don't have to watch to make sure nothing happens. Thus I put the mice on top of the hide and close the tub. My snakes have learned that being moved and the tub closing is dinner time and go right over to where the mice are always placed.
 
seraphimsdawn said:
I may be relatively new to snake care, but this is one subject I'm an expert on. I purchased a normal female as my first ball python, I got her from Bruce at Twin Cities Reptile (love those guys) so I knew full well she was taken good care of before coming into my possession. When I put her in her 30 gal long aquarium she never came out. I could handle her, but she wouldn't eat and sometimes seemed threatened when I went into her cage.

After trying everything (more hides, rearranging, feeding her in her tank and out) It just so happened my collection had grown so I purchased a snake rack from a friend. I put her in a 32qt tub, seemed to small to me but a friend told me to try it, and she eat everything I put in there now. Doesn't matter if it's f/t, live fresh kill, she eats it all.

I have to remind myself of this all the time. Quit thinking like a mammal. some snakes don't like big cages. if you have an aquarium, try adding another hide, or putting a towel over it so the snake feels more secure.

as for the biting, I feed all my snakes in their tubs, I open the tub remove the snake from it's hide, put the mice in the enclosure and close it. I find that just the small interaction I have with my snake before feeding breaks up the hunting/striking instinct. Since I feed f/t I don't have to watch to make sure nothing happens. Thus I put the mice on top of the hide and close the tub. My snakes have learned that being moved and the tub closing is dinner time and go right over to where the mice are always placed.
Click to expand...

Yes, I really need to think about changing the enclosure to make her more comfortable and calm. Thanks a lot! All this advice is very helpful.
 
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