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How do I take care of a blind ball python?

V

voudrie12

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Our ball python (male, about four feet long) recently fell from about 4-5 feet off of a tub and landed on his head. Now we believe that he is blind. There isn't any noticeable damage to the eyes themselves, but from the way he is acting it is obvious that he can't see. He hasn't eaten in about three weeks, and now whenever we put him in with a rat he acts like he doesn't even know it's there. Does anyone have any advice on taking care of a blind snake? We love our ball python dearly and would hate for him to die. Any advice anyone has to offer is welcomed!
 
I hope you are not feeding live rats to him.
I think you should consult a vet familiar with reptiles.
 
lucille said:
I hope you are not feeding live rats to him.
I think you should consult a vet familiar with reptiles.
Click to expand...

:iagree: There's no way of knowing for sure what happened during the fall...or more specifically, the landing. Good luck! I hope he's ok!!
 
I agree with the previous posters about taking the snake to a vet. You need to know what's actually wrong before trying to treat it.

As for feeding live rodents to blind snakes.... It shouldn't be a problem, though it probably depends on the snake. I'd only feed live to a blind snake with constant supervision, of course, but snakes use their tongue and IR-sensing heat pits more than they do their eyes.
 
R. Eventide said:
snakes use their tongue and IR-sensing heat pits more than they do their eyes.
Click to expand...

I concur. Hence why they are able to strike, constrict, and consume prey in pitch darkness. I feed mine in complete blackness most of the time as they feel more secure that way.

It has only been 3 weeks -- odds are he is just shaken up. It is also the middle of winter, and ball pythons often fast for 4-6 months during the winter breeding season. I would leave him alone, keep fresh water available and proper temperatures maintained, and let him rest and de-stress. No handling, no opening the tub constantly, no offering food, etc. Just let him be.

What kind of behavior is he displaying that makes you think he is blind?

How did he fall from such a tall height? Snakes should always be 100% supervised when out of their enclosures.
 
I have a blind/nearly blind rescue that does just fine. However i do not feed her live. Her P/O did feed her live mice and she hit them with more accuracy than her not-blind cagemate half the time. (They had them in the same tank :/ )

I agree that he ought to be taken to a vet and left the heck alone for a while! He could have damaged other things than his eyes. Snakes in the wild can be great climbers but in a house they can hurt themselves on furniture and such. Just be careful once he's recovered. ^^
 
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