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What to do about a weird situation?

Kristin, when you put her in the smaller box, leave her alone for a week or two. That includes not trying to feed her (which I believe is what Dennis was referring to above.)

Splitting the mouse open does nothing but make it smell bad and create a mess...it might serve a purpose with some reptiles, and even some snakes ("braining" a pink or fuzzy), but it is unlikely to have much impact on a BP.
 
Didn't know that Thanks. Before tonite I hadn't tried in a week. At least.....its almost 4 in the morning here but I do believe its been a week. I'll set the 15 qt up tommorrow and leave her alone for awhile though and then we'll see.
 
Seamus Haley said:
I'd give her four or five days inside an enclosure in a controlled environment with the absolute bare minimum of interaction- check her water and thermometer and call it a day. Then I would take a frozen thawed mouse,
Click to expand...

4 or 5 days to get settled in. Not 1 day. You caught her on the 30th and tried feeding her then next day. Leave that poor snake alone. I keep hoping you will see the light and pass it along to someone else who can properly care for it. Good luck.
 
Kristin,

I just read through this thread and I only see that you've said she's setup correctly, but no mention of her temps. Can you please tell us what they are?
 
Hot side 92 cool side 86, and humidity 65%. I just woke up and just checked. I wonder why her cool side is so high this morning?
 
room temperature may be warmer.
Is that 92 directly on top of the heat pad (I don't recall what type you are using), or is it measured somewhere else?

*another thing to think about - when you put her into the smaller box, you will likely have to fiddle with the heat a bit to get it right. If you are at 92 (right on top of the heat), don't mess with whatever regulator you are using, but change the positioning of the tub over it to allow for a bigger or smaller heated area.
 
Yeah thats 92 directly over the heat source. The Thermostat probe is right overtop the uth. I don't expect you guys to remember, thats silly we read to many posts. I use a ten gallon Zoomed uth with a Zoomed Thermostat, and yes guys I've done my Research....plenty, actually on Thermostats and the Zoomed fitted my needs. You of course wouldn't use one for a rack or especially an incubator. Its worked pretty good though for just her.

Thank You Harold for the info. I will of course do that and your probably right about the room temp flux. Its the warmest room in the house with the lowest traffic but it does flux. In Winter I ran the space heater at night and because of it the room was warmer at night then in day. We ran it whenever we were of course not home so there would be no fire hazards.

I run a fan in that room when I'm home through Summer to circulate my air, of course not pointed onto any tanks. It points directly on me and my bed. I like to sleep with the fan on me under the covers. Reptiles are on one side of the room and Rodents on the other. So the fans to keep us a little cooler and circulate air flow and I have an air purifier in my room to. Do you think my bedroom fluxes really bother anybody that much though?? I don't know and I wouldn't know what else to do. Without the fan it can get scorching hot and without the space heater its REALLY cold in the early morning. Nobody seems to mind it. The Leos are happy and my Rats don't shiver or pant. I just hope an 86 cool side doesn't bother her that bad? USUALLY it only fluxes within a few degrees. Thats the first time I've seen that but thats because I actually had to be up this morning for once in awhile. It doesn't drop or rise drastically either. Its slow.
 
Kristin, when's the last time she ate? What was it? Was she eating that type of prey regularly before she started fasting?
 
The very last time she ate was March 27th, before that she had a meal on March 13th and was regular before that. She had been taking Adult Mice regularly.

The only thing shes shown interest in with feeding attempts since then was the Rats. As I said...somewhere, she peeled the leg skin off one like a drumstick and she bite the bloody crap out of its head but no take. It was an adult Rat though and the Adult Mice are small. They say full grown and they are ,but I could SWEAR there are bigger Mice out there. I don't know where?

Tommorrow Jeff's visiting a Pet Store we've never been to and I called before hand and it looks like we'll be able to get weanling Rats. Not like I'm a Snake whisperer and you guys help with the info, but she is mine and nobody knows her like me, literally. I'm the only human she knows, not even Jeff messes with her. She still knows his scent from around the house though.

My "guess" and I know I'm new. Between on here and my observations is that she needs this new setup, to feel secure again and I have this NAGGING feeling that if I get these smaller Rats, freeze them and then wait a couple weeks she'll tag.

I read in the chat room talking that a Ball sometimes feels less secure with hides. That made me say what? I'm used to the concept of having hides. You read they need them EVERYWHERE! I would see pictures of Ball setups with no hides and I had to stop myself from posting "Hey you need hides." I never knew why or why not. I still don't. I do know though that that hide was very small on her. I understand the comfort in them liking having a wall against them, but I COULDN'T get her to eat in that hide. She refused to come out for it. She would eat more on the nights when she was out, without me removing her hide is what I used to do. I thought it was ok come feeding time? I realize its just not cool to have to "shake" your Snake out of its hide. So it would make sense not to have hides huh? An no she doesn't have this hide anymore. She has new plastic ones that aren't logs, small dishes.

I'm not a psychic. I could very well be wrong but its middle Spring here almost Summer so she should be getting out of fasting here soon. In Winter I could blame fasting but then I got the hint something was wrong but couldn't pinpoint it. Its not an excuse but a reason. Those of you that can remember your first compared to the 70th Ball you have know....just think about it. I do admit ashamedly that it takes me to long to work through a problem.

Lickitys got quit a personality to that I've never mentioned. Were not much for story telling about our "Pets" here. lol Jeff and I got in an argument once. He yelled at me and said to stop acting like feeding time for her was some secret thing between me and her and let one of his friends watch her eat. When I first got her the Vet said she was a little underweight so I feed her in the dark, same tub (where she feels secure) all by myself not breathing on her and not making ONE sound. I wouldn't even let one spec of light in the room. I wouldn't even move I was nervous. I still do the same thing just not as "tight" about it. Still the only one in the room when I feed though. One of his friends got to watch once and I was SURPRISED she ate in front of him. She really gave a show that night and its not a show is how I think about it. I mean the poor Boa (I think) that had to suffer through a Britney Spears show. The Snake even hissed at her.

If I even drop the Mouse on accident out of the tongs she runs and hides and won't eat. When she eats shes aggressive about it though. It seems to me shes associated the tongs. She followed them across the tank one night and ignored the live Mouse. What? That was weird.

BAM! Theres all my over complicating for one night. lol I just think that there are signs. If a Snake does this you can predict this, like reading body language and hers is more complicated to me then Jakes. (The Corn Snake.) I also feel insecure about him. I don't feel like I've got the hang of the size. It always looks to big for him when he eats and after but he always keeps it down and digests it just fine. I still get freaked out! Not all the time though. An somebody said when he acts crazy hes hungry! Hes on adult Mice to and I really didn't think it was time for an update?

Simply though I've got $5.00 she eats in the new tub after a couple of weeks with a smaller Rat. Then again though maybe I should keep my money because shes never eaten a Rat. Maybe I'm being optimistic?
 
Most balls fast during the winter, but it's not abnormal for them to fast during other times of the year too. They tend to do it when they feel uncomfortable/stressed. I wouldn't be so worried about it. I got one of my females in May 2006 and she didn't eat until this past December. Turns out she needs to be in a black rack with a hide inside, and the hole of the hide facing toward the back. Simple change did the trick.

I would get her enclosure settled, leave her hides in there (don't take them out), and leave her/the enclosure alone for a few weeks to let her settle down.

Also, have you tried live? Maybe she just doesn't want dead prey.
 
Yeah, tried live. Both of her hides won't fit in the 15 qt people told me to put her in. You see that people I chated with in the chat room. NOBODY says the same thing or agrees and I'm not supposed to bug her when shes not eating especially. Oh my Goodness.
 
Kristin,
What was said in chat that night was not that balls feel less secure with a hide, it was (as an explanation for why some of us don't use them) that when they are used to a hide they become insecure without it...as in, they freak out and stress when you lift it.
One thing that you need to keep in mind is that there are often many different ways of doing the same thing. That doesn't make any of them "wrong". Yes, you can use hides...but in a smallish tub, particularly in a rack, they aren't always necessary. Many people use crumpled newspaper to add both cover and contact area for the snake (security). Others may have success with just using folded paper, and the snakes will go between the folds if they want to hide.
You should have noticed that a common theme is reducing stress - including handling, feeding attempts, whatever - and allowing time after stress before trying to offer food again. While the amount of time people recommend will vary, we have all been telling you the same thing.
 
Leighanne said:
Yeah, tried live. Both of her hides won't fit in the 15 qt people told me to put her in. You see that people I chated with in the chat room. NOBODY says the same thing or agrees and I'm not supposed to bug her when shes not eating especially. Oh my Goodness.
Click to expand...

If you put her in a 15 qt. tub that doesn't have the darkness/security of a rack (basically left in the open), then you need to get smaller hides. Two upside down dark bowls with small holes cut in them will work well. Remember, they like small, snug hides that they can squeeze into.
 
The plan was typed out by me on here somewhere. I am putting a towel over her for security. I already know if she can see me she hates it, she runs. So I won't be letting her see the outside of her tub.
 
Alright HHMoore, I get it, or that, or whatever. The plan. I'm sticking to it that is. I get what everybodys saying! I'm not trying to be rude. :)
 
A towel over her tub isn't going to make her feel secure -- it's not something snug she can squeeze into and hide in. She's a baby, most babies require hiding places. It's instinct. I have all of my snakes in racks and only 2 of them don't need hides. The others don't eat if they don't have them.
 
Leighanne said:
The only thing shes shown interest in with feeding attempts since then was the Rats. As I said...somewhere, she peeled the leg skin off one like a drumstick and she bite the bloody crap out of its head but no take. It was an adult Rat though and the Adult Mice are small. They say full grown and they are ,but I could SWEAR there are bigger Mice out there.
Click to expand...

Kristin, it is unlikely that a 200 gram Ball Python is capable of eating an adult rat....she very well could have tried to eat it and it was simply too big for her. If she shows interest in rats, by all means feed her rats, but find some appropriately sized. Don't try to give her anything too large.
 
I mean I get it AND will do whatever it takes. If I have to post EVERY little thing I do with her, when I check on her I will. I swear I will if thats what it takes. I am determined to learn whats up.
 
An thats exactly what we are going to do. I have read newborn babies can take adult Mice and blah blah but on to trying something different. So whats the new plan Jen, your making sense. The 15 qt. with one hide? Or two? Towel over the tub?
 
Is it a Sterilite or Rubbermaid? I would go with 2 hides, you can get those colored plastic bowls from WalMart for 83 cents (I used pink and blue). You can put a towel over it too for extra security, but make sure some light still gets through for proper photocycle and air circulation. Do you have another room you can put her in that gets less human traffic and disturbances?
 
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