What to do about my ball python????

Question

I've had my python for 2 months, she is between 3 and 4 months old, I think? She is about 18 inches long, and she still hasn't ate for me. My question is; I was holding her and rubbing on her like I usually do and I felt a little lump toward the end of the tail, so I gently felt around on it and it is hard and it will move up a little and down a little. Do you think this could actually be part of the last mouse that she had? The breeder I bought her from gave me a live jumper to feed to her and she never touched it. I was then told by a friend who raises snakes that she should be given frozen and they could be fuzzies or jumpers, so I got fuzzies knowing I could feed her 2 if I had to. She didn't eat those. Petco told me once they eat live they will never eat frozen and said she should be eating pinkies at her size. I am so confused, But I am thinking if she did eat a jumper maybe it was big for her and has kept her full. What do you think think that is at the end of her tail?

She seems very healthy to me, moves around flicks her tongue. This is the first time i have noticed this lump. She drinks her water.

I wish I could check with a vet, where I am no vets deal with snakes. At least that is what they told me.

Answer 1

First off, don't listen to the previous poster about braining a dead mouse. It doesn't work with Ball Pythons.

Unfortunately, it is common for Ball Pythons to stop eating if they are stressed. At 3 or 4 months, your snake should be eating every week. The best way to get them to eat is to reduce all of the stress in their lives and they will do the rest. Occasionally you might have to force feed them, but that in itself will cause a LOT of stress and it would still be difficult to get them to eat after that. However, if your little snake doesn't eat soon, he might end up dying. It's true that adult Ball Pythons can go many months without eating (the record is 20 months), but that is for a healthy adult Ball, not a baby. Young Balls probably can't survive longer than 6 months or so without eating.

To get rid of the stress, make sure that his cage is perfect. It should be a small cage no larger than a 10 gallon aquarium. The temps should be between the low 80s to the low 90s 24 hours a day. He should have two identical hides, one on the cool side and one on the warm side. The hides should be small enough so that he can feel the sides touching him. Finally, the most important part... do NOT handle him at ALL until he eats a few times. Handling him probably causes more stress than any other factor. After he has a comfortable environment and after he eats a few times you can handle him for short periods a couple times a week then increase that if you want.

As far as food size, I would recommend that you continue to feed him live hopper mice. Baby balls are big enough to handle a medium sized mouse as soon as they come out of the egg, however if your snake hasn't been eating it would be better to feed him a smaller mouse that won't injure your snake if you keep it in his cage for a while. Pinky mice are much too small for even the smallest Ball Python. Most Petco employees are idiots, so try not to listen to any "advice" that they give you. Try feeding him only ONCE a week after his cage is set up and after you stop handling him. The more you introduce a mouse, the more stress you will give him. When you feed him, place a small hopper mouse in his cage about an hour after sunset. Leave it there for a couple of hours and then come back to check on him. Make sure the room is dark and don't disturb him during that time. If he doesn't eat after a month you may need to force feed him.

Feel free to send me an email if you have any more questions. Good luck!

Answer 2

Ball pythons can be very picky eaters because a lot of them are wild caught and then imported into the united states for gullible people to buy. In countries that they are from they don't eat white mice. They don't really see white mice as a food source. Try feeding a gerbil. That's what they eat in the wild. As far as the lump it could be an intestinal blockage or something else. Your best bet would be to take it to a good reptile vet. don't take any advice from petco. They are notorious for their poor reptile care. A ball python, even when a baby, should be eating hoppers. Pinkies are too small. The food should be just as big around as the snake at the snakes widest point not including the snake's head. Also I would check some care sheets and make sure everything in the cage is proper for a ball python. Here are a few good care sheets. The second one is nice because it deals with ball python feeding problems. Make sure you follow the care instructions perfectly. If anything is off like temperature or something it can mess up the snakes feeding. Good luck.
http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html
http://www.anapsid.org/ballfeed.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/index.html

Answer 3

Iam new to python ownership my self, but when I bought my 3 month old male I was told that the transition from live to frozen was easy. I was also told by the handler that some times it is good to keep frozen in case you can't get to a live mouse on feeding day, and that if i had pinkies just to double up on feeding day. Some times when they're older or sheding they woun't eat (even for monthes). I would take it to the vet just in case (better safe than sorry), they usualy pass they're wast in a day or two so some thing might be wrong. Best of luck to you and I hope that lump is nothing.

Answer 4

As for the lump, check with a reptile vet in your location.

BP's can go months without eating if they have to. Some take longer to acclimate to their surroundings while others adapt to their new habitat fairly quickly.

Make sure your temps and humidity levels are where they should be.

And yes, it is hard to get them to eat F/T (Frozen and Thawed) feeders once they eat live. I know the local petco here feeds all theirs live so quite possibly the petco their did also. The smell of a F/T over a live prey is different and not as appealing to them.
One way to get them onto F/T is to split the brain open on the thawed feeder which can make the scent more appealing to the snake (disgusting but effective).

Answer 5

i dont know what that is on her tail, but i have heard that ball pythons will voluntarily go for extensive periods of time without eating, even if confronted with food. so don't stress the not eating part so much, but if it weirds you out, get her tail checked by a vet.

Answer 6

We used to own a Ball Python. A pet store owner once told me that Ball Pythons sometimes have to be 'force fed.' Check with a Vet.

H

Answer 7

i do not have one but i study tham a lot it coud be vary bad check with the doc Got that

Answer 8

Nope, same temperament as normals, however they are a lot of money.