My fiance bought a Ball Python last week (still a baby) and he fed him for the first time on Tue. In the middle of the night (wed.) we smelled something 'rotten'. It was until this morning (thurs) at 5 am that we saw him trying to regurgitate the mouse. My fiance had to help him b/c the mouse seemed to be stuck & he was breathing funny.
I THINK it was b/c he was slightly handled after feeding. The enclosure he feeds in wasnt suitable for him to be in for a long time (error as first time snake owners) so My fiance moved him back into his 'house'.
Not handling him & making sure the temperature is where it needs to be should prevent regurgitation. His house was moved the day after feeding to a warmer room in the house; so the temperature SHOULD have been fine. this morning (during regurgitation@ 5 am) the temperature was still@ 80 degrees, so i believe he regurgitated due to handling. My question: When should we offer him another mouse? & How long should we wait b4 handling hi
2006-10-26 00:46:55 · 7 answers · asked by sa_hollingsworth 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Thanks for the answers. The reason I wanted to know how long is b/c he 'looked hungry' and when we took the 'dead' mouse out the cage it seemed like he was looking for food. So, 10 days?
also, we have a stick-on thermometer. we have a 75 watt heat lamp and an under the cage heater. the undercage is supposed to provide ample temp. the heat lamp provide a spot for 'basking'. should we get a higher wattage? in the daytime, w/ the sun in the room sometimes it's hotter (up to maybe 91 or 92.) but at night the therm. says it drops to about 75-80. should we change something in the cage? (we will get a digital thermometer as well)
2006-10-26 04:20:03 · update #1
Wait a week before offering food again. It could have been from being handled or it could have just been from the stress of being moved around, or it could be that the mouse was too big.
After the snake eats you should wait at least 48 hours before attempting to handle him.
If he regurges again you may want to get him into a vet. It could be that he has some sort of parasite.
Make sure you have some type of hide for him in his cage, too. It will help him feel less stressed.
Good Luck!
2006-10-26 01:35:21 · answer #1 · answered by Jen 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ball pythons are VERY suspectible to stress. Your moving the cage probably did it. Also, after a regurgitation you should wait AT LEAST 10 days before offering food again. During this 10 day period minimise stress as much as possible, do not handle or disturb the snake in any way. There is more to regurgitation than not handling and correct temps.
The temperature was 80, on what side of the tank? I suggest you check your temperatures with a digital thermometer, not stick-on ones because they are very inaccurate.
EDIT: 4 weeks? Are you kidding? That's totally unnessecary. Also, mouse size CAN be a factor in regurgitation.
2006-10-26 02:54:14 · answer #2 · answered by Jason 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Regurgitation is always bad. I have seen snakes regurge before they die so I am glad to hear that yours is still kicking. Wait a week and try again. Most of the time it seems to be from a food item that is too large. Try something smaller. As far as handling goes it is worse to handle your snake after it feeds, but right before is never good either as it may stress your animal.
2006-10-26 08:25:52 · answer #3 · answered by Redcap the Druid 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First how lengthy develop into it because the first feeding. If the ball python develop into feed to quickly after the first feeding it would want to reason it to regurgitate its nutrients. If it develop right into a lengthy time period after the first feeding i might want to shop a close eye on the snake and make certain it keeps behaving precise. i might want to also supply it some days till now attempting to feed it back. If the snake starts to act unusual take it to the vet.
2016-10-16 06:30:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have ball pythons and buy and sell them...it has nothing to do with mouse size...you should never handle your snake untill 3 days after feeding him....also dont feed him in his cage..bad move thats how you get bite...take him out and feed him i use a snap on top 15 qt storage bin...they dont seal out air dont worry...if you have any questions go ahead and email me at silverchair_19@netzero.com i'd be more then happy to help you...also its recommended not to feed him again now for 3 to 4 weeks dont worry if he's been eating well he will be fine snakes are known not to eat for 4 to 6 months at a time. gl
2006-10-26 03:06:44 · answer #5 · answered by Jake S 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
get him a smaller mouse the one you gave him probably was a little big try pinkies the baby mouses feed him like one or two and he should be fine.
2006-10-26 00:58:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
email me at jefffrickman@yahoo.com if u love wildlife
2006-10-27 00:37:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋