How can you tell when a ball python wants food?

Answer 1

Ball pythons will sometimes refuse to feed for months at a time due to the stress of acclimating so thay are not always willing to feed. It could take weeks even months sometimes for them adjust. During this period make sure you do not handle your snake as it will only increase the problem. If you have a large python I would advise waiting at least a month before you even bother to try to feed it and babies at least two weeks. As a rule, snakes get considerably more active when they are hungry, they will begin to "hunt" for food. Feel free to contact me for more specific information, I have endured this struggle literally hundreds of times.

Answer 2

A young ball python should be fed once a week. An adult ball can be fed anywhere from every 7-14 days.

There is no surefire way to know when a snake is hungry. However, you often can tell from your snake's behaviour. A hungry snake will roam around the cage a lot more than a snake with a full stomach.

If you can't get your snake to eat, it doesn't necessarily mean the animal isn't hungry; it may be that your conditions aren't correct. To give you an example, my BP will only eat in total darkness. One time I forgot to dark the room and he wouldn't touch his mouse. I got up and pulled the curtains and by the time I sat back down he was halfway through his dinner. Just goes to show!

Answer 3

You can't always tell if a ball python wants food.

More importantly, how can you tell if a ball python needs food?

Although balls can be slow to establish feeding (not always though) once they start they should be called "hog" pythons. When I bought my first ball python, Kaa, his former owner bragged that Kaa ate 6 large mice a week. I believe him. Kaa looked like an overstuffed sausage. I didn't feed him for 3 weeks to let all of that mousemeat digest.

Many balls will eat as often as you give them the prey they are imprinted upon. It's best to forget about what the snake wants and give it what it needs instead--one or two appropriately sized prey items a week at most. In the winter I cut my ball pythons back to one prey item every 10 days and they did not lose weight. Overfeeding snakes can ruin their health, and it's likely to cause problems or failure if you want to breed them.

Answer 4

With no offense meant I have to ask. DID you have any knowledge before the fact that you obtained the Ball???

Consider a few things. They do eat when they need to. They do go into forms of stasis seasonally. They do need ALL other essentials met. They are predators, and prefer "LIVE" as they HUNT.

Again, and with no real offense, but as a general message. I truly am saddened by those who acquire TRENDY pets, in ignorance. That BALL is as much dependent on our species, while in captivity, as a KITTEN, and BTW, would ingest kittens, sigh, DON'T even go there.

A snake can survive for months without food, certainly in capitivity being monitored.

I wish you well, but more, the BALL.

Steven Wolf

Answer 5

seriously, when it tries to eat you! lol i have two ball pythons and i have to fed them weekly, if I don't i will lose some fingers soon... one of them bite me once because i let her more than a week without food ha ha

Answer 6

Baby ball pythons only nedd to be feed once a week and adults once every two weeks, so When was tha last time you feed it? there is your answer!

Answer 7

Put food in his cage. If he eats it, then he was hungry, and add some more to see if he eats it. Keep feesding him until he doesn't eat, so you know how mcuh to feed. Basically, you will need to test his appetite.

If he doesn't eat food, take it back out. Don't leave food decaying in your tank. lol.

I think most snakes eat about once a week, but try different things.

Answer 8

Good Luck on that!

Answer 9

u can tell phyton want food when it it attacks

Answer 10

It will appear to be agitated