my ball python wont eat?

Question

ok she hasnt fed for 2 weeks and today i put in her tank a dead mouse and she took it into her hide and has curled herself around it and holdin the mouse like its a baby and not food , im wondering why she is doin this

Answer 1

As said :

- no live feed, Dangerous to your pet.
- I used pre-killed (bought them alive and killed them right before offering) and frozen (thaw before feeding on warm water).
- No "heat rock" please.

My BPs were always more picky to eat than my redtails. The redtails ate right away. The BPs didn't like any distractions around. So I would leave the room and let them be and after a couple fo hours the mouse was gone. Some people place the snake and mouse in a small brown bag. This didn't work for me.

Two weeks is NOT too long, so don't worry so much. I feed mine weekly, but many weeks they skip and I would just come back a week later and no prob. Specially around shedding.

I would not leave the mouse in there. If after 1 hour or two is not gone, I would remove it.

Answer 2

I had a similar experience while caring for a friends Ball Python, only in this case the mouse was alive. That is because this particular snake would not eat pre killed food. The snake had not been fed in nearly a week and, i put in a live mouse. The snake would ball up on its heat rock to sleep and the mouse would curl up on top of it. They stayed like that for a week. I made an appointment to see the Vet at the end of the week. Unfortunately we lost power in a storm that night and they froze to death huddled together. Morbid i know and i am sorry for that. But i would take your pet to the Doc.

Answer 3

Please don't try feeding your python live. Despite what other's have said, your snake WILL eat the frozen. Like someone before mentioned, perhaps she's starting to shed, when pythons shed they lose interest in eating.

Also, if the mouse isn't warm enough she might not go for it, either. Make sure it is warm, put it in a bag in some warm tap water (don't microwave the water, as it might cook the mouse.) She should eat. Pythons can go a very long time without eating. Don't fret too much. Just keep trying.

Answer 4

That's kinda wierd. I had a Boa for a few years, and I always fed him live mice and eventually rats. Strange question, but has he Sh#t in the last wk? He might be constipated. I'm serious. Put him in your bath tub with warm water, NOT HOT, but warm and let him swim around for a little bit. PYthons, Boas and Anacondas are somewhat aquatic. I had the same thing happen to my boa.
hope all goes well.

Answer 5

Snakes doen't eat frozen mice so if it's frozen she was probably warming it. You may also try a living mouse and she may eat that.
If that doesn't work you should et the vet to check her digestive tract as this may be a sign of something stuck in her body. She may also be having eggs as this has happened before.

Answer 6

it can be the things already listed, except the one part about the heat rock. never us a heat rock w/snakes. only us heat lights. listen to her closely. if you hear loud breathing or a strange sound(kind of like a sneeze), then it has a repository infection. this is common with balls. make sure her heat is on 24/7 if she has these symptoms and take to the vet. if they don't let up in a few days. >:)

Answer 7

She may be going through the shedding stage. I am not to sure about snake but reptiles like lizzards do it all the time it is sort of like hybernation.

Answer 8

i dont think snakes like to eat dead mouses. they like to eat them alive. but if he has eat them before and not any more. you should take him to the Vet.