My friend has a Ball Python and about a 1 1/2 weeks ago he tried to feed it a smaller capped rat and he didnt eat it then today he tried to feed it a larger sized white rat. (both rats were alive) after a couple hours the rat wasn't eaten . My friend then "humanly" killed the rat and put it in the cage again to see if the snake would eat. the snake acted as if it was going to eat but didnt. The snake is 6 or 7 years old and very happy (from what we could tell). we know that he is hungry but he just wont eat. Is this normal behavior or is there something wrong?
2007-03-20 12:14:17 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Ball pythons are usually fussy eaters and sometimes will stop eating. This is normal, but not healthy. Try to tempt him witha gerbil (faves of ball pythons)
2007-03-20 12:18:10 · answer #1 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
The snake is almost ready to eat, but not quite. Is the temperature high enough in his cage? Remove the food from his cage altogether.
A trick I always use of he's like way overdue for eating, is set the temp up by another degree or two, and remove the water, give it two days, and try again while covering the cage with a cloth. It normally works like a charm. The snake knows there's water in the rat, this normally stimulates him to eat. It all depends on when last the snake ate. If he hasn't taken the rat within half hour, remove it and try again in a few days, but don't leave it in there.
2007-03-20 13:12:20 · answer #2 · answered by Unicornrider 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It took our ball a few weeks to settle in before she would eat. Do you have any idea what the prior owner has been feeding it? Dead / alive, large mice, rats, or other things. Snakes CAN tell the difference between the prey/food. I had a burm since she was a baby, ate mice fine, but when we had to jump size and go to rats, she wouldn't have anything to do with it. We actually went to the petshop and asked them for a bag of the "dirty mice cage extras" and had to make the first several rats smell like mice before she would have anything to do with it! Make sure that the temp is correct, and that he isn't in the mid of a shed (eyes will be cloudy). That sometimes will make them refuse to eat.
2007-03-20 12:42:43 · answer #3 · answered by lookingforafarm 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Is he shifting and analyzing the demonstrate screen whilst he's finding up, or is he basically nevertheless and finding as we talk up? It appears like he could be "stargazing" which will nicely be a symptom of neurological injury, and a few ailments at the same time with IBD (wherein case he ought to be taken to a reptile vet). If he's basically finding for a thank you to flee then that's commonplace regardless of the undeniable fact that, they love escaping. i'm unsure approximately the different stuff regardless of the undeniable fact that. sturdy success!
2016-10-02 11:36:10 · answer #4 · answered by kopec 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ball pythons are usually fussy eaters and sometimes will stop eating. This is normal, but not healthy. Try to tempt him with a gerbil also how did he humanley kill the rat i would just like to know
2007-03-20 13:22:19 · answer #5 · answered by Sui, Steve Irwin's dog 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I would ask your vet, my snake did not until I gave him to the owner that had him before I did.
2007-03-24 09:20:42 · answer #6 · answered by ALANNA S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋