baby ball python is still not eating????

Question

i bought a baby python from a snake store , he still isnt eating i have tried leaving him alone making sure his heat is correct. between 80-85%f on the hot side and between 70-75 on the cool side. he has water and the cage is kept clean. i have tried pinkys, jumpers, dead ones and he wont eat them. i tried prevoking him to eat but he still isnt interested. i dont think he is sheddig because he isnt showing any sighns of that. please help any suggestions to get him to eat(different food)anything would help. please suggestions!!!

Answer 1

A ball can stop eating for many reasons...

How long have you had him? If you have only had him for a wee k or so then give him somemore time, I would wait 2 or 3 weeks befor getting worried...
Just try to offer it the right sized food every 2 or 3 days to see if he will take it...
(Right size rodent is the same size as the snakes girth...the widest part of the body)

Another thing is, are you only feeding dead? How are they killed?(frozen, fresh killed??)
However they are killed...they need to be a little warm...there are tons of ways to heat them up...put them in a sealed bag and soak them in hot water for a few mins...as someone else said...hairdryer, but that gets pretty tiering and can take forever...
Or I personally put mine under the heating lamp for a few mins...how long depends on how big the rodent is...you have to keep feeling them to see if they are "done"...they should ba warm all the way through...even the skull...NEVER HOT!!! If they are hot, part of them is probably cooked and your ball wont eat it, or if it does may get sick...

The heat, as other have said, should be higher than that...
75 on the cool side and 85-90 on the hot side...
The humidity should be pretty high too...ATLEAST 65%...

Also, how did the pet store feed him verses how you are feeding him...if you dont know then you may want to ask...
If they were feeding in the cage and you aren't it may take a while to convince him to do so...
If they are feeding him out side of the cage and you aren't then thats another problem...

If you are doing all of this and he still is not eating, it could be from parasites...You should contact a good reptile vet, even if it takes you like and hour to get there...they are your best reference and can help you with your problems...

Hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 2

I agree with the above poster that his hot spot temperature is somewhat low, I would raise it by almost 10 degrees to the low 90's. That should boost his metabolism and possibly his appetite. Reptiles at sub-optimal temps for digestion often refuse food. Also contact the store, if it is a good store specializing in reptiles then the snake should have fed for them before it was sold to you. They should be able to tell you what and how this snake was feeding. Have you also tried isolating him with just the (dead) prey overnight? The container should be opaque, I used to use brown paper bags (left in the cage). Some balls can be triggered to feed with gerbils but I would suggest that you exhaust all the possibilities with mice and rats first and try that as a last resort.

Answer 3

70 to 75 is to cool. It need to be at lest 75 on the cool end. The hot end needs to be at 85 to 90. If that dos not work cake the humidity it needs to be at 50 to 65%. Or more try that if that dos not work the ball python is known for not etting for a long time some can go for a long time. As long as it dos not seem to be gatting thin or ill it should be ok. Good luck. The pet store mite teal you the same thing i told you sry for that it should me ok.

Answer 4

ok, im no longer asserting each and every answer is faulty, yet attempt to take bits and products to coronary heart. in the beginning, ball pythons are well-known for being finicky eaters, and confident, there are some which will pass their entire lives eating properly yet that's no longer consistently the case. being in a sparkling environment will probably rigidity the snake, and it could no longer consume for the 1st bit. make specific the stages of humidity are suitable, and that the snake has a comfortable place to cover. additionally, if the tank is to massive, the snake could desire to sense crushed if it doesnt have a sufficient cover , and save the water close, so they dont could desire to sense like they could desire to pass away protection to drink a splash. what exchange into the puppy shop feeding it? f/th or stay? because of the fact as quickly as some ball pythons initiate eating stay they could no longer pass directly to f/t. and confident, like some others reported, attempt to have the least disturbances achieveable, which ability an opaque feeding field, no noises which will reason vibration (attempt additionally to stroll around the snake as llittle as achieveable). regardless of the reality that whilst i began out a number of my bp, i got here upon they have been extra well-off eating of their enclosure, so i in ordinary terms moved them to a seperate feeding field whilst they have been universal feeders. yet another observe of advice, please do no longer techniques the mouse ( fuzzie, hopper) stay. in the event that they have been feeding f/t on the shop, then braining them lifeless must be the subsequent step. then feshly killed.then stay (unhurt). then the vet. if the feeding turns into too lots of a difficulty, then a reptile vet are able to stress feed the snake, on an analogous time as the different situation is being dealt with. and PLEASE in no way pass away a stay rodent contained in an analogous enclosure because of the fact the snake over night. whilst feeding stay, you shoulf attempt and save an eye fixed onthe snake, as though the snake isn't waiting to consume, the rodent could be afraid, or perhaps hungry itself (rodents will consume one yet another, so dont anticipate they wont consume something) and attempt an chew the snake, inflicting harm to the snake, and somewhat probably an infection. i comprehend that ball pythons are seen 'begginer' snakes, regardless of the reality that i could consistently recommend that in case you are the stressful type, they could no longer be for you, as they could pass of feed for a protracted time. i desire this facilitates, and you are able to consistently confer with a vet.

Answer 5

Ball pythons are strange......... I have got 5!! My one python will only eat warm rats, so I have to sit with the hair dryer and warm the food up, Bonnie will eat straight away if it is warmed up. Have you got hides and things like that for the snake?? I have got a terracotta pot which the snakes love becoz they can hide. Some pythons will go months without eating, but try the hair dryer trick, it even works for my amazon tree boa and also the hogg island boa too................. the things we do for our snakes

Answer 6

ask the pet store when the snake ate last he may not be hungry snakes like other reptiles dont and wont eat verry often

Answer 7

hey goe to the website >> ballpython.com
they said that if it came from a pet store most likely it hasn't eaten since in captivity! that is terrible!!
try to feed it at night .
also don't live a live rodent in its cage more then 15 mins..

Answer 8

they are supposed to eat around every 5 days. i have one and he stopped eating. it may be caused by a bad tooth which is painful. hope this helps

Answer 9

Maybe he's full. They only eat like once a week or something if Im not mistaken.