feeding

[soda]

My ball python did something rather peculiar last night......

I fed her an adult f/t mouse about 7 days ago and didn't feel it was large enough---so I tried to feed her another one last night. I used the tongs and dangled it in front of her and I could tell she was interested. She struck at it and grabbed it and did her usual coil but did't eat it. I tried again later and she went through the exact same thing. I'm going to wait for about three or four more days and try again.

Any ideas?

[Vengeance]

How long did you leave the mouse in with her after she uncoiled? I have a Ball that does the exact same thing but if I leave her alone by the next morning the rat is gone.

Also as a side note, you should try her on rats, see if she will take them because they will most likely be a better size.

[soda]

I left the mouse in for at least a few hours--when I came back she was inside her hide and the mouse on the other side of the tank. Should have left it in overnight?

I made a dumb mistake of buying 10 adult mice at a show instead of rats...... I'm going back this month and will pick up ratsies then.

[Vengeance]

Well if you said she was eatting reguarly up untill this point, chalk it up to she didn't feel like eating and try again next week.

[mykee]

Only one adult mouse every week? Ideally, you should try to get her on rats, and definitely more than once a week. Any age.

[justinO]

I had a ball python that did that all the time to her mice....... didn't technically eat for 3 months because she would strike, coil, and then drop it, even with live or F/K mice!

Then I had the bright idea of trying a rat (I was told she would NOT eat rats) and she struck, coiled, and down the hatch!!! Has been eating ever since..... i LOVE when they switch themselves onto rats! lol

Jessy

[mykee]

Jessy, is there any other way to switch them? They're stubborn little ba@%ards!

[Tim_Cranwill]

I had a female do that for a period this time last year. She just got over it eventually. I tried making the dead rat "put up a fight" for minutes sometimes and she would hold on tight and then let go. And I don't think she went back to eat it later even ONCE.

Hopefully yours gets over this phase quickly. Mine's since gone from eating once or twice a month to 5 or 6 times a month. There's hope for yours too. :)