Our first snake - feeding questions

[KFH]

I got my son a baby ball python (approx 12-14 inches long). We've had the snake for a few weeks now, and have been unsuccessful in getting it to eat. We gave it F/T hoppers and he was completely uninterested.

I told my son not to handle the snake for a while, so it could settle in and get comfortable in its new environment before we try feeding it again. The breeder we got it from only fed it live mice, so will getting it to eat F/T be very difficult? I read that Ball Pythons can be very picky eaters and that they can go months without eating, but being that it's a baby, I didn't know if that was healthy?

Do you think the hopper is too big? How exactly do we go about feeding this snake to get the best results? Thanks?

[infernalis]

sSnakeSs.com - Rules (http://www.ssnakess.com/index.php?page=rules)

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

I moved this to the Ball Python section for you...

[stephanbakir]

I got my son a baby ball python (approx 12-14 inches long). We've had the snake for a few weeks now, and have been unsuccessful in getting it to eat. We gave it F/T hoppers and he was completely uninterested.

I told my son not to handle the snake for a while, so it could settle in and get comfortable in its new environment before we try feeding it again. The breeder we got it from only fed it live mice, so will getting it to eat F/T be very difficult? I read that Ball Pythons can be very picky eaters and that they can go months without eating, but being that it's a baby, I didn't know if that was healthy?

Do you think the hopper is too big? How exactly do we go about feeding this snake to get the best results? Thanks?
Hard to know about prey size without seeing the animal with a size reference. That being said it shouldn't be tough to swim him to F/T, give him time and don't give in unless hes really underweight.

He should come around. (don't stress him till he eats)

[Jay]

Yes, it can be difficult to convert a snake sometimes, if you keep at it and don't give in the snake will take a f/t eventually. What are your temperatures, humidity and cage size ect.

[Kiljosh]

Also, when you fed him did you just drop the dead mouse in or did you make it do a little dance on some tongs in front of him? Get creative with it! You can see their demeanor change once they get interested. Just gotta make him interested!

[stephanbakir]

Also, when you fed him did you just drop the dead mouse in or did you make it do a little dance on some tongs in front of him? Get creative with it! You can see their demeanor change once they get interested. Just gotta make him interested!
String the mouse up like a marionette and put on a show for the snake! Great idea!

[Kiljosh]

Maybe your snake will only eat a mouse once he has seen it do the moonwalk!

[Lankyrob]

Double check your temps and humidity, make sure when you feed that the skull of the prey item is HOT and maybe even pierce teh skull so that some brain juice leaks out. Keep trying the frozen thawed prey once every 7 days (too often and you will just stress the snake out). I hold the prey items by their scruff so that i can make them do the zombie dance. IF the snake doesnt take the dancing prey item then leave it in the viv with the snake overnight - it may eat when it is dark and there is noone around tho NEVER do this if you feed live!!

Good luck - if you post some pics and/or your temps and humidity we can let you know that you are doing everyhting right or nudge you in the right direction if something isnt quite right.

[mattchibi]

In many cases, f/t isnt taken because the proper thawing methods arent taken. How are you thawing out your hoppers?

A good way to gauge how big to feed him is to get a digital food scale, something that measures in grams. Measure how much your snake weighs, then find a mouse that is about 10-15% of his body weight. If you dont have a food scale, you can approximate it.. the mouse should be about as big as your snake, at the widest part of his body. Keep offering frozen/thawed if you want him to switch over (if you dont want to feed live), and it will eventually take it. Keep a scale on hand if you think he's losing weight, so you can check every here and there.

After you make the switch from live to frozen thawed, you may want to try and make the switch to feeding rats as well, but I won't get into that here.

[millertime89]

If you don't have a scale and have a spare 20 bucks and are somewhere near a bed, bath, and beyond store, they've got a decent one for $20. I use it, reads both grams and ounces. The 10-15% rule is what I use.

edit: I'll echo the others, pics and setup details would help. Best of luck.

[alessia55]

Welcome!

It sounds like the size of the food is correct. My baby bp is about the size of yours and easily eats rat pups. I'm pretty sure everyone has covered what you need to know/do. I'll go ahead and do it bullet-point style though ;)

1. Leave the snake alone to settle. No handling until s/he feeds is ideal.
2. Double-check the setup: right temperatures? enough hides?
3. Thaw correctly. Don't microwave! I thaw mine in hot water. Make sure the head of the rat pup is warm/hot.
4. Make feeding time interesting. Hold the rat pup with tongs by the scruff (the skin behind the neck) and move it around as if it were alive.
5. If it's ignored, leave it by his hide overnight.
6. Only offer food once every 7-10 days. Offering food more often will stress it out more.

Good luck and keep us posted! :)

[KFH]

You guys know your stuff - awesome!

When we tried to feed the snake a hopper at night - we thawed it in warm water, then rolled it in some "scented" mice bedding, brushed it off and had it do a little dance - nothing! That being said, I think it was just too early. My son had that thing out all the time, and I know it had to be stressed.

We are keeping the snake in my my son's room, so there is little activity in there. We will try again today - it's been a week. In no way do I want to get into feeding live mice, so I will post some pics of his cage and temp/humidity info later today.

Thanks again!:)

[KFH]

ssnakess.com - rules (http://www.ssnakess.com/index.php?page=rules)

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

i moved this to the ball python section for you...

thank you!!

[Terranaut]

We always use warm water to thaw and then just before we present the prey we put it in hot as it will come out tap water for about 1-2 min. Pat it dry and it should feel as warm or slightly warmer than a feverish childs forehead. Not omg hot but we find 100ish f seems to get any of our snakes pretty fired up. Also I think the heat helps the prey to smell yummy for the snake. Another advantage is down the road your snake will not think your cooler 96 f hand is prey and have a brain fart ending in a tag. Like said above do not try over and over to feed your snake as this will make them stressed. They can go months without eating so just keep trying. Unless something is way off with your husbandry or the snake is ill.... They will eat :)
Good luck.

[Lankyrob]

Just before we feed ours (we thaw the prey overnight) we press the skull against a hot radiator so that the skull is by far the hottest part of the prey - in fact the rest of the prey is at room temp.

[KFH]

OK, so the temp is 70 F and the humidity is 50 - is that right or wrong?

[Lankyrob]

OK, so the temp is 70 F and the humidity is 50 - is that right or wrong?


For a BP the hot end should be 91f, cold end 75f. Humidity should be no lower than 55% and 65% when the snake is in blue.

[youngster]

I would say 70f for a BP is too low.
Overheating is worse than underheating though.

[Lankyrob]

70f is barely warm enough for the cool end.

[KFH]

70f is barely warm enough for the cool end.
We only have an under the cage heat pad, so I assume we need a lamp on top as well - correct? What watt bulb and what type? Thanks!

[millertime89]

radiant heat panel and a thermostat.

[snake man12]

^^ he is right but a 75 watt bulb and a reflector hood works for a good gradient

[Lankyrob]

I use Ceramic heat emitters - they provide 24hr heat with no messing around - just make sure htey are guarded so the snake cant get to them and they have a thermostat.

THe snake wont eat whilst it is too cold as it needs the heat for digestion - get the heat right, then wait a week for the snake to get used to it before attempting to feed again.

[KFH]

I use Ceramic heat emitters - they provide 24hr heat with no messing around - just make sure htey are guarded so the snake cant get to them and they have a thermostat.

THe snake wont eat whilst it is too cold as it needs the heat for digestion - get the heat right, then wait a week for the snake to get used to it before attempting to feed again.Thanks! Could you give me an idea of what a ceramic heat emitter is (sorry, we are brand new at this snake thing). Can I order ti online? Also, we have him in a glass 10 gallon tank, is that OK?

[snake man12]

for now the ten gallon is ok. But as an adult he should have a 40 gal breeder or bigger

[KFH]

Is this (http://www.amazon.com/Kent-Marine-09605-Ceramic-Emitter/dp/B001VIWCCE/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1322410712&sr=8-8) what we need to get? If so, it goes on the "cool" side and the heat pad goes on the "warm" side?

Clearly, we need some help setting up this habitat - help! :confused:

[snake man12]

If that goes on the cool side the cool side would not be cool. That can be the only source of heat if you get a good gradient. So their should be hot spot warm spot the cooler area for proper thermoregulation

[Lankyrob]

This is what i use Reptile Vivarium Ceramic Heat Emitter - Heater 100W | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reptile-Vivarium-Ceramic-Heat-Emitter-Heater-100W-/400099405675?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_I nsects&hash=item5d27c86f6b) obviously you need the right wattage for the size of tank, although as long as a thermostat is used then you should be fine. With a Ceramic bulb you NEED a Pulse Proportional Thermostat - they keep the temps within 0.2f of the set temps.

The bulbs get to 500f easily so they MUST be guarded as well - if the snake were to wrap around the bulb it would either die or be horribly burned.

[DavethePython]

We just got one about the same size . have not fed him yet because we were advised to give him a few days to settle in. But he is only on fuzzies right now which if I understand are the size below hoppers . Ours was bred by a breeder and has been on frozen from the start so I am hoping his first feed with us will go well.