ball python help please

nakdead · 06-23-22, 12:10 AM

so!! i have roughly a 2 year old male bp and lately as he’s gotten older i’ve switched over to rats, before that i was giving him several mice and now i’m just at a singular rat, a usually roughly medium sized one that i would say is quite proportionate to the largest part of his girth, i had just fed him yesterday and yet he’s still angry, which i would usually assume his “anger” is just him being hungry but i figured at this point the rat should be enough? i will try feeding him again tomorrow night but i was just wondering why he seems so mad, and he’s due for a tank cleaning but when he is hungry/angry i can’t take him out to clean his tank because he’s going to very much strike at me, idk if any of this makes sense but i’m just worried about him being so moody, of course i’m no snake whisperer so i can’t directly tell if he is angry but he’s just like got his upper body in an S like shape kinda like he’s abt to strike and he’s just sitting out and about his enclosure instead of hiding like he normally does and he also does this thing sometimes like reaching his head to the top of his tank and i always thought that meant he was hungry but i’m not sure, any advice will be appreciated

chairman · 06-27-22, 06:01 PM

Your snake isn't angry, and probably isn't hungry, though it will likely eat.

Adult ball pythons generally only need to eat one appropriately sized prey item every two weeks. Some snakes still require weekly feedings, others only monthly, but it is fair to say that your snake probably doesn't need two appropriately sized rats in a week.

I'd double check your temperatures and make sure the cage isn't getting too hot. The behavior might be related to being too hot.

Other than that, various environmental and biological triggers could have brought some breeding behavior out in your snake.

Manyon · 07-23-22, 02:54 PM

Since this is a help section I hope that it is ok that I ask this question.

My BP has always eaten thawed rats but is on a sort of hunger strike. She is otherwise healthy and still drinking water. She looks thin and I want her to eat and it's been 10 months.
Can I try live rats? Thinking that something in there that moves and intrigue's her might encourage the natural instinct of eating? IE Moving food?

Thank you. Hopefully someone has some feedback on this.

**Aaron_S** · 07-25-22, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyon

Since this is a help section I hope that it is ok that I ask this question.

My BP has always eaten thawed rats but is on a sort of hunger strike. She is otherwise healthy and still drinking water. She looks thin and I want her to eat and it's been 10 months.
Can I try live rats? Thinking that something in there that moves and intrigue's her might encourage the natural instinct of eating? IE Moving food?

Thank you. Hopefully someone has some feedback on this.

I agree with everything Chairman said but feeding live rat pup or two wouldn't be a bad thing to do if all parameters are met.

chairman · 07-23-22, 09:46 PM

It is generally best to start your own thread. That said...

I would double check your temperatures and make sure the snake has good hiding places available on the warm side, cool side, and basking area. Most non-feeding is a result of a husbandry issue.

Many would recommend feeding the snake pre-killed rather than live. This would entail buying a live rat and killing it immediately before feeding the snake. If you think you can do that then I'd try it.

Otherwise, feeding live can be fine. Closely monitor the snake during feeding and make sure the rat doesn't eat the snake before the snake eats it (rare but can happen with non-feeders). Make sure the rat doesn't injure the snake; if the rat bites or scratches the snake then I'd gently wash the wound and put a little Neosporin (no pain reliever) on the cuts. You might also try feeding a rat that is a little too small, it decreases the chances of injury.