your bp and eating

[Spirit]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Cruising or hiding is a no go, so don't bother feeding. .

Okay now you lost me. What else do they do? LOL How can you tell when the RIGHT time to feed is?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Head poking out, "S"-position, ready to strike. That's an eating Ball Python.

[Spirit]

I've never seen mine ball up OR go into strike pose... I assume you're talking strickly about non feeders (when they're ready to eat)?

[marisa]

Same here. ALL my eaters do the same thing when they will eat. In fact, it's so predictable, if they aren't in the right position, I don't even open the tub anymore.

Jeff explained it perfectly. If one of mine is going to eat that night, it will be sitting in a hide, head about an inch out, with the neck in the S position, sitting still.

If they are roaming, or moving, they hardly ever accept it. I have had a Ball go for a year without a meal.

Marisa

[Jeff_Favelle]

Jeff explained it perfectly. If one of mine is going to eat that night, it will be sitting in a hide, head about an inch out, with the neck in the S position, sitting still.

Yep! Perfectly explained. Its what they do. They are so easy to read, especially if you have more than one, and especially if you've had them for quite some time.

[Spirit]

Mine often sleeps with his head out of his hide, but I've never seen him in strike pose... that's interesting. I'm going to watch for that.

Silly question, but do all balls do this when they're hungry? They don't roam?

[Vengeance]

Originally posted by marisa
Same here. ALL my eaters do the same thing when they will eat. In fact, it's so predictable, if they aren't in the right position, I don't even open the tub anymore.

Jeff explained it perfectly. If one of mine is going to eat that night, it will be sitting in a hide, head about an inch out, with the neck in the S position, sitting still.

If they are roaming, or moving, they hardly ever accept it. I have had a Ball go for a year without a meal.

Marisa

Mine are the exact oposite, they cruise like crazy! Feeding time the rats get heated up in their room and they are all cursing around their cage. One of mines goes back and forth across the front of her cage, over and over untill I drop the rat in her cage, it's funny as hell to watch how worked up they are.

My stuborn male who doesn't eat very well, he sits in his hide with his head out and sometimes he will eat and sometimes he wont. Last night I thought for sure he was going to but, no luck. Been about a month now, I'll try again in 2 weeks.

[Artemis]

See this doesnt make sense. Mine is hitting the 2 month mark now, but he DOES seem interested, comes out, makes the pose, even tongue flicks the prey... but won't ultimately go for it. Feeding at dawn, feeding at dusk.... Im about to cut down the trying to every 2 weeks though, instead of each week, since obviously nothing is working and im just wasting rats.

Question. For non-feeding BPs who appear to be in their winter fasting mode, whats the protocol on handling?

[zero&stich]

6 months for me. The girl can be so b%tchy sometimes.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Tongue flicking the prey means nothing. Mine will tongue flick rocks if I put them in the cage.

[HumphreyBoagart]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Tongue flicking the prey means nothing. Mine will tongue flick rocks if I put them in the cage.

LOL!

[Artemis]

Pbbbbbth!!!! NO mocking me!!! But seriously, should I not be handling other than cleaning until this winter fasting thing is done with?

[Jeff_Favelle]

No, it doesn't matter. Handling isn't causing the winter fasting, and not handling isn't going to speed up the day that its going to eat. It will eat when it gets the clues to tell it to eat. What those clues are, I don't have a clue.

Temp and day length maybe.