Building Bud and Cloud's permanent enclosures

**Aaron_S** · 06-18-13, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

That is because he's full grown, he's almost 7 years old, and he was getting really skinny. His skin hung loose, and his body was pyramid-shaped. Now he's starting to put on some weight, slowly but surely. At his size (3ft 7in) I shouldn't be able to touch my fingers together wrapping them around him. My hands are really tiny. Unfortunately, he only really seems to eat when I give him mice. He'll eat as many as I offer him. He won't touch a rat of any size, and he hadn't been fed mice in years, until he stopped eating this time. I guess I can bring it back up when I get him into the new enclosure, so he has more options to thermoregulate.

Here's a question for anyone who can answer: would it be best just to give him enough mice each feeding, or continue giving him a mouse with a f/t rat snuck in behind it? I can start breeding mice if I stick to just feeding him mice....

You need to stop thinking the size of a ball python as black/white. I have plenty of adult males that are healthy and smaller than your snake. I only ever feed my males small rats as they don't require more than that to stay healthy, thrive and breed for me. Even if they go off food during the breeding season it doesn't scare me.

I wouldn't worry about him being a certain length and age and how your fingers fit around him. I'd worry about his eating habit. It's odd he went off rats and now will only eat mice. I'd keep him in a smaller tub and only offer rats.

Maybe scent live rats, I'd use rat pups as they are similar size to a mouse.

Lastly, I would NEVER lower the temp of the enclosure because you suck at keeping his weight up. The solution if he's cruising right after a meal? Feed him more. Clearly you're underfeeding at this time if he was still losing weight.

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-18-13, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

You need to stop thinking the size of a ball python as black/white. I have plenty of adult males that are healthy and smaller than your snake. I only ever feed my males small rats as they don't require more than that to stay healthy, thrive and breed for me. Even if they go off food during the breeding season it doesn't scare me.

I wouldn't worry about him being a certain length and age and how your fingers fit around him. I'd worry about his eating habit. It's odd he went off rats and now will only eat mice. I'd keep him in a smaller tub and only offer rats.

Maybe scent live rats, I'd use rat pups as they are similar size to a mouse.

Lastly, I would NEVER lower the temp of the enclosure because you suck at keeping his weight up. The solution if he's cruising right after a meal? Feed him more. Clearly you're underfeeding at this time if he was still losing weight.

Ok, I'll see if I can get him to eat a little more. Right now I've managed to get him to eat every 2 weeks, with the mice. Should I try feeding every week instead, until he gains weight? Next time I go to the pet store, I'll ask if they can give me the stinkiest mouse bedding they have. It's really strange, though. The scent and movement of the rat will get him into a striking position, but when he gets close to it, he turns away. I even tried smaller rats to see if it was the size he had a problem with, despite me seeing him take medium rats every time he ate. And now he's gaining weight, rather than losing it. Another reason I lowered was I read 90F was too high of a basking spot for a ball python, is that incorrect?