When to give up????

[knads06]

Yes my title is a little off and i would never give up on my bp. Its just frustrating that for the past four weeks ive been leaving him alone and listening to peoples advice on this board and nothing different has happened. Granted i probably stressed the snake out the first week i had him but since then ive left him alone. So dont tell me to start listening to peoples advice because thats exactly what ive been doing for four weeks now. My last question to you would be will moving the bp into the rubbermaid stress him out even more???

[sapphire_moon]

Still would like to know HOW your measuring your temps?

[lostwithin]

Hi, although any handling may stress him out, minimal handling will not, by minimal I mean lifting him into that rubber made and placing the top will not. And what the Rubbermaid does is block him off from the surrounding world, the plastic isn’t clear (if you have the choice for clear don’t go with it) so he will feel very secure. He won’t see movement around him he will probably go inside a hide but the difference is looking out of the hid he's in a small space where nothing else is around. So he can relax. Maybe even move around a bit. Glass tanks are not ideal for snakes they are too revealing, snakes feel insecure. Ball pythons are even worse for this due too there timid nature. And too top it off all young snakes are even more insecure then adults because in the wild everything they encounter it a danger. It’s a built in instinct. A 20 gallon is just too much room for a young ball. A small hide within a small Rubbermaid is ideal.

I apologize if I came off too harsh your title really bothered me. I would still say you need too make the little guy feel secure. And its so easy too do why not do it. Then you can get him eating let him live in that until he’s too big too, then use the tank. That’s my suggestion. And I really suggest avoiding force-feeding no matter what. The only time I would suggest that would be if the snake begins too lose allot of weight. I would say the proper changes and make him feel secure and he will eat for you. I have owned pythons for 8 year now, and not once have I had too force feed. And I have had some VERY picky eaters, you have too have patience and be willing too accommodate too make them feel secure. and healthy. I would still suggest considering another species of snake. Some times Ball pythons just aren’t the way too go, especially if you don’t want something that stresses easily, which they do even as adults. They like too hiding. And tolerate more and more handling as they get older but still some never grow out of having too be left completely alone. And there are lots of other snakes out there that will be fine too handle and eat like champs. As well as ones that are less sensitive too there surroundings and environment. But that’s just a suggestion.
Good luck,
Devon

[knads06]

I have a digital thermometer as everyone suggested i use to measure them. I have those stick on thermostats and they suprisingly are very close to the actual temp read by the digital thermometer

[drupan]

I kind of feel bad for knads06 he's asking for help not for abuse. I've researched all the snake's I've have owned and still run into problems, some with very easy answer's. Without everyone's help here his snake might die. Thank-you Corey Woods with the answer that I would hope to get If I was in the same position as knads06.

drupan

[drupan]

There are no stupid questions, just stupid answers.

[Clay]

Maybe try a product like this, I've used it in the past with good results.

http://www.globalpets.com/cgi-local/...287+1096444833

[knads06]

Do you use the drops on the food your attempting to feed to your bp??

[balakoth]

What threads have you been reading Drupan? There have been 4 different people who have given the EXACT same advice as "Corey Woods". This is rediculous. Either one person tells the one looking for help to just listen to so and so because they know best. Or the one asking for help doesn't listen which in turn requires redundant answers. Yet all manners of advice given here could have been the correct ones.

More difficult animals require more exact needs, but caring for an animal is NOT brain surgery. Many people have raised and bred these animals before forums existed and they will continue to do so in the future with the use of COMMON SENSE and PRACTICAL RESEARCH. Without those please stick to a Dog or a Cat.

To recommend a complete beginner who was obviously not prepared in the first place for this type of commitment to force feed an animal....... I just dont get it.

Good luck to all of you.

[Syco]

The drops are added to the water you provide them with, wouldn't do much good to put it on the food when that is what you are having trouble getting into them

[knads06]

Good point, ill look into those drops. thanks for the advice

[Kane65]

Some suggestions... probably mentioned before as I didn't read the whole thread.

* Be freakin patient... it is a Ball Python after all
* Try various sizes of food
* Feed in the PM with the lights off or very dim.
* Make sure that there is very little traffic or vibrations by the enclosure.
* If you are using a light in the cage... stop. This often stresses balls... they like it dark all the time.
* Cover the sides of the cage (if see through) & keep them that way until he eats regularly. Cuts down on external stimuli.
* Make sure you are moving very slow and quietly when trying to feed him or doing anything around the cage.
* When using dead prey, leave it in front of her hide overnight and don't keep checking to see if he's eaten.
* TT the person who bred her... see what they were feeding the snake and under what conditions.
* Don't administer any more mite treatments & don't try force feeding. Go to a vet for this, at least at this point in your herp career.

Oh and the rest of you who aren't offering advice. Shut the hell up! He already has the snake so you could at least try to help him instead of berating him.

[drupan]

Some new people may not know how to go through thread history or to search a previous topic, so they just post a thread looking for help. When you were new to the herp world did you need help answering easy questions?

"your last qoute"
Kane65, That's all I was trying to say.

thank-you

drupan

[still_matic]

hey, i didn't bother reading everything in the thread because most of it did not interest me.... apart from what people mentioned about leaving the snake alone and having a dark cage and all.. you can try rubbing your prey item on a lizard, heating it up under a heat lamp (this works well for me), or feeding either F/T, freshly killed, brained, etc.. also, try different colors as some snakes only seem to take a certain color or type of prey.. as long as they're not losing too much weight your ok.. also, one reason it may not eat is dehydration, in which case you can put it's mouth to a water dish in an attempt to get it to drink, if not, you can buy repti-aid which is exactly for this and can be used on bp's although i've never had to.. i've used it for half dead lizards that where lethargic and wouldn't eat or drink and it's saved them.. take it easy and give it time buddy

[sapphire_moon]

why would you scent with a lizard? I have never heard of that for a BP, a hognose maybe, but not a bp.

I don't think I've ever even seen anyone suggest that!?

Lizards for a bp? I thought their main diet in the wild was jerobas (gerbil like animals) not lizards?