He Ate!!!

lilyskip · 07-22-03, 08:21 PM

AHHH! Hux the bp just took his first meal with me tonight!!! I was so nervous...I've never even SEEN a snake feed before, let alone feed one myself, so I had no idea what to expect. (although, yeah, I should have seen him eat before I bought him, but that was logistically impossible and I trusted the store when they told me his feeding habits...) Thanks so much for all your support, guys...!

I read on a message board to just hold the food really close to the tip of his nose, so I did, and the first time he tried to climb up the tongs that I was feeding him with and get out of the tank, and didn't show any interest in the food. Then I moved the tongs, and he fell flat on his face. I moved the mouse again, and he flicked his tongue at it, but then I touched it to the side of his body, which freaked him out. After he stopped moving, I held it about 3mm away from his face. He flicked his tongue at it a bunch of times, kind of coiled back from it (with me thinking, "Not AGAIN...") and then before I knew it I heard a sharp rustling in the tank and felt the tongs move, and he'd snatched it right out of the tongs and had coiled around it! I think the fact that my hand (and thus the mouse) was shaking helped make it look more alive.

At that point, I was really worried that he'd realize it was already dead and just drop it (he'd only eaten live food at the snake store), but pretty soon he had it in his mouth and was trying to swallow it. Now he's lazily crawling around, falling off of things, maybe looking for more (the mouse may have been too small...i want to feed rats but the only pet store I have immediate access to does not sell pinkie rats). I was thinking about buying pinkie rats online, but they come in bags of 50, and i dunno how long Hux will be eating them if he's about 2 months old now.

I'm esctatic that he ate. I know that they are such picky feeders and just don't eat sometimes, and he'd already turned down one feeding (that was probably a technique error on my part), so I was ultra-nervous. How wonderful. Now I'll be worried that this wasn't enough food (I don't really see a visible lump in his body) and since he's going to the vet on Monday (which will be ultra-stressful), I can't feed him between now and then, nor will I probably be able to for a few days afterwards. I'm sure he'll be fine, though. I'm just so relieved that there's food in him, I couldn't help but share!

Question, too...Hux ate the mouse inside of his water bowl (his head may have been underwater at times, not sure, it was dark). I fed him above the water bowl, so this may be an explanation, but could something be wrong with humidity? it's at 53% on a digital gauge. Is it possible that he needed lubrication?

Sorry I'm rambling, I'm just so excited. Shocked and awed, really. How exciting, he ate!!

sapphire_moon · 07-22-03, 08:37 PM

I can answer you questions. But I just got a BP baby myself (Prana) and she has refused one feeding also....so I know how you feel. Congratulations!!!!! I hope Hux is a continuous and Constant feeder! And refuses no other meal!!!! ( My Male Bp Damballah has yet to refuse a meal!) Again Congrats!

**Andy_G** · 07-22-03, 08:42 PM

I'm so glad he ate for you! Congratulations!

Concerning food size, I suggest you put him on adult mice soon, and if you can find rats, get pups equal to the size of an adult mouse and work up from there. Don't be too afraid to move up in size with the prey when you need to, i've found them to be really greedy eaters!

You don't usually want to touch any part of the ball python with the mouse because it does freak them out and might discourage them from eating.

Yve · 07-22-03, 08:59 PM

i know how you feel, and congrats!...i still remember the first time I fed my first snake......my hubby and i sat on the end of the bed and watched for 20mins. i think without blinking! i don't think you need to worry about Hux eating in the water bowl. It was probably coincidence that it ended up in there. Don't worry...he won't drown... they hold their breath under water. If anything he got a nice little drink while eating!

If you keep the humidity around 60% it is fine. When it drops just mist the tank.

lilyskip · 07-22-03, 09:01 PM

Hehe--thanks

I think I'll try a fuzzy mouse next time and see how it goes, until I can get some ickle rats...

Clownfishie · 07-22-03, 09:23 PM

Congrats, that's awesome!

Piers · 07-23-03, 12:48 AM

get him onto rats as soon as possible. I have a female ball that only eats mice, Very expensive!
Most balls or any other snake will switch to rats given time.
Just try introducing the rat ( same size as mouse) a few times.Even not feeding the snake a few weeks, this won't harm the snake but if it wont eat then resume feeding mice.
you can get some mice and put a young rat in with them for a few days or more then try to feed the snake. the rat should smell like mouse. after a wile the snake will get used to rats.
Piers