help! new ball

kande · 06-23-05, 11:01 PM

i just got a hold of a ball python hatchling....only im having some problems. Ive owned 2 other balls but they were both over a year old.
ill start off my story.

I got the hatchling form a local breeder at a rep. show. He had many to choose from. I chose the best looking one...and the one that when i handled it seemed the most active and flicked the tounge a lot and didnt seem shy.

He also had a baby mouse (pink with little white hair) in the little container he came in. I had a 20 gal. tank that i could put him in along with some cage accessories and the tank already has an under tank heater attached from a previous snake.
I placed him in after cleaning the cage thoroghly along with the mouse. Well, its been 3 days now and the mouse had recently died and the snake didnt eat it....so i tossed it out. (he actually would curl up with it and keep it warm as if it was his friend)

Well, i went to look at him a little while ago and found him biting himself ?!??? I dont know why he was doing that....So i reached in and got him to stop doing it. I placed him back in the cage after handling him for like 5 minutes and now all he is doing is curling up in a ball and laying in the cage. Im trying to get him used to me so i grabbed him again and decided id let him climb on me while i was at the computer. Only now when i put him in my lap he went back into the ball and suddenly shot his head up as if he wanted to bite me. So i quickly moved and he started biting himself again! And it seems like hes not moving around the cage as much..and when he does it seems like he has little muscle movement....like he cant keep himself up and sometimes lays his head sideways on the floor of his cage as if hes dead. Also, he just had his first stool and it was white with quite a bit of brown fluid....more liquid than solid. All the other ones ive owned were mostly solid with a little fluid....can something be wrong?? should i try feeding him a frozen (but thawed out) pinkie tomorrow??? Im starting to wonder if he really wasnt healthy....or maybe he is just in shock from being in a new home....any help is appreciated!
-Allen

Edmond Y · 06-24-05, 12:28 AM

I am no expert but have snake over nine years. It is the first time I hear snake bite itself. It should be the result of shock with a new place and over stress. You may want to place him in a darker area and leave him alone for one week or so. Just put enough water and reasonable temp. Do not handle him any more.
Hope this help.
Edmond

kande · 06-24-05, 03:24 AM

yeah its really wierd....he like bites himself in the middle of his body he doesnt draw blood or anything....but its happend a couple times already today and after hes done biting himself (i had to kind of wedge his own body from his mouth) his mouth would stay open for a couple minutes and he wont move. I have yet to be bitten and dont really want to (altho i heard it doesnt really hurt) but i also dont like the fact hes doin it to himself....i dont know...ive already moved him to a darker area of my house....and one that less traveled in so there shouldnt be too much movement goin around. Ill see if that helps

Edmond Y · 06-24-05, 11:27 AM

Any mites or ticks found? If not, just leave him alone, don't go see him nor feed him. See what will happen.
Edmond

mykee · 06-24-05, 02:53 PM

1. Solid white is a urate, not feces. Pee, not poop.
2. Leave him alone for a week AT LEAST and let him acclimate to his new surroundings, you touiching him and holding him is only stressing him out.
3. Don't feed him for at least that long, and when you do, try a rat fuzzy, not a mouse.
4. Don't EVER leave any sized food item live in a cage unsupervised with your snake. Ever.

1. What are you temps at? hot side? Cool side?
2. Hides? how many and where?
3. Substrate?
4. Humidity?

Princess Erica · 06-25-05, 08:09 AM

Maybe he still smells the mouse on his body, from curling up with it?

mykee · 06-25-05, 05:05 PM

1. What are your temps at? hot side? cool side?
2. Hides? how many and where?
3. Substrate?
4. Humidity?

Also, I'm fairly positive that the problem does not lie with your snake "smelling" an old food item.

Princess Erica · 06-25-05, 06:23 PM

Just a suggestion... sheesh.

mykee · 06-26-05, 11:21 AM

n/p

sc00t · 06-26-05, 07:39 PM

I have seen snakes bite themselves before and the number one reason is stress, ball pythons are shy snakes anywase so moving it into a new cage and trying to feed it right away and holding it is prolly stressing the little guy out to much. Most likly the snake is just really scared I agree give him awhile to calm down, with a good place to hide in his cage.
good luck and keep us posted

sc00t · 06-26-05, 11:35 PM

wait mykee why would princess know what the temps and humidty were didn't kande poste this thread im confused

mykee · 06-27-05, 04:10 PM

scOOt; exactly, which is why my post now says "n/p" instead.

sc00t · 06-27-05, 06:44 PM

I posted that last one before it said "n/p" my bad, I just thought maybe it was the avator