gt500 my ball python

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 04:35 PM

so this is gt500 my ball python me and my boyfriend got him about 3-4 weeks ago hes a really good eater but im switching him to live food due to the fact that giving a snake a f/t food is like giving a human a tv dinner its not necessarily bad for them but its definitely not good for them my boa already eats live but i have to work gt into eating live because i tried a fuzzie so it couldnt hurt him if he didnt do it right and he constricted the fuzzie a little but didnt kill it and ended up swallowing it alive it was squeeking and moving till it suffocated i kinda felt bad for it but there was nothing i could do about anyway here is a few pics of my ball

he is a very shy little snake and a little escape artist

GarterPython · 04-03-12, 04:41 PM

Since it seems like you are an experianced owner I won't push you too much on this but I think most people on here agree that freezing Frozen is a little safer. I guess it is okay to feed live as long as you watch them eat it though

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 04:42 PM

I personally and I think most people here would tell you to stick to f/t. Live is just to dangerous for your snakes. You have to worry about parasites in the rodents and the rodent can hurt or even kill your snake. I would never want to put one of my snakes in harms way if I don't have too. People have been feeding snakes F/t for many many many years now and I have never heard of any issues. If you really have a problem with f/t then I would suggest you stun the rodents before feeding them to you snakes. It's safer for your snakes. I think f/T is the way to go because it is just easier for you and your snake(s). That's just my opinion though.

GarterPython · 04-03-12, 04:48 PM

I agree exactly with what Hillsberry said. Frozens are alot more safe.

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 04:49 PM

well my boa eats live and i want to have them on the same page and just incase there is any chance he could ever get out which wont happen i want him to be able to defend himself and survive as we all know things happen and mistakes are made and people lose their snakes i always watch my snakes eat since i feed them out of their enclosure and such i feed both right now and its just cheaper to feed live even though frozen is alot more convenient i just worried cause he hasnt ever ate live before so i want to start him off on stuff that cant really hurt him

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 04:57 PM

Snakes will always have a wild instinct, they are not like dogs. Snakes will be able to fend for themselves if they escape and get outside. Most of the time when snakes escape they stay in your house. Now if you live up north your snake will not be able to survive the cold winters. You can still switch you Boa over to stunned. Boa's are big eats and most will switch over easy.

youngster · 04-03-12, 04:59 PM

Feeding live won't prepare your snake if it gets out. Snakes are born with survival instincts, take my male corn snake for example. He escaped but even though he had been on F/T his entire life I found him over a month later with a big belly and not a scratch on him.

If you want your two snakes on the same page, switch your boa to F/T.

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 05:01 PM

ill have to try to switch her i think she is about to shed right now i just posted pics of her on the boa thread you should go look at them she finally came out of her coconut shell so i got some pics her eyes are really grey shes not as milky in color as she was yesterday so i dunno

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillsberry

Snakes will always have a wild instinct, they are not like dogs. Snakes will be able to fend for themselves if they escape and get outside. Most of the time when snakes escape they stay in your house. Now if you live up north your snake will not be able to survive the cold winters. You can still switch you Boa over to stunned. Boa's are big eats and most will switch over easy.

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 05:03 PM

ok ill try and get her to eat on thursday but like i said i think shes about to ched but im not totally sure boas are a new experience for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngster

Feeding live won't prepare your snake if it gets out. Snakes are born with survival instincts, take my male corn snake for example. He escaped but even though he had been on F/T his entire life I found him over a month later with a big belly and not a scratch on him.

If you want your two snakes on the same page, switch your boa to F/T.

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 05:05 PM

Sounds like she is in shed. Once the blue/grey stage is gone give her a few days and then she will begin to shed. Just stun the rodent and then feed her. It might take awhile but she will eventually take it. Snakes can go off feeding for over a year and show no signs of losing weight. So don't panic if she doesn't take the stunned rodent right away. Best of Luck!

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 05:08 PM

im not panicking she just seems a little on the skinny side for how long she is pictures dont really do alot of justice but she is about id say 16-18 inches long and about as big around as a jumbo sharpie i dont know if that is normal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillsberry

Sounds like she is in shed. Once the blue/grey stage is gone give her a few days and then she will begin to shed. Just stun the rodent and then feed her. It might take awhile but she will eventually take it. Snakes can go off feeding for over a year and show no signs of losing weight. So don't panic if she doesn't take the stunned rodent right away. Best of Luck!

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 05:11 PM

I would feed her every 5 to 7 days. You should be feeding her a meal that leaves a small bulge in her stomach. She doesn't look skin to me. She looks healthy. As long as you feed her every 5 to 7 day she should be good.

mystichrome · 04-03-12, 05:17 PM

well the guy fed her 2 fuzzies a few days before i got her and she hasnt wanted to eat since i offered f/t she didnt take it i offered a live an she didnt take that either then a few days later her tank got really hot i had just upgraded her tank an was misinformed of the bulb side for the lamps and it over heated the tank but she got her moss in her water bowl and burrowed into it then a day after that her eyes greyed over and her color dulled

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 05:26 PM

Make sure your hot side is about 85 degrees and your cold side is upper 70s. Humidity should be around 70% but make sure that the tank is not constantly wet or that can cause scale rot and other health problems. She is in shed so I would make sure humidity is about 80 to 90%. Most snakes will go off feeding if husbandry is off. Also while she is in shed I wouldn't handle her. Let her relax a little. It sounds like you just her recently so I would give her time to get used to her new surrounds.

Hillsberry · 04-03-12, 05:27 PM

Here's a good care sheet for BRBs. Check it out. It might help you.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa Care Sheet