feeding frozen food

unknownclown · 01-28-03, 03:33 AM

Hey there

I just got a 7 month old ball Python and aparently it was being fed adult frozen mice at the store. But since I got him he isnt very hungry which by what Ive read is typical of being put into a different envoriment/home.

Anyway on with the question I bought it a frozen fuzzy mouse and he doesnt seem to be going for it how long is it good for. I mean is it safe to freeze every day and thaw out every night. That just doesnt sound right to me.

The snake I should add is in perfect shape and isnt the slightest bit underweight and has eaten 10 days ago.

Thanks

tai_pan1 · 01-28-03, 11:15 AM

I would not keep freezing and thawing due to bacteria growth. If your snake isn't hungry, leave him alone for a week and try again then. Trying to feed him every night isn't going to accomplish anything. Remember, in the wild these snakes can go weeks and months without food.

Tim_Cranwill · 01-28-03, 11:59 AM

Yeah, let him settle in a bit first. No rush if he's a nice healthy snake. He'll eat when he's ready

You may want to try thawing the frozen mouse by putting it in a bucket of warm tap water. This way, once it thaws it will not just be at room temperature, it will be nice and warm.

Good luck and keep us posted

BoidKeeper · 01-28-03, 12:07 PM

Give him two weeks of complet piece and quiet. Then try a F/T food item of apropriate size. Thaw it out slowly do not use hot water you can cook the internal organs. Make sure the rodent is at least 85 degrees ( I do this with my rehtek). I would make sure he has had 4 meals and one deffication before handeling, thats just my rule. Also I never re-freez food.
Good luck,
Trevor

Pixie · 01-28-03, 12:46 PM

Cranwill: You use a whole bucket of warm water to thaw out a mouse?!!! Seems a little bit much!

Just kidding ya

Linds · 01-28-03, 02:32 PM

Another reason he may not be taking the mouse is that it is too small. When they first hatch out they are capable of eating hopper mice (some will even take adults) or rat pinks. At 7 months old he probably thinks that fuzzy mouse is a joke. Try upping the prey size and see what kind of response he has towards that. General rule of thumb is to feed a prey item roughly the same size as the largest part of the snakes girth.
Best thing to do is just to leave him be in his home to acclimate. Try to avoid handling him until he feeds for you. Does he have several hiding spots in his home? Does he have an 80-90 degree gradient? Is he in a high traffic area of the house? If he is you may want to move him to a more secluded area. Assuming all this is correct, I would be likely to lean towards the prey size being the culprit in this situation. Good luck with your little guy

unknownclown · 01-28-03, 06:45 PM

ok Ill up the size of food that makes sense. I had tried putting a alive adult in there but he wasnt going for it buit theres that whole shock thing from being in a different enviroment.
He does have a nice little set up to live with 2 lamps one on each end of the cage and there is a place he likes to hide behind the water fall. There is another spot as well which is completely hidden but he doesnt go for it as much.

I do have him in the living room so I guess you could say it is in the high traffic area but there realy isn't much traffic, we are gone most of the day and at night I play with my daughter and we spend our time watching movies or playing in the other rooms. I have taken him out a bit while the kid was away but that will stop since it seems to unanamous that it is a bad thing.

OK so if he/she reamains stubborn and doesnt eat how long should I wait before it gets serious? He is on his ... 11th day with out food.

BoidKeeper · 01-28-03, 07:04 PM

Don't worry about 11 days. The record is 22 months with out food. What size tank is he in? What do you mean by a waterfall? Could you give us more details about the set up. How many hide boxes and what are they made from?
Trevor

unknownclown · 01-29-03, 12:36 AM

ok what I have him in aint exactly a tank its frame is made of plastic piping and its covered with a clothlike netting and is called a ReptArium. Here a pic I have found off of the web....

Im sorta worried about heating since it is made of netting stuff which is why I have 2 lights. The water fall is something I bought in the mall that came with a bonzai which bit the dust. Its a natural rock which has been hollowed out and in the middle top part there is a marble(?) ball that gets caught in the current and spins. The snake seems to realy like it, I catch him bathing in it or climbing up it everytime the lights go off.
There are 2 hide boxes which are made of wood.
I also have dried long grain spagnum moss around the base of the waterfall to hide the sides.
Hm...I think thats about it

unknownclown · 01-29-03, 12:38 AM

oh well heck that bites Hmm... no edit option

EDIT:
Duh!.. ok I found it

Sorry Im not the most observant at times

herm · 02-14-03, 12:57 PM

What's the temp gradient? Putting a lamp on both ends of the enclosure forces me to assume that you don't have a cool side. Also be patient, like everyone said, balls can go a long time without eating, they are notorious for hunger strikes!! LOL

BurmBaroness · 03-01-03, 07:22 PM

The netting stuff the cage is made of will be a big problem for you. Ball pythons should have a minimum of 90 degrees warm side, no lower than 82 on the cool side. You will not be able to hold temps or humidity in this cage, and if a snake is not warm, it will NOT eat, because it knows that it needs the heat for digestion. I'm sure it's a nice enclosure, but I would ditch it ASAP.