Paranoid Ball Python-- alarmed of rats?
Don't tell me; you've heard this a million jillion times, I know. But I'm really irked. My adult BP isn't intake her rats, and I can't figure out why.
General info:
Age: 3 years
Size: 4ft
Aquired: Spring 08 (9 months ago roughly)
Warm Side: 85-95F
Cool Side: 70-75F (I know it's low, I can't seem to get it up but I'm working on it)
Humidity: 50-80% (right presently it's at about 60%)
Substrate: Aspen
Cage Size: 40 gallon
Heating: 60w CHE, heating pad
Hides: 2, one thaw and one cool. She spends most of her time in the warm, but every hour or so she moves to the cool hide for a partially hour or so.
I have been feeding her environment live rats for her entire time with me, and she almost always eat after a few offerings. I feed her every 7-10 days, but it has been at lowest possible 3 weeks since she's eaten. I got her an albino rat which she seemed afraid of. After 3 weeks of refuse the albino, I gave it back to the petstore and got rather black and white guy. I thought she might have been scared by the color, but I guess not because it's be a half hour and she didn't eat the black and white rat. I put it back within its little cage. She was in her cool hide away when I put the rat in. The room was semi-dark and quiet. I took out the reheat hide because otherwise the rat would run straight in there and never come out. She stalked it for a moment or two while, but then she started "hiding" in her water bowl and burrowing surrounded by the aspen.
OK.IM TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING NOT TO FEED YOUR SNAKE LIVE RATS OR MICE. DURING THE FREEZING PROCESS THE MICE/RAT LOSES NUTRIENTS CAUSE IT DECOMPOSES THE RAT. feeder mice will try to bite but most of the time its teeth wont break the skin. the last time i feed my snake i thought the mouse took a chunk out of my snake. but when it ate it i looked at it and there was no puncture wound or nothing.
rats enjoy stronger jaws than mice. feeder mice also have more nutrients than rats. and yes theres a difference between them.
feeding it more feeder mice threw out the week will make for an well again and bigger snake. say maybe 4 feeder mice threw out the week is better than 1 rat. the more meals it have is better than 1 big meal.
theres a couple reasons why it might not be feeding right.
1. the rat might be to big for it. never nurture a snake something bigger than the widest part of the snake.
2. last time it shed its caps may not hold came off so the snake could be blind right now therefor it will efficient.
3. it could be sick. that might be the reason its not eating.
4. probably the main common sense its not eating is because the winter months are the dormant months for the snake. even if they don't hibernate they can sense it. you can slow the feeding process down during the winter months.
5. possibly its getting ready to shed. therefor it wont eat during that time. and maybe theres skin still on it from the second shed. that will stop the snake from eating also.
6. a stressed snake wont eat either. I don`t know its stressed.
snakes can go up to a year with out eating so until its be 9 months you shouldn't worry about it to much. once its been 9 months and no drinking. call a vet.
and the humidity is good where its at. perchance lower. pythons and king snakes come out of dry hot areas. therefor only need a higher humidity when its shedding.
Ball pythons run by heat sensors and smell mostly the color of rat doesn't matter. But it sounds like she getting in place for winter, no matter what temp they can tell when it's winter.
Answers: It sounds like you've got the enclosure impressively nicely taken care of. There are only two things that may end in her not to eat from what you've said.
First:
Perhaps too big of a rat? Though this doesn't seem likely it is possible. Though she nouns like she's big enough for a medium rat. You may want to try a smaller size?
Second:
This human being the more likely of the two. She is probably fasting. Ball Pythons are notorious for going on starvation strikes. Usually during the winter, this is their normal breeding season, and they generally don't eat much during their breeding season.
Don't Panic! :D This isn't necessarily ill for her. Just keep an eye on her. If she looks healthy you've got nought to worry about. If she starts losing a lot of cargo you should start to worry.
BPs can go for up to 3 or 4 months with out intake, without any ill effect, if they be well fed to begin near. I have 9 BPs right now. Currently 4 of them are not eating. 1 hasn't guzzle for about a month. She does this every winter, and she is 11.
As for feeding live. I feed most of mine live. It is much more convenient for me to do. There are masses people on both sides of this issue. As long as you are responsible about it, I don't think it's a problem. ie: don't disappear a rat with your BP over night. 20 - 30 minutes max in my inference.
Here's a forum with a lot of good info and caresheets:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/index...
It is a really discouraging idea to feed pet snakes live animals. They often will close up doing more damage to the snake. This may have happened the final time she fed. She might have gotten bitten and remembers that very ably. Please either kill the rat prior to feeding or nurture her pre-killed rats that are frozen and from your pet store.
Only other option I can think of besides she just wasn't all set to eat was that she sensed something was wrong near the rat and knew not to eat it.
iain l, who cares what you think about animal cruelty. preserve your political opinions to yourself. just because americans don't recognize rodents below animal cruelty laws means nothing. they are raise for food. they are just rodents. remember the black plague? are you a vegetarian? i suppose you're against exterminators as well. save your opinions to yourself because nobody cares, especially someone resembling you who claims to be a drug addict.
I reason the way you have set up the enclosure pretty all right.
The rat might be too big and because it is live and not thawed might put him off of food. You may want to try a smaller size, that is a short time ago an option. Ball Pythons are well known for going on starvation strikes (not eating). Usually during the winter, this is their normal breeding season, and they generally don't eat much during their breeding season, as their time is taken up,,, okay you know.
If she starts losing a lot of weight you should start to worry, later take her to the vets!
Ball Pythons can go for up to 3 + months beside out eating, without any ill effect.As for feed live. I feed my one thawed as it is more humane.
Hope this helps and worthy luck.:)
I honestly don't believe in feeding live, just because frozen mice or rats pose no threats to the snake. Live rats can impose sever damage to the snake. Not biting in general, but when the rat is going down the snake it can claw and cut into the snakes insides. You do not kill the rat. You can buy them pre-killed and frozen. You can buy them by the dozens and just freeze them. Its saves a LOT of gas.
For the not intake, I think its time for a vet visit. Only a vet can give a solid diagnoses and a cure.
Good luck!
It might be that you are feeding rats to a ball python. Have you tried feed it balls?
I had the same problem beside my rat python. I tried feeding it balls at first, but had much more nouns with rats. Let me know if you need some uneaten ball.
This is normal bubble python behavior to go off feed. This is also the time of the year that they will exibit this the most. Just be forgiving and continue to offer food as usual. Sometimes offering a smaller item like an full-grown mouse will spark them when they are fasting. If you do this and nothing happens. Just dawdle for your BP to begin feeding again and, do not panic. My sizeable 7yr old female fasts and rotten feeds every year. She is that way now. She did not initiate to fast until she reached the age of about 3. Ball pythons can speedily for months with no ill effects.Keep your eyes open for any drastic mass loss "IF" it occurs but, I feel your that your snake is healthy and is'nt going to enjoy that issue. Expect this same feeding behavior next year at about this same time.
If you are in the UK or most of Europe you are breaking the law feeding live prey
Most countries next to good animal rights/abuse laws have debarred the feeding of live prey, partly because it is considered cruel also it's unnecessary. If a snake has never eat live it won't mind frozen thawed because that's all it know
