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Only one person has had a " PROBLEM FEEDER&qu
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by levi3 on March 30, 2003
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Come on guys and girls there are bound to be more than one of you that had a story about a snake that was tough to get started???????? What did you do to finally get it to eat regularly?????
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RE: Only one person has had a " PROBLEM FEEDE
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by MattHarris on March 31, 2003
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Ray,
You've not seen an onslaught of replies due to several reasons: 1) this group is predominantly venomous keepers, and aren't overly intrigued by your dilemma; 2) your situation is a common one seen often with imported, stressed out "Pet shop" stock. I'd reccommend you refrain from buying from MOST pet stores because they tend to stock animals bought cheaply from an exporter to make a quick profit(with little regard to actually offering a quality, healthy animal). In the future, I'd suggest you buy directly from a private breeder.
In regards to stubborn feeders, I've never owned a ball python, but have cared for a few(though they were all cbb and ate mice with no trouble). Some will voluntarily go off feed for up to 6 months or so(for adults this isn't unusual). Chances are since this animal appears to be a WC import, these animals often don't feed because the prey being offered smell nothing like their usual prey. One animal I've been told works very well for stubborn Ball Pythons are gerbils. I'd try a small pre-killed one first...if that doesn't work....try live (but monitor it closely).
Feeding problems I've had with WC animals were simply due to them not being offered their usual wild prey. I've gotten wc rattlesnakes to accept first, pre-killed white-footed mice....then eventually scenting lab mice with WF mice....then eventually, the snakes adapt and take F/T mice...even hairless mice.
I'd also recommend you check out the K-snake.com Ball python forum......oodles of readers can help you there as well.
Good Luck
Matt Harris
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RE: Only one person has had a " PROBLEM FEEDE
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by JTEDENS on April 1, 2003
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The first ball python I had was a wild caugt specimen. It didn't eat for 16 months. I tried everything from rabbit pinks, mice, gerbils, hamsters, rats, live and dead, dipped in chicken broth or plain. I even tried thawed rats/mice. I tried putting the prey in her cage, taking her to a cage with prey in it, putting her in a sack with pre-killed prey overnight, and went as far as building a cage for rodents with a hole very high on the side to another compartment where I could leave the snake if she wanted to go investigate the prey on the other side. The thing that finally got her to eat was being bred. She never laid eggs but started feeding immediatley after being bred. She has fed at every opportunity for years now.
John
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