URGENT!

[jerzyperson]

I bought my ball python back in July (23) but he hasn't eaten since. He was on a every Thursday feeding, but I can't get him to eat. I tried frozen pinkies, and frozen hoppers. Don't have access to live. He also keeps scratchting, but I looked him over and can't see any mites. He is starting to shed now I think. His eye lids are milky color. And he's gone a month without eating. I have one Hopper left to try. I keep the tank at 80 in the morning on the warm side, and about 90 in the afternoon on the warm side. Cold side varies from 75-82. I spray water into the tank once a day for humidity. He's not looking so hot right now. And I'm worried about him. What should I do? Both to get him to feed, and this is his first shed with me. And I'm not 100 percent sure how it'll go with the shape he's in. I am lacking a heat pad. But I use ambiant temp and heat light to keep him comfy till I start making money. (First paycheck next Friday)

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[chefjamesscott]

hope you get it to eat ours refused to eat till it died

 

[Wiggles92]

Pictures from when you got it as well as current pictures will greatly help us help you with this matter. Most snakes can go for several months without food without any issues, though, and some will just decide to stop eating for no discernible reason at all.

Anyway, your temperatures are bit off. Keep the warm end at a constant 90-94°F and the ambient temperature (includes cool end) at 80°F. The humidity needs to be around 60% and can be raised a bit for a few days before it sheds to help with that process; usually just having a water bowl in a proper cage (not an aquarium) as well as a suitable substrate (shredded aspen is best) is all it takes to maintain the proper humidity.

As for the food, pinkies are far too small to be of any interest to the snake; hoppers are a much better choice provided that it's not more than a couple of months old. Thaw the hopper out in a plastic bag that's been placed in very hot water, but don't wash the hopper in the water or anything like that as you want to preserve the mouse smell. You're probably going to need to tease feed it, so just bob the mouse around near its head until it strikes & constricts the mouse. If that doesn't work, then lightly tap the snake with the mouse along its body until it strikes & constricts. Tongs will greatly assist in this process; if you don't have a reptile-specific pair, then just use a pair from the kitchen & disinfect them well afterwards (or just get a new pair & use those for the snake).

If it comes down to it, go find a source of live prey. Pretty much any pet store, including chain stores, will have live rodents, so you might be able to get a very small live mouse to use as food; weaned mice are slightly larger than hoppers, so they should work. Just be sure to not mention what the mouse is being used for as some pet store employees are bleeding-heart animal lovers that don't want to see cute little Mousey becoming snake food.

 

[jerzyperson]

Should I wait until after its shed? Or is it worth a shot during? I know they are far more aggressive during shed. He also keeps opening his mouth slightly, not like yawning, but like a dog pants. First pic is first day, second is now.

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[Wiggles92]

Looks fine to me. Wait until it sheds for trying again with the feeding.

 

[Nereus7]

Weight looks good. They don't eat when they shed so after he's done doing his shed thing he should show interest. Let him soak in warm water to help the shed. What's worrying me is the "yawn" thing. That sounds like a respiratory infection in the making.

In that second pic he definatly has "shedder's eye" so depending on the timing, it's either going to progress to fully milked out, or if it's to the clearing up stage, give it about 4-5 more days and you should see him starting to work the skin around his lips etc, or just find a shed if you're not around when it happens. He'd go for food then, or should. That gape breathing is going to be your problem if you don't handle it soon. Get your temps right and if you can post a picture of his tank and how you have it set up.

I think the record fast for a ball python is 22 months, so 1 month is standard practice. - N

 

[jerzyperson]

Sorry it took so long. I don't have any totes for him right now so he's in a 29 gallon tank. Here's his tank. He's been super active. And his body is a lot slower then his eyes... his eye caps have already begun coming off. But the rest of his body is just getting to the wrinkly dry stage. Should I add more branches? What can I do to make it more homey for him?

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[methos75]

Balls are notorious for going off food for months on end, and then eating like champs again. Mine refused food for almost 4 months with no apparent lost in weight, and a few weeks ago started eating again and cobnstantly looking for food.

 

[crayfishguy]

When i got my bp i blacked out all the sides of the tank with cardboard. I would get a new more enclosed hide too, and add more branches


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