Considering giving away my ball python?

[Ripa]

Alright, so before I give my explanation, I have this spider ball who I received from someone 5 years ago because she couldn't care for him anymore. I always wanted a snake to care for, but recently it's been increasingly difficult for me to keep on top of this poor guy's difficult eating habits. He's a spider ball with a prominent wobble, but his main issue is that he goes off feed for 3-4 months, twice a year each.

Currently I'm away at college (my first two years I commuted from home, but now I'm 5 hours away from home) and I feed this guy once a month when I come home to visit, or at least try to gorge him when he actually WANTS to eat, because I wasn't able to transfer him over to pre-killed this entire time I've had him. My mother refuses to give him live prey when she's in charge (although she still changes his water regularly). My parents are fine with taking care of my other pets because they don't have to feed them live mice. Additionally, the amount of mice I have to feed this snake per feeding adds up quite a bit financially, and additionally, being stuck with 3 feeder mice this snake hasn't eaten when he decided to stop eating one day back in fall of last year makes more work for my family. This snake is housed in a 40 gallon breeder with a nice big hide and some logs and rocks for him to climb on, but nonetheless, he still refuses to eat.

Not only does it make me anxious a lot of the time on his behalf, but I feel that someone could do a better job than me converting him to pre-killed food (a safer means of feeding) and and actually be on top of him when he doesn't eat. I do care for this snake quite a bit and want to give him up to an individual who actually cares for snakes, free of charge, if possible (I don't feel craigslist would be a good idea). Additionally, I feel like I need to relieve my family of some of their duties (caring for two dogs, two cockatiels, two leopard geckos, a ball python, a G. rosea, four African dwarf frogs, and the uneaten snake food is quite a chore, with everyone still working and my little brother in his senior year of high school).

I live on Long Island (when I'm not at my dorm), and currently this guy is still fasting, but I'm not sure about anyone who actually would want this beautiful snake. I'm very upset to come to this alternative, but with everything considered, I don't know if it's the right thing for multiple parties to keep it in this current state.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do?

 

[ALBO2]

I wouldn't recommend Craigslist.

Surprisingly, Facebook has some good reptile rescue and rehoming groups, but I'd advise you to research them to find the best fit. You could also ask your friends if they know anybody interested in adopting your snake, and to spread the word around. Someone help me out with this, but would reptile fairs be a good location to find a potential adopter?

I'm sorry you have to give him up though, he sounds like a lovely snake despite his eating habits. I wish you the best of luck.


Edit: it's your choice, but you can add on a rehoming/adoption fee to your snake. The fee tends to deter people who are looking for a quick pet without doing any research into their husbandry. If you don't want to place a fee, I'd still question the potential adopters to see if they really know what they are getting into, etc.

 

[Ripa]

I wouldn't recommend Craigslist.

Surprisingly, Facebook has some good reptile rescue and rehoming groups, but I'd advise you to research them to find the best fit. You could also ask your friends if they know anybody interested in adopting your snake, and to spread the word around. Someone help me out with this, but would reptile fairs be a good location to find a potential adopter?

I'm sorry you have to give him up though, he sounds like a lovely snake despite his eating habits. I wish you the best of luck.


Edit: it's your choice, but you can add on a rehoming/adoption fee to your snake. The fee tends to deter people who are looking for a quick pet without doing any research into their husbandry. If you don't want to place a fee, I'd still question the potential adopters to see if they really know what they are getting into, etc.

The reptile fair thing is actually really convenient. There's one coming up March 15 and I was planning to grab a centipede there to add to my dorm collection. I'm not concerned with a re-homing fee, I just want to find him a good home. However, I will say that a fee would deter possible newbies from owning him which might be a good idea, with his mental disorder and above-average erratic eating habits considered.

I will also definitely check Facebook.

Thanks a bunch for the advice. If anyone else wants to chime in, feel free, but I'm satisfied so far with those two options.

 

[hdbill883]

While most bps readily switch, I have one(my barnhart line black pastel) that just absolutely refuses. Out of ~ 20 balls he is the only one that would rather starve to death than switch. My albino and my female bee took 3 years and 2 years(respectively) to switch.

I also have a male normal(rescue from ~7 years ago) who fasts 8 months at a time.

If this is something you don't have the time(or means) for, an expo will be your best bet(I like to make a sign for my backpack that says something like xyz for adoption/sale ask me about it). Just make sure full disclosure on eating habits etc. Once it warms up, you could also advertise on a herp classifieds(like faunaclassifieds) and ship to someone who is interested. http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/ has everything you'd need to ship.

Craigslist is definitely a last resort.

With regard to live feeders and having extras, I don't ever keep them around(prefer not tending live rodents) if my black pastel doesn't eat(granted i have a collection of garbage disposals). I usually just kill them humanely(cervical dislocation) and feed them to one of my bottomless pits(I have quite a few retics of varying sizes so no food ever goes to waste. If I didn't have anything else to feed them to, I would probably kill them, freeze them, and give them to a friend or even toss up a 'free or cheap frozen feeders' craigslist ad.

 

[Ripa]

While most bps readily switch, I have one(my barnhart line black pastel) that just absolutely refuses. Out of ~ 20 balls he is the only one that would rather starve to death than switch. My albino and my female bee took 3 years and 2 years(respectively) to switch.

I also have a male normal(rescue from ~7 years ago) who fasts 8 months at a time.

If this is something you don't have the time(or means) for, an expo will be your best bet(I like to make a sign for my backpack that says something like xyz for adoption/sale ask me about it). Just make sure full disclosure on eating habits etc. Once it warms up, you could also advertise on a herp classifieds(like faunaclassifieds) and ship to someone who is interested. http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/ has everything you'd need to ship.

Craigslist is definitely a last resort.

With regard to live feeders and having extras, I don't ever keep them around(prefer not tending live rodents) if my black pastel doesn't eat(granted i have a collection of garbage disposals). I usually just kill them humanely(cervical dislocation) and feed them to one of my bottomless pits(I have quite a few retics of varying sizes so no food ever goes to waste. If I didn't have anything else to feed them to, I would probably kill them, freeze them, and give them to a friend or even toss up a 'free or cheap frozen feeders' craigslist ad.

Honestly, I really want to keep him, but my mindset keeps going back and forth between keeping him and giving him away to someone else who could care for him effectively. Since I don't even get back home until March 7th, I still have further time to consider this.

 

[dom1025]

If you haven't I've been looking for one. I will gladly take him he seems like he is nice and content and easy to care for and I have the time. Text 3304420157 for more info.

 

[NocturnalSkies]

I live in NYC and could take him as well.

 

[l4nsky]

This is a thread guys, from 2015.