The lowdown on feeding Ball pythons

[Hamadryad]

Ok, I have two Ball Pythons now that are both captive bred and have been taking mice steadily now since I purchased them a month ago.I was told that I should try to transition them to taking rat pups as that is going to be there eventual prey but neither snake seems at all interested in the hopper rats I have offered them.:? they have actually gone up and sniffed the rats and just ignored them.I have heard that Ball Pythons can be a real pain to feed and I am wondering what the real deal is on feeding them.I have heard of a term used in reference to feeding snakes..."having the snake IMPRINT on the prey"

Also what is the deal on using pre-killed frozen prey? will a python accept this? it sure would make things a lot easier to deal with as I wouldnt have to keep makeing prey runs and I am thinking that a live rat could really hurt a snake in the process of the kill - is this true?

I would appreciate any info on this subject!!!!

The Evil Spider Hunter

 

[Gillian]

Originally posted by Spider Hunter
I was told that I should try to transition them to taking rat pups as that is going to be there eventual prey but neither snake seems at all interested in the hopper rats I have offered them.:? they have actually gone up and sniffed the rats and just ignored them.I have heard that Ball Pythons can be a real pain to feed and I am wondering what the real deal is on feeding them.I have heard of a term used in reference to feeding snakes..."having the snake IMPRINT on the prey"

Spider Hunter,
A good way of accomplishing this, is to "scent" the rat, with a mouse, either dead or alive. You rub the mouse on the prey item. What I've founfd that works, is to take the damp bedding from the mouses' cage (urine soaked), and rub it on the rat.

Yes, they can be a pain to feed. Everything must be absolutely perfect, elsewise, they go off feed. BP's can go on fasts lasting over a year. In the worse case scenario, they have to be forcefed, if their weight goes down too low.

Also what is the deal on using pre-killed frozen prey? will a python accept this? it sure would make things a lot easier to deal with as I wouldnt have to keep makeing prey runs and I am thinking that a live rat could really hurt a snake in the process of the kill - is this true?

[/B]

pre killed, in addition to being safer for your pet, has the added advantage of killing all parasites, resident on the prey item. I have yet to have a snake refuse thawed.

Othello, my Ball Python, was a rescue case. He was full grown when I acquired him. He only had movement in the upper 1/4 of his body. He was paralyzed, due to a abcessed rat tooth in his spine. Fortunately, he's now fine.
Peace,
Gillian

 

[foreverbug]

it is safer to feed a snake prekilled or frozen thawed, but some will only eat live- depends on what they are used to. My bp's (Romeo and Juliet), only eat live. They have refused every thing else. They were that way when I got them. If you must feed them live, stun them first, and supervise the feeding. That is what I do and there hasn't been a problem yet.
When it comes to damaging a snake , it can cause some major problems. Romeo has scars all over his body, and some nuerological problems due to unsupervised feedings, caused by prior owners.
Some of my friends use chicken broth when they try to feed frozen thawed, and that seems to help.
Good luck with the snakes !

 

[Phillip]

how to get a ball to eat frozen...

To the ones having problems getting balls to eat frozen i'll let ya in on a tip that will solve most feeding problems. The most common mistake with new snake owners is to bring their snake home and handle it all the time while at the same time not providing a hide box for it in it's tank. If you handle your ball and it does the balling up routine it is not doing it to be cute. They do it as a predator escape thing and the fact that they are balling up means quite simply that they are stressed at what is going on. Most all balls will settle in and feed if they are simply set up, provided a hide box, kept warm enough, and left alone for a few weeks. When trying to feed them simply put the prey in the tank near the entrance to the hide and get away. Leave them alone as much as possible till they settle in to a regular feeding routine and then they can be handled but trying to pick them up all the time will simply prolong the process. And as far as switching to rats most will readily take rats once they are large enough to do so and i wouldn't worry about switching until the snake is too large to have a mouse make a meal. At that point simply offer a rat slightly larger than the mice it was on and 9 out of 10 times they will go right after it.

Also the point about leaving the new snake alone to settle in goes for other species as well. Even a normally good feeder such as a king or corn if molested enough ( handled all the time when not accustomed to it ) will feel unsecure and go off feed. The bottom line is that with new or young snakes a bit of patience on the part of the keeper will go a long way towards having a happy well feeding snake. Young snakes view most things as a predator out to kill and eat them and when a proportionately huge human grabs them it scares them. Take it easy and give them time to adjust and nearly all of them will come around and accept frozen.

Phil