This being the case, you shouldn’t have to upgrade to a larger enclosure as long as you start with one big enough for your juvenile ball python to grow into. When it comes to size, it is typical to see female ball pythons get larger than males. Once he does so, you’ll want to release your grip on the rodent and slowly back away from the habitat. Thanks for sharing! These types of long fasts can not only be detrimental for your pet’s health, but they can also cause considerable frustration and anxiety for the keeper. Food. Ben is a life-long environmental educator who writes about the natural world. Keep an eye on your pet’s body weight and body condition – you definitely don’t want the spine to be visually obvious. INCUBATION PERIOD. But ball pythons will occasionally refuse to eat for weeks, months, or even years in exceptional cases. shrews, rats) and birds. And, you can make sure you have the enclosure set up correctly by checking out our Ball Python Habitat Guide. I’ve had snakes that would get stressed by being handled at all, and I’ve had others that would tolerate hours of handling several times a week (they were animals used for teaching programs). But, this isn’t an especially common problem anymore. Ball pythons in the wild eat a wide variety of rodents aside from mice, and they also eat small birds. It is important to avoid startling or stressing your snake before or during the feeding process. Mating Habits. Diet and Nutrition. Additionally, males of many snake species often cease feeding during the breeding season. Always practice good hygiene when feeding your snake. Hence, your pythons can survive without it. Thanks in advance for your time. He’s 22(? And we’ve also explained a few ways that’ll usually tempt finicky individuals. Again, it is always important to tailor the prey size offered and the feeding schedule implemented to your individual snake’s needs, but the information below should serve as a good starting point. Back to back? I’d recommend feeding two or three mice per feeding for a week or two to help put some weight back on him/her. It’s like she can’t see them anymore. Just be sure to monitor your snake’s weight to ensure you are providing an appropriate amount of food. Their diet varies based on where they live and how large they are. Ball pythons can grow surprisingly quickly when they are well fed. You can obtain frozen rodents at most pet stores that sell snakes. ! She’s still active and colorful though. They’ll usually lower the tip of their mouth to the water dish and then draw water into their mouths by moving their lower jaw. Instead, blood flow is cut off from the brain, causing the prey to lose consciousness. He’s not being fed enough and I don’t know what to do. i have a female ball python she normaly gose off feed once a month but as of lately she hasn’t soon any interest in food and has lost almost 150g in a moth what should i do. Fishes such as mackerel, goldfish, flathead minnows, rosy reds, and whitebait should not be given to them. Ball Python Morphs. How Long Can Ball Pythons Go Without Eating? This includes domestic mice or rats, multimammate mice, gerbils, and hamsters. Below, we’ve put together a handy chart for figuring out the right size food item for your ball python and the appropriate feeding schedule. But, it could also signal the presence of parasites or some other health problem, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Young ball pythons may consume the occasional lizard in the wild, but most eat rodents. Kick excitable kids or pets out of the room and consider dimming the room lights a bit. Ball python striking but not eating and other issues. He got it half way down to the middle of his body then the next day he must have thrown it up. Appropriately sized frozen rodents, thawed/warmed to above room temperature. Especially on its housing needs and diet. Although it can occasionally be difficult to entice a ball python to feed, the vast majority of captive-hatched individuals are eager eaters. . If you can’t or won’t feed your snake an appropriate diet, then you must make a decision if a ball python is the right pet for you. I am able to leave it at one house if necessary. The snake’s size and gender also influence the prey they eat. Sometimes she will just stare at the glass of the tank when the rats in there. And ultimately, you should also know how often you should feed them a particular type of prey. I got him from my Uncle. One important point to note is that feeding rat pups and fuzzies to your pet ball pythons at the early stage will help them to get along with other types of prey as they grow to adulthood. … Specifically, they may refuse food for extremely long periods of time. The most common causes of food refusal include: Now that you understand some of the reasons that ball pythons may refuse food, we can move on to a few helpful tips and tricks, which may help you get your snake to eat. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'uniquepetswiki_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',115,'0','0']));Young ball pythons can feed on small lizards. Hey so I’m looking at getting a ball python and I was wondering if they can go back and forth between two houses every week. Many ball python owners are often bothered with the question of what to feed their pet snakes. I can see her spine a little bit. Pet ball pythons are fed steady diets of mice and rats. They do, however, require smaller rodents than adult ball pythons do. We discuss this issue in-depth in our article about. The bigger adult can kill and eat the smaller ones. The Final Answer + 3 Alternative Ways. Ball pythons may eat smaller snakes if housed together. Many may only drink once or twice per week. Not only does a ball python need meat to survive, it will not accept anything other than an animal as food. I felt she needed to be eating a weaned rat, she wouldn’t touch it! At the same time, ball pythons can be lazy, and some specimens do seem to get a little overweight. Ball Pythons in the Wild . This week we're talking all about feeding ball pythons. We discuss this issue in-depth in our article about ball pythons who won’t eat, but we’ll explain the basic reasons ball pythons fail to feed and what you can do about it below. Do I say to hell with offering rats and feed her the large frozen mice (do they make x large mice?) Hello. ? Many captives have refused food for more than a year before finally starting to eat again. Giving them a variety of prey to eat in captivity will ensure that they do not grow to be picky eaters. If it is unavoidable, be sure to thoroughly disinfect the area. Note that the sizes of feeder animals should not be bigger than the midsection of your snake.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'uniquepetswiki_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',112,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'uniquepetswiki_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',112,'0','1'])); Besides, your snakes should always be given full feeder animals (that is a whole prey). An obviously visible spine is not a good sign, and it does sound like your pet is underweight. Since they don’t eat it often in the wild, it should only be given to them occasionally. You would agree with me that this species of snake lives on land and do not likely come across water animals in their natural environment. Your email address will not be published. Do Ball Pythons Eat Anything Other Than Mice? However, it is important to ensure your ball python has access to clean, fresh water at all times. You may also be able to get a friend who has experience performing the procedure do it for you. It usually isn’t common among ball pythons, but all snakes are individuals, with varying preferences. Just be sure that you’re providing enough food. The best things to feed your ball python are frozen-thawed rodents (the rodents will be sold to you in frozen form, but you’ll want to let them warm up to room temperature before offering them to your snake). It is threatened by hunting for its meat and for the international pet trade. For babies and young pythons, they still only need to eat one every seven days. But for me, as long as its eaten, the snake is receiving the nutrition needed. Smaller and younger snakes may eat large crickets, but should ideally be eating pinkies and fuzzies until they grow larger. Sometimes these fasts would last for months at a time. UniquePetsWiki is compensated for referring traffic and business to amz. Except that you tricked them to believe it’s something else. Diet Carnivore . Required fields are marked *. Sounds like a great snake, Iris! Understandably, they would often refuse food. I have a question bout my bald python…. Do not panic if your snake begins to refuse food. She will get super close to it and the rat will scare her away or she will look above the rat. Boas and pythons are carnivores, and are meant to consume rodents. 55-60 days. No, your ball python will starve slowly in your attempt to feed it a vegan diet. This may cause it … Tell us all about your ball-python feeding experiences in the comments below, and be sure to share this article with your friends if you’ve found it helpful. Most feed their pet once every week, but others feed their snake twice per week, and still, others feed their snakes once every third week. There is no way to determine your snake’s age, unless you know his or her birthday. Buy Ball Pythons - We have 25 years of experience shipping Ball Pythons throughout the United States and pride ourselves on providing you with the highest quality reptiles along with … Just be sure you don’t handle her too often and make sure that you are careful when letting others touch her if she’s nervous. I’d definitely encourage you to pick one home and just let him live there. Reptile.Guide is the preferred educational source on reptiles favored by experienced herptologists and new owners alike. In the wild, their diet consists mostly of small mammals, such as African soft-furred rats, shrews, gerbils, and striped mice and birds. Live prey can cause severe injuries to your snake and is not recommended. This probably stems from the tendency for wild ball pythons to fast during the dry season, when food becomes scarce. These snakes tend to be fairly docile and gentle by nature, which is a major plus, and they also don’t grow as large as many species. Here's a little feeding video I have been trying to get together for a long time now. I have tried everything. Ball Python; Turtles & Tortoises; Frogs & Amphibians. Some breeders just feel that those foods aren’t safe for them. Ball pythons are carnivores. The problem is not that captive ball pythons wouldn’t take some of the foods if offered. With hundreds of articles on everything pertaining to lizards, turtles, and snakes, our experienced team provides reliable and accurate content you can trust. While in captivity, they should also be offered a variety of prey to feed on. There are a few reasons ball pythons will refuse food, including some that are common to most snake species as well as a few reasons that are unique to ball pythons. Despite common belief, the prey does not suffocate. Will Wasp Spray Kill Or Hurt A Snake? she just doesn’t want it! As for handling him, it really depends on the snake. Like a cat would . Someone told me I may have to switch to live! If your question is urgent, please contact your veterinarian or use a 24/7 vet online service! Additionally, ball pythons may drink water droplets from their bodies or the environment. As mentioned earlier, baby and juvenile ball pythons should only be fed Pinky and fuzzy mice, or rat pups because of their size. These are carnivorous snakes that require a diet of meat both in the wild … I am the owner of this website.Welcome to uniquepetswiki.comI hope the website is useful to you. It also ensures that the rodent won’t suffer. Also, it is important to note that rodents will occasionally leak blood, urine or feces during the feeding process. Ball pythons are nocturnal, as BEL’s are a type of ball python, they are also nocturnal. Ball pythons are famous for engaging in fasts that last for several months at a time. Hope this will be helpful for you and your ball python! 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