Baby Ball
How long can a baby ball python go without food before I need to start worrying?
How long can a baby ball python go without food before I need to start worrying?
I do try to feed her, she just hasn’t eaten in weeks and thats why I asked the question.
Ignore some of the bad or strange advice you’re getting here–I breed ball pythons, and have kept them for years.
A baby ball python that doesn’t eat within one month of your taking it home should be cause for concern. The first thing you need to do is look up proper care of ball pythons–make sure your husbandry is right. The cage temperature must be right, and your python must have a small, tight, dark hiding place to sleep in during the day. Do not handle it–AT ALL, except to clean the cage. Leave the baby completely alone until it is eating regularly. Handling is very stressful for reptiles, and may prevent it from eating.
Has your python EVER eaten? If not, then you may have purchased an unestablished ‘CH’ baby imported from Africa. This snake may have never eaten in its life, and is simply living off the last of the yolk it absorbed from the egg. It can be difficult to establish these babies. Proper temperature is essential. Put the baby into a small cage with a small hide, and crumpled newspaper to provide more cover–put it in a place away from prying eyes or people walking by.
After 3 days of this, offer the baby a LIVE fuzzy mouse in the early evening, and leave it there overnight–be sure the cage is in the dark at night! A fuzzy mouse is a mouse that has fur and is just crawling around, but hasn’t got its eyes open yet (never leave an adult mouse or hopper alone with a snake). If it does not eat the mouse, remove the mouse. Leave the snake alone for 3 more days, and then offer it a live pinkie rat pup, the same way. Be sure the snake has fresh clean water, and a scrupulously clean cage, and that it is dark and quiet.
If this does not work after 2 weeks, take the snake to a reptile vet for a full checkup, and explain the problem. The vet may need to force-feed the snake.
This is very stressful for the snake, so is a last resort. Often after they have been force-fed a couple of meals, a baby will start eating on its own. (Keep offering the fuzzy mice or rats every few days until one is eaten–wait 5 days after a force-feeding to offer food again).
If your snake is captive bred, see if you can find out if it has eaten, and if so, what it was eating. Most baby ball pythons will prefer either rats or mice to start, and will take only one, and not the other. A baby ball python will probably NOT accept pre-killed or frozen/thawed food–not until it’s eating regularly, and is comfortable in its new home.
A baby ball python should eat a prey item as big around as the widest part of its body once every 5 to 7 days. Once it is 3 or 4 years old, this can be reduced to once every 2 weeks. Acquiring a scale to keep track of your snake’s weight in grams is a good idea.
Do NOT ask advice of pet store personnel…they often have absolutely no idea what they are talking about when it comes to reptile care. Check reptile forums online such as FaunaClassifieds or Reptster.com where keepers and breeders congregate to share information.
P&B: Ball Play and Pointing to Body Parts
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