Python regius nottus eattus

[thejunipertree]

The photos aren't that great because I had the lights turned low in my bedroom, as to not freak her out. But, here they are:











She still hasn't eaten so far, despite a few different attempts. It mostly appears that she believes me to be bringing her little friends, from the way that she lays with them. The one time, I put the mouse carcass in her tank and she laid her chin on the damn thing and stayed like that for three hours. The other night, she seemed VASTLY interested in the wee mousie I brought her, all tongue-flicking and slithering closer, but she just stared at it the entire night. The next morning? Poop in the tank, which was an interesting phone call to the Engineer because honestly, I wasn't entirely convinced that one of the cats didn't wrestle the tank lid open, hang their fat ass over the side, and crap on Charlie's hide rock.

What does ball python poo look like?

The Engineer reassured me that the poo was indeed of the snakey variety and that she would then possibly be very hungry. So, I went against the normal pattern of you-didn't-eat-so-I'm-waiting-a-few-days-before-trying-again and tried to feed her again last night.

This time she was sleeping next to her log and I dropped the mouse on her head by accident. hoom. She didn't seem all that upset by this turn of events.

Oh look, you brought me another little friend to love!

When I went to bed later on, the new little friend had been abandoned by the wayside and Charlie was in her rock. I put her new little friend in the doorway to the rock, hoping that maybe she would stumble across it in the middle of the night and perhaps it would accidentially fall into her mouth. But, the new dawn broke with one dead mouse still in the tank. And a wee python zooming all over happily.

grr.

Who's idea was it that I buy a notoriously difficult to feed breed of snake? What douchebag came up with that gem?

Oh, right.
It was me.
heh.

I'll get better photos of her, once she's eaten for me. I've been avoiding handling her (except one time, when I couldn't freaking resist) until then, just so she doesn't get stressed out.

Comments

[babyraven.livejournal.com]

If she only just pooped, I'd give it a few more days. It's not like they really need to eat that often. Also, are the mice, well, warm? Some pythons don't like them cold. Some also want them to "act alive," so sometimes jiggling it by the tail a little can help encite interest.

I can ask my sister (reptile keeper at the zoo) for more tips if you want...

[morsobscena.livejournal.com]

Also, snakes sometimes will NOT eat for a bit after being introduced to a new environment, and at least if the snake just pooped, you know it's a) eaten recently, b) its digestive tract is working and not bound up, which is a good thing.

Give her time to settle in, and when she's relaxed and hungry, she'll eat.

[morsobscena.livejournal.com]

Also, I've discovered that sometimes, it helps A LOT to heat up and dry off the dead mouse or rat with a blow dryer so it's at least warm to the touch and not all wet and disgusting after thawing. Some snakes are insanely picky that way.

One thing I've noticed about my carpet python is that he's often really shy about eating, unless he's ravenous, and putting a towel over his tank so no one can see in will get him to eat without stressing him out.

[rhiann31.livejournal.com]

Ditto to everything that's been said...

We use the boil-in-bag method basically, but without really boiling the rat...put mouse into plastic bag, put bag into pretty warm water - not hot enough to cook it, but enough to warm it up...we also make the rats "dance" on the forceps when we feed the "kids" to get them excited (although it doesn't take much for Jackson).

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Pretty girl!

How long have you had her. Balls take a few weeks at least to settle into a new place, so they generally won't eat at all during that period.

[kenazf.livejournal.com]

I purchased Nimbu, my 0.1 lemon pastel ball, in late March. She has not yet eaten for me, so I feel your pain.

weird questions

[serpent-sky.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit of a snakephobe, really... but how do you have rat pets and a pet that eats rodents at the same time? That wou;d just really freak me out; I don't know that I could differentiate rat to love and mouse to feed...

I'm not being an asshole, I'm just really curious because I know a few people who manage this and never know them well enough to just ask how they deal with that

[dabble.livejournal.com]

She is soooo gorgeous. I love the idea of feeding time with songs too. Heh.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

i had a ball python for a while.

i can only suggest the standard "snake help desk" check list (sort of like the computer one "is it plugged in? no, really, is it?")

1. check temp of cage is within proper range too hot is as frequent a problem as too cold.
2. check temp of thawed mice is warm enough (but not cooked)
3. make sure mice are DRY, some snakes wont eat wet mice

4. do not attempt to feed too frequently after failed attempt. give snake time to settle.
5. try covering tank during feeding.

dont sweat it too much, mine didnt eat ANYTHING for the first month and a half. i was frantic. The other thing that can help is soaking the snake. Ours didnt shed well unless they soaked, and after soaking they usually were more hungry.

if you CAN feed your snake on frozen, do so... some snakes only accept live food, and the danger of introducing mites that way is very high.

oh, and i bred show rats for a while, and had a burmese python until the city made me find her another home... i fed her rats.. it was hard. basically my theory was any rat with bad temper issues or problems that HAD to be culled was snake food. it was still hard.