Another newbie! need some help with feeding

[SnkChrmr650]

Hello all just wanted to introduce myself before i pick everyones brains.

Now for my problem, i bought my baby ball about a month and a half ago from the local exotic pet show. It took about two weeks for me to get her to eat but now she just shows no interest at all in the mouse, im just not sure why she wont eat ive tried putting her in a separate container covered on all sides with newspaper (outside the cage) i put her and the pinky in there and leave them for bout an hour or so but everytime i come back the mouse is just sitting there and she is just looking for a way out. its been a little over a month since she last ate and im starting to get worried. i love my baby and i dont want her to starve!please help!

P.S. as far as enclosures she is in a 20L glass enclosure with newspaper now (had cypress mulch but she had an accident with some packing tape, so it all newspaper on advice from the vet) she has two small rock hides one on either side a large water bowl closer to the hot side to help with humdity and a humidity box. temps are no lower than 82 and 89 respectively (a little lower at night)

Thank you in advance for any/all help
Ryan L

[TMoore]

Try and move her into a smaller enclosure. 10 gallon tank or a 16qt rubbermaid tub should work well. After moving her, give her a week to settle in then feed in her enclosure. There is no need to move her to a separate container for feeding.

[SnkChrmr650]

ok let me ask u this. i was told by a couple of pet store folks that the fuzzies i bought were too big for her and that i should feed her pinkys which she has eaten but they just look too small for her. is a fuzzy really too big?

[snakecharmer3638]

Most baby balls can take Hoppers. She may not be eating because of the lack of movement by the pinkie.

[SnkChrmr650]

whats the best way to feed them? vie heard so much conflicting info. some say to make the mouse "dance" in front of her face some say just leve it in the enclosure and she will eat eventually?

[tonkatoyman]

whats the best way to feed them? vie heard so much conflicting info. some say to make the mouse "dance" in front of her face some say just leve it in the enclosure and she will eat eventually?

You do what ever works for your animal. Each one is different. We have some who will launch at you on feeding day just to get the rat. Others we just toss it in the tub. They get around to eating it eventually or not. Note to everyone else (The rat is not left in the tub for long to avoid injury to the snake) Keep trying different methods untill you find one that works. Was the animal captive hatch or captive bred. If it was captive bred you might contact the breeder and ask what he was feeding before he sold it to you. Also remember sometimes snakes will go off feed after a change in their environment. i.e. moving to your house. Give it a week to settle, watch it's weight and try again with fuzzies or hoppers.

[Headsy]

You can also try crumbling paper balls and them in the tank (enough to cover the entire bottom of the tank), as well as covering the sides with the news paper. Let the snake stay in there for about a week and then try to feed. This method was passed onto me and it worked. It’s just another idea. Like the others above said a smaller tank, enclosure or tub would also be recommended and each snake is different. Also check you temps. Good Luck! She will eat be patient.

[DustinB]

I switched to fuzzies and fed in the tank the first couple feedings. He wouldn't eat out of his cage and he had no interest in pinkies. If you are feeding frozen try this.

Around 6 or 7 pm thaw out the frozen pinky in a ziplock bag submerged in warm water. Wait til around 10 pm or whever your snake has it's head around or slightly out of his hide. Put the bag with the fuzzy in some hot water for a minute or so to give it a good heat signature. Take it out of the bag and drop it about 4 inches or so in front of it's hide. Get out of view and wait. Mine grabbed the fuzzy within a few seconds of me walking away and drug it in his hide to eat it.

Did the same thing another time and he ate without problem. Every feeding since those 2, I've been feeding him live hoppers in a separate tub. If your snake is about an inch thick or more he can eat hoppers no problem. You can try the f/t fuzzies in his cage the first 2 times like I did, then switch to hoppers and a different tub for feeding if you choose to feed in a different enclosure.

[RoyalGuardian]

I would be willing to bet that the pinkies are to small for her. My female baby wouldn't eat pinks so I decided to try a fuzzy/small hopper and WHAM! she got it. I would say that if she is new for you that switching her from her normal enclosure to a feeding enclosure is stressing her out a trifle more than needed. I have never had a "feeding tub" my snakes have always fed in their enclosures and I will say that from my personal experience it doesn't cause enclosure aggression( unless you breed prey or have a pet rodent). Have you tried prescenting? Try feeding your snake at dusk or right after nightfall. I really hope this helps!

[Vypyrz]

The best way I have found to make sure I am getting the right size prey is 1) If you don't already have one, get a digital scale. I got one at Wal-Mart in the kitchen accessories area for about $25. 2) get a tape measure. One of the flexible kind. Also at Wal-Mart in the crafts/ sewing section for about $5 or so. Measure your snake around it's thickest girth. You prey should be about the same size or a little smaller. The weight of the prey should be 10-15% of the snakes weight. I take my tape measure and scale to the pet store to make sure I'm getting the right sizes, because sometimes they don't have any wean rats, I have to get 2-3 fuzzies or a couple of larger mice. That is when I use the scale to make sure their combined weight is appropriate. Fortunately my little "live" eater is not picky and will take rats, mice, or a combination of both. I also feed im in a tub. He is accustomed to it. What I do is when I get the tub out I put in the log hide that the pet store assured me I would need I also set the little box with the prey in it in the tub. Usually he goes straight for the hide, as expected, but once he catches the scent of the prey and gets interested, I'll open the side of the box and let nature take it's course... Hope this helps...

Also it's a good idea to keep accurate records of what you are feeding, when, size, whether or not the snake actually ate, weight gains/losses, sheds poops and anything else you might think of. It helps track your snakes progress and maybe identify any potential problems. Even when I take them to the vet for check-ups I show the vet my records...

And welcome to the forum...

Rob