Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[kronin]

New around here so " Hello " everyone!

I've had my first ball python about a month now (CB hatchling) and so far its eaten 5 times, twice since I've had it and 3 times by the breeder. I've been trying to feed roughly every 7 days but so far every other feed is ignored so its actually only eating every fortnight.

Knowing that it's a common occurrence, when your Royals ignore a feed do they just show no interest full stop? On both of the occasions so far food has been ignored, the snake has raced out of its hide and seems to rub its head against the mouse and tastes the air, eventually returning to its hide and ignoring it. I've left the mouse in the viv overnight but i doesn't get eaten.

I'm just wondering if there's something I should be doing to persuade my Royal to eat it as it is showing interest all the time. I'm feeding fuzzies which I'm leaving to defrost during the day and then offering it to the Royal about an hour after the lights go out (9pm ish) - is that the right dinner time? I should be offering food when the lights are out shouldn't I? I've also tried warming the mouse beforehand but still no joy.

Don't get me wrong this isn't another "Royal won't eat" thread as it is feeding OK - it's just kinda frustrating that I'm trying a weekly feed but every other mouse isn't being eaten, and he's so close! Any advice would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance.

[Stuart]

welcome to the forum..Have you tried tease feeding using tongs?
_________________

[kronin]

Hi Stuart - thanks for the welcome & the reply.

I have been trying to "simulate movement" using all sorts of method including using tongs. In fact I've been having a go this evening. It seems this Royal is very fussy about the temp of its food so warming the fuzzy in water before feeding seems to be helping. I've just loosely tied a piece of cotton around a fuzzys tail (don't laugh!) and slowly dragged it right under the Royals nose and............ strike! Its tucking into it as we speak!

So I'm going to try the same thing next week and hopefully I'll get the snake onto a weekly feed.

So am I right in thinking night time is the best time to feed - can't seem to find a definate answer anywhere. When do you guys feed your Royals?

[Stuart]

alot of royals are very shy feeders so yes stick to night time feeds if I were you..although I could offer my female at lunchtime under floodlights and she would feed!!! Glad she fed..mine also has to have the prey item very warm though so I run it under the hot tap for 20 seconds or so or failing that blast it with the hair dryer and offer straight away but watch ya fingers..
_________________

[mike h]

welcome to the world of royals.
My sub-adult female was eating everything you could think of 3 times a week then suddenly was only eating every 3 weeks. then the other day i tried it in the day(as oposed to usual evening) and it ate 3 weaner rats and 1 mouse over 3 days. I cheated using t-rex mouse maker on 2 rats.
Find out what works and stick with it till it doesnt, then try something different. One of my royals has not fed for 3 months.
I find that making sure the rat/mouse is very warm is most important factor, followed by gentle not too close movement.
BUT they are all different and totally unpredictable.
Also have a look at the t-rex mouse maker on this forum. It sent 2 of my royals loopy. Other people have said it has had no effect.
Read through all the feeding related stuff and buy a copy of, the complete ball python.
hope some help
mike

[premierpython]

As Mike H said "welcome to the world of royals" you must have patience and keep good notes to succeed,I have had almost all my royals at one stage or another go off feed.

To give you an example of how particular this endearing python can be I have a female that will only eat in complete darkness when she is under her newspaper substrate and when the food item is placed in her coils.Even then she will not strike!

Conversely I have a male and a female het for albino that will take the tongs out of your hand...literally.I have had an occasion where the female was hanging in mid air off of one of her hides,she struck the rat and didn't let go.She fed hanging off the edge of the hide in mid air, amazing.

Good luck with everything and don't be afraid to experiment.
_________________
Better smeg than dead!

[Scott W]

Welcome.

Not sure if anyone mentioned temperature of the mouse? I'm guessing you're feeding defrost? Try really warming the mouse up, hair dryer on leaving on a heat pad for an hour or so. Sounds to me like your snake is hungry but doesn't always work out that it' food you hve given.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Lez]

Hi Kronin...great advice as always on here but in my experience so far, yeah, the warming of the mouse is important......i leave the mouse for about an hour only then boil a kettle and leave for a minute or two then put the mouse in an old margarine tub with a good amount of the water and leave for a good 10 Min's....Dry the mouse of with kitchen towel so its all fluffy again and with the tongs on the tail just wiggle the mouse and my Syd takes it immediately. I don't think I'd leave the mouse to defrost all day as it could start to smell a bit off, not necessarily to us but to the snake.....i don't know....but it might be worth a try....good luck

[Lez]

Sorry me again.....Just thought....I feed my python in a separate mini viv with lid. It's about 10 inch/ 20inch plastic container with a depth of about 6 inches. I find this is a good idea as the snake gets to know why he/she's in there for plus there's no other distractions but the mouse your teasing the snake with....just put newspaper at the bottom nothing else.....Another reason for why i do this is if you feed your snake in the original viv then one day it might just get confused with your fingers as food as their heat sensors will pick it up...I've had nothing but success and no refusals so far, so give that a go...

[NorthernRegius.com]

Hi there kronin,

Behaviors like your snake's is the reason good record keeping is a must. Each Regius is a bit different but as said-
1 They prey imprint... so it's got to smell like food that they are used to eating.
2 Even if it smells right it's got to have a heat signature for most to eat it, I place my thawed prey items into zip-lock bags & place in hot to touch (NOT boiling) water for about 3-5 minutes. That usually does the trick.
3 How presented, some like their prey dangled, some like it placed on the cage floor in front of their hides overnight (if I'm leaving overnight I use the warm side- keeps a heat signature that way).
4 Frequency there is the ideal, then there is YOUR snake I've a Pastel that has eaten every 10-14 days since I had him, it's his way.

Best Wishes -Deb
_________________
All the Best- Deb
Me: http://www.myspace.com/hardcoreherper
My snakes: www.NorthernRegius.com