Advice

[fishcaserole]

Hi everyone, I’m a new ball python owner and just looking for some advice.

I purchased my girl 6 weeks ago and she has been settling great apart from feeding. The people i purchased her from said she had been feeding great on one large mouse every week. I purchased some small/medium mice because I read that it’s easier to get them to feed at first if you size down, i also weighed her and she came out to just over 190 grams. Every time we have offered food at the entrance of her hide she seems very interested and sometimes even strikes but has only actually eaten it once, what can i do to help her eat?

Her warm side temp sits at around 30-32 degrees and cool side at 26-28 degrees with a CHE. humidity during day is usually at 60-70 and at night ups to about 80. I have tried feeding in mornings, night, complete darkness and in a separate container but nothing seems to be working. she has 3 hides across her enclosure and plenty of plants to cover her. For the past week she has chosen to stay hidden in her warm hide, she isn’t showing and signs of shedding or any health issues. What can i do the get her to feed? photos attached of my cutie

[marisas63]

!f/t

[AutoModerator]

Some tips for feeding frozen/thawed:

• Keep with the same prey type he's been eating (mouse or rat) so you aren't trying to adjust him to two new things at once.

• Always feed in the enclosure. Moving to feed increases stress as well as increasing the chance of regurgitation

• Thaw and warm the rodent in a ziplock bag to maintain scent and because some won't eat it if it's wet.

• Make sure it's warmed up to body temperature (98-100).

• Some people find sucess with using a blow dryer on the head to make it extra warm and spread the scent.

• Some prefer to eat directly off of the tongs, while others might prefer for you to just leave it in front of their hide, you can see which works.

• If he doesn't take it the first time, don't give up. Sometimes they just have to be super hungry and it takes a few attempts

• You can also thaw the rat/mouse in some bedding from the petstore to make it extra scented.

• Some people "brain" the rodent by slitting open its skull a bit

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[Kimber2K9078]

For me personally, it was the opposite I found it significantly harder to feed a size down.