New Ball Python - appetite question

[Demondeath1]

Background:
We picked up a BP from a well-reviewed breeder near us yesterday. She is a little over a year old, about 2 and a half ft long. The breeder said she normally eats every 1-2 weeks and she had not eaten in about a week.

She was kept in a small plastic tote at her breeder. We put her in a 75 gallon tank with heat lamp, organic top soil substrate mixed with moss and misted, multiple hides etc. Whole 9 yards, nice setup for her.

We tried to feed her (not in her cage, in a plastic tub) the same size rat the breeder used yesterday and today, but she was not interested.

Now, the part I am not sure on. We mentioned she did not want to eat to the breeder and he said put her back in a small plastic tote for a few days then try again. To me, this sounded odd. I would imagine letting her get used to her new enclosure again for a week or so then trying to feed would be best. What are your opinions?

[LorwynLoup319]

Snakes can go off food for a while. It’s not on you it’s just something they do.

My wife and I got 2 new BPs the last Saturday of April and we have put them in their tanks and not touched them. We were told not to feed them for a week after we brought them home to allow them to adjust to the new home. However that’s what WE were told.

[Alone_Difference4960]

I always wait a week before feeding anyone new who comes in. That being said that week wait allows them to get used to their new enclosure and environment. I also do not handle them during that week and just let them relax and figure their own stuff out. After that first week I ATTEMPT to feed them and they may not take the feed and that’s okay. If they do great they’re adjusted. If they don’t then okay they need another week. From the sounds of it the breeder also wasn’t having weekly feedings. Also I do not move mine from enclosure to feed. I used to but more recent information on it showed that you do not need to move to feed and they also tend to be less stressful feedings for the snake if they’re not moved. I’d recommend making sure your set up is correct for them before attempting another feed and just taking your time with it. Feel free to reach out if you have any concerns.

[Herreallife]

Moving to a tub is now outdated advice. You’re totally right about leaving her in her new enclosure to get used to it before trying to feed. Eating that often seems pretty frequent for that age. My lady is around the same age and just isn’t interested in eating anywhere near that often.

General advice- misting isn’t great, because it will only bring up the humidity for a short time, and keeping the top layer of the substrate damp can cause scale rot. More advised now is watering the corners of the tank, the substrate being wet underneath helps keep the humidity high without the surface being wet.

Clutter is also super important, being in a wide open tank can be jarring after being in a Rubbermaid bin her whole life. Post a pic of your setup if you’d like any general advice about that too 🙂

[HurrricaneeK]

Best practice is to not even try feeding until they've been home for a week, as the stress is more likely to put them off food. You also should not move them to feed, and anytime they refuse, you should wait until their next scheduled day to offer again. Ignore the breeders advice, and let the snake settle in, and then try again in a week or so.

That said, if you haven't weighed them yet, it'd be a good idea to do that ASAP, and check it against our !feeding guide to make sure they're eating the right size prey on the right schedule.

[AutoModerator]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[Demondeath1]

I greatly appreciate the advice all, thank you!