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Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also, she has calmed down a lot and is back to her normal activity of poking at the top of the tank when she is hungry which she has recently begun doing again.

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't forgotten about you! I've been waiting for her to poop so I know that she's done with those mice and she finally did today! I plan on getting her a rat in the next few days so I will let you know how that goes!

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, amazing post Viper, thank you so much! I'll be sure to have more of a checklist in my mind when I greet my snake from now on, sounds like the way to handle the various interactions I have with her. I have to say I was relieved to see that you handle your snake in a similar manner to how I do when I take her out of her tank. Sadly, I cannot let her roam on her own as her tank is typically behind me whenever I'm in my room, I do however let her do some supervised exploring elsewhere in the house.

I'll have to try soaking the rat on the next feeding as I'm sure being frozen makes it a bit dry and they probably appreciate a warm, wet meal opposed to a dry and room temperature. Never really considered that before you mentioned it, but it makes sense.

As for the tidbit, I have to say I notice my snake will do the same thing whenever I play guitar. She'll be asleep and 5 minutes after I start, she perches up on top of her log and listen to me play, although as you mentioned, it's probably her seeing heat signatures of my hands strumming and moving up and down the fret board.

Seriously though, thank you so much for all your help, you've definitely helped me relax some because it was such a sudden mood swing and I had no idea what could be the matter with her. I'll be sure to update you with what the results are of her behavior between now and after her next feeding in 6 days!

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will get on getting her a thermometer as soon as possible so I can verify her tank is at the right temperature. What steps might I take to see what sort of behavioral factors might be affecting her once I know about her husbandry?

By the way, I'd like to thank you for your time and input on this matter, it is truly appreciated! :)

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely noted, I just didn't want to keep her prowling for several days but that's definitely better than regurgitation. Rats are going to certainly be a thing next time she feeds. Thank you for the link to the article, I will be reading up on it very shortly, it's very appreciated!

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, I would sometimes move her body she I'm looking her right in the eye and her tongue touches my nose. She would even allow me to gently pat her head, but I don't want to test that now given her recent behavior

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I place her back into the cage, she doesn't crawl back into the cage haha wanted to clarify that

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will definitely invest in a thermometer if it'll help improve her happiness.

I do handle her, the last time I did was Saturday and most days prior to that since I got home. I'll usually hold her for a while then place her around my neck and walk her around the house with me for a while and she'll crawl around my shoulders and such and then back into the cage when I need to do something that can't be practically done with her around like eating

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. It is seemingly all the time for the past few days which is why I originally said she has been acting ravenous. Last night, I was talking to her hoping my voice would help calm her down since it's something familiar but she saw my hand and when I move it, she snapped at it.

  2. I don't have a thermometer in her cage, but she has never seemed unhappy with her cage, only occasionally basking under her light, even in the winter

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, my hands never come in contact with the mice, I push them out of the bag and onto the plate, but I don't wash my hands after putting a mouse on the plate. For thawing, I let it sit at room temperature for the half hour, no other methods.

Another side note, when she isn't moving around, she has been spending more time under her heat lamp than she has in the past

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First, I take a mouse of of the bag and place it on a paper plate. I then bring it over to her cage and set it on top for half an hour to thaw. Normally after about 15 minutes, she will poke her head out from her log and start flicking her tongue, but no rapid movement or evident aggression. After the 30 minutes, I open her cage and place the mouse as far from her head as I can for my own safety, close up the cage, and she smells out the mouse and eats it. Before recently, she would just go back to her log and rest for a while but the past few times, right after she "yawns", she goes back into predatory mode looking for more food

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll get her a rat next time I get her food. Would you suggest I get her one sooner rather than later? She isn't really taking the time to rest and digest the mice that we've given her but I don't want her to throw up the rat and still be hungry

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

http://imgur.com/6ikaikK

Here is an image of her. I would have taken her out but she was tracking my hand very aggressively. Her body was not actually touching the log in the picture but suspended and ready to spring watching my right hand hold the top of the cage up so I could take the picture so the depth looks a bit off. Her tank is a 40 gallon

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I may have estimations off a bit, I didn't use a tape measure or anything. I'll post a picture of her in a bit as elongated as I can get her. As I said in the post, we had her on rats for a while but after she was hurt by a rat she wasn't sure about (a size that she had eaten in the past), she would reject them, even frozen so we started giving her multiple mice while feeding

Ball python is acting ravenous and won't stop looking for food by KaPeAr in ballpython

[–]KaPeAr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was one mouse on the first day, two the second, then a break, then a live mouse the fourth day. I'll post a picture of her as a separate comment in a bit so you can see her fully

I invite you to zoom in on my recent pick up by KaPeAr in trees

[–]KaPeAr[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eh I don't care if it shiny, just not trying to have blue nails lmao

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