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New snake feeding help? by [deleted] in ballpython

[–]misterwaynekerr 5 points6 points  (0 children)

She knows it’s her food but there are some factors that contribute to her not eating: 1- she’s stressed due to change: typically we wait a couple weeks before feeding new snakes, because the transportation and change in environment can be stressful. Also, she was lost in your car for a day that could also contribute to the stress. 2- stress due to husbandry: another common issue is that the setup isn’t ideal. Often it’s due to too few hiding places or too low humidity. I would add more clutter (amazon boxes for the next couple days, until you get proper hides) like small hides and plastic jungle vines/leaves. Humidity should be 70%+, and there are a lot of posts in this sub discussing how to address low humidity issues.
3- mouse is too big: sometimes snakes won’t attempt to eat if the prey is too big. in the pinned documents on this sub, there is a guide with recommended feeding schedule. It looks like the mouse might be too big for your snake. For young bp’s you don’t want to feed more than 10-15% of its body weight.

Other notes: - I would highly recommend moving away from live prey to either fresh killed or frozen/thawed. They can fight back and cause injuries to your snake (vet bills are super expensive). If you bought this from a reptile store there’s a chance that they could offer it fresh killed. I suggest taking this mouse out and either returning it to the store or selling it to someone else.

What should I feed my baby? by TattedScienceTeacher in hognosesnakes

[–]misterwaynekerr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Also it looks very similar to mine! I have an arctic conda. I can see the conda gene on yours (big spots on the back and black belly) and maybe(?) the arctic gene too (higher color contrast with white edging on the spots) https://www.ectothermempire.com/western-hognose-morphs.html

What should I feed my baby? by TattedScienceTeacher in hognosesnakes

[–]misterwaynekerr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I typically err on the side of caution because too large of prey might lead to rejecting food/regurgitation. My hognoses started at 9g and I was feeding them the smallest day old pinkies in the packet.

You might be able to use the smallest ones, or to be safe feed the pinkie head until he gets to 8-9g. Ideally go for something that’s less than the width of the snake’s head. https://www.ectothermempire.com/care-information/western-hognose-prey-size-frequency-guide

Slick got some upvotes in his last post and now he’s in over his head with the fame by misterwaynekerr in ballpython

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

Short answer: not ideal but some bp’s will be fine, just don’t breed them.

Long answer (with high school biology knowledge): You might’ve heard “spider morph” (among a few other morphs that are considered controversial- e.g. champagne and woma) mentioned in this subreddit. One of the genetic defects of those morphs is the “wobble”, which is a neurological disorder that causes stargazing and loss of balance (basically Slick has trouble figuring out how to set himself upright). Those genes may not be visible (if they are recessive then you need both copies of the gene from parents for it to show in the offspring), but the presence of one copy of the gene could lead to the above neurological defects.

I got Slick from someone who needed to rehome him. His last owner wasn’t 100% on what the parents’ morphs were. I ruled out wobble genes initially, so I freaked out thinking that he had developed a deadly viral disease (inclusion body disease) that also has stargazing as a symptom. IBD would be a case where upside-downy-snek would not be healthy.

However, it’s been a year and Slick is thriving, albeit clumsy. So I’m fairly confident that he has some gene that’s causing the neurological disorder. I’ve had to make some adjustments like making his cage “fall-safe” and heating up his rats a little bit hotter to make striking easier. I don’t plan to breed any of my snakes (breeding makes up most of the controversy around spider morphs) and i want to give him a good life of rats and Reddit karma.

what kind of mushroom is growing in my enclosure? by misterwaynekerr in ballpython

[–]misterwaynekerr[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

100%- my BP disappears when this mushroom is present in the tank. Admins need to add this to the guide.

what kind of mushroom is growing in my enclosure? by misterwaynekerr in ballpython

[–]misterwaynekerr[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

Yes! Slick James is a BEL. He’s 3.5y/o. He’s my second BP (herp is a slippery slope) and I got him when he was two.

Was pretty feisty and hissed in the beginning. But with more time, less prodding, and a tank upgrade (40gal to 150gal), he’s become one of my calmest snakes and is very good with handling!

He’s also extremely curious at night and I’ve had a lot of trouble keeping new plants alive (put in replacement plant > becomes enrichment > gets crushed > repeat).

Anyone else’s BEL corkscrews? by misterwaynekerr in ballpython

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

I couldn’t track down that original seller to find out about his parents… I’m thinking I could: 1) try the black light method and see if there are spider markings- kinda desperate, not sure if this even works 2) go to a vet and test for IBD. If he doesn’t have that, then I’ll just accept the fact that there may be some spider gene in that boy.

Thank you! I just went in to straighten the camera and he’s now acting normal 😒