Feeding a ball python, live vs. dead

Jewls99 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 12:58 AM

My little ball python is my first snake ever, as some of you may know from my previous post. Anyway, I've been looking up on the internet about feeding and they suggest pre killed thawed mice. But I have a few friends with ball pythons, and they all feed there snakes live. My one friend has a red tail and feeds her live. So I'm sorta at a stand still on this. I know everyone here is full of good useful information, so I would greatly appreciate any.
Oh and just to let you know she had her first shead (with me anyway) yesterday.=))

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Boaguy · #2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 01:27 AM

Frozen thawed is always the best way to go [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

because.........
.....
(1) They cant bite a mouse can kill/harm a snake bad with just one bite to the spine

(2) they cant carry parasites

(3) there easier.. you can store them in the freezer and not have to run off the petstore or herp shop every week

(4) you can buy them in bulk from rodentpro.com i think for like $0.22 cents each or sumthin

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trinitywolf · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:22 AM

Boaguy pretty much covered this one but I want to add my two cents here. IF you feed live rodents it is only a matter of time before something happens and your snake is bitten. This could include loosing an eye, a bite to the body, tail or mouth. All of these can get infected rather easily and could, if left unattended result in the death of your snake. If you feel that you must feed live prey please stun it at least. You can do this by holding it by the tail and smacking it's head against a hard surface. It is really much more humane for both the snake and the rodent to feed frozen/thawed. That is b/c the rodent is killed via Carbon Dixode. It simply goes to sleep. No pain or panick.

Live or freshly killed rodents can also pass on lovely parasites to you snake. Let me share something I just learned. One example of the parasites that may be passed is a hook worm. These lovely gems burrow into your snake, nest in the esphogus and lung, lay eggs which are eventually passed via defication only to start the cycle anew. A single hook worm can consume up to 1 cc of blood per day. There are a host of other worms and/or other internal parasites that can be passed via food. The freezing process will kill these parasites and make it impossible to pass to the snake.

Frozen rodents are in fact cheaper and much more convenient.

Welcome to RTB!!

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JC86 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:30 AM

Welcome to RTB.net!!!

Please do not feed live. If anything feeding live gets a lot of the people on here upset [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] It is very dangerous to your snake, and if you care about fuzzies (the rodents) at all...being killed instantly before hand would be preferable to suffocating to death in the clutches of a vile snake...or something like that.

Send your snake owning friends to RTB!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Scott

Feeding live: http://www.redtailboa.net/modules.ph...&pageid=32

Feeding in General: http://www.redtailboa.net/modules.ph...&pageid=31
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ratsickle · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:56 AM

HI,
I used to have a ball python, It can be very difficult to feed live, so I am going to try a reccomend a way for you to try that may work.
I always put my snake in a feeder box in this case a small colman coolerwith a few 1/4 in holes drilled in the lid and the top locks when you lift the handle.
I would allow the snake to settle in the box for a while don't worry if its dark in there
ball pythons like the dark, they tend to feed at dusk .
I would then warm the the rat sickle to a little above body temp.Always thaw in a baggy and don't wash all that smell of the rat..
I would place it in the cooler on one side of the cooler away from the snake close the lid and leave the room... Give him a good 40 mins... he can see that rat in the dark because ball pythons hunt by heat .they see heat glows red to them ..
if this dosent work i will carefully pick up the rat by the tail and dangle it above his head , no luck ,, I feed it to a boa..
wait a week and repeat the procedure, what I noticed is after they become used to feeding in the box they sort of get excited in the box to feed.. My adult female ate this way for a couple years.. I stopped getting rat bites the captive bred rats bite people too and if the ball went off feed at least it didn' get chewed up by its food... Once a ball is bitten they will almost starve to death before eating again if they live thru the injury... PLease don't feed live and never leave an animal alone for a second if its still kicking IE stunned they sometimes wake up a wreck havic on the snake.. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] DOn't handle your ball a couple days before trying to feed I believe they are extremly nervous snakes who will go off feed very easily until they are almost adult and finally become used to you.. Proably half the balls sold in pet stores starve to death from over handling as babies
All my snakes eat frozen thawed been that way for years now..
doug [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
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motorherp · #6 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 12:53 PM

Help me I'm confused..........arachnids? Most snakes will take thawed over here I'm (fairly) sure it is illegal to sell live feeder food, if you breed your own it's another matter so you should have no problems with the thawed mice, just be patient! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Dr.Oviparous · #7 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 01:06 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> I'm (fairly) sure it is illegal to sell live feeder food </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
WOW really! that's wild!
ditto, ditto, ditto on the live vs. frozen issue. -Juggalo

oh yeah, what's this doing in the arachnids section?

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"Well, it didn't look like a one horse town, but try finding a decent hair jelly!" -Eulisses E McGill

eddie · #8 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 01:19 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> oh yeah, what's this doing in the arachnids section?

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Whatchu talkin bout Willis?

Any ways, Dittos on everything said here, if you have any problems converting it to f/t
(frozen/thawed) or just wanna chit chat, we'll be here ready to type at the drop of a post! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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slaponte · #9 (**permalink**) 06-19-2002, 07:06 PM

Guys, I have a question. Of my three new BPs, one doesn't feed.

I have one boy in a tank by himself, two girls on the other tank. One of the two girls won't eat.

On both cases, I placed pre-killed fuzzy. The male ate right away. The one female ate one right away, the second fuzzy a few minutes later. The third female comes by, goes around, smells, etc but won't eat.

I went through the brown bag experiment, left it overnight, no joy.

Q) You say not to handle two days before feed (they get nervous), but then right before feed you move the snake to a feeding container... ?? So now you grabbed it, moved to a strange environment, not as warm (possibly) as home, yet she is relaxed?

On the baby : I know everybody says to be patient, but she is so thin and seems "empty" on her underside. Should I consider force feeding before she gets too weak? My next step was to stop by today and get pinkies, offer them to her tonight. I will also get a feeder box if you guys indicate this might help...
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eddie · #10 (**permalink**) 06-19-2002, 07:23 PM

Try everything before forcing.
One thing that can cause it to ignore food is being housed with the other one and it could be stressed from that.

Yeah, try the shoebox thing overnight, and it should fit in the tank so there will be little heat loss.
Also tap the snake mid body with the food till ya annoy it enough to strike it.

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RevMojo · #11 (**permalink**) 06-19-2002, 07:32 PM

how long has it been?
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slaponte · #12 (**permalink**) 06-19-2002, 11:56 PM

Reverend, you asking how long since she ate?

Don't know. I received them 12 days ago, she has never eaten here. I just got them recently from Paul Farmer (he had that deal on the trading post about 3 for $xx).

If I remember correctly, she pooped right after I got them unpacked and settled on their tanks, the same day they arrived...

I will try a pinky or a fuzzy on the show box tonite, see what happens.

Edit : oh, and I will get pictures tonite so you guys can see them.

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And now for something completely different...

slaponte · #13 (**permalink**) 06-20-2002, 07:11 PM

SHE ATE!!! They all ate!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I got a whole setup to separate them. I setup an identical tank, with hide, UTH, lamp, etc. I even found this very nice stand that holds the two tanks so now they are on top of each other (kind off).

I put the one that was eating OK on the new setup. I figure I didn't want to strees the non-feeding one any more than necesary, so staying "home" was better for her.

I decided to go with 1 LIVE fuzzy/hoper. I know, I know, I always feed P/K, but I just want her to eat right now. I turned off lights (it was mostly dark already) and left the room (they are in my bedroom), so no noise, no distractions. Came back 20 mins later, and it was gone.

Her sister and the male also ate. And the Boa, but then she ALWAYS eats!

SO I separated them, provided dark, and a moving target. Not sure which one she went for. I am pretty sure is the dark/silence, combined with a moving prey. She is extremely watchfull of me when I go in the room or make any noise, so I know she is tuned to it. Also, I haven't handled her for about 3 days at all.

The fuzzy didn't even make a bulge on her. I think I will offer her food again in about 4 days or so...
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XzyluM · #14 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 05:19 AM

Royals are very picky eaters. Some will only eat live prey. I finally got lucky and got my Royal to feed 3 days ago. This time I left him along in his hide box and dangled the mouse in front, didn't seem interested, so I left it in front of the hide, checked the next morning and it was gone. This has been the only method that worked on him so far.
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