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Joined: Sep 13, 2006 Posts: 472 Location: harlem, ny
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:03 am Post subject: my ball python is a picky eater
My bp is 5 yrs old, 4 ft. and 7 in. girth. I know he is big enough to eat rats but just won't, he prefers 3 mice a week and only live. Think that's enough ? He looks like he's still looking for more after he finishes the third. I've tried numerous times to give him p/k or f/t but he'll just leave it in his tank. Good thing I have a rtb that doesn't care how her food is dead or alive. I'll keep trying the f/t maybe he'll give in soon or later i would hate for him to get bitten. Just wanted to share.
_________________ 0.1.0 arg b&w tegu-chubbs
1.0.0 ball python-debo
0.1.0 colombian red tail boa-sheba
0.1.0 blood python-phatty red
I also have a stubborn mouse eater. 1600 gram adult female and she eats 2-4 mice per week. I tried to wait her out and only offered her rats P/K, Live and f/t and she went 11 months without eating and lost a great deal of weight. Her highness is now getting her freakin mice at $2 each.
and my mice colony will not stop murdering their babies and each other.
The sad thing is balls are known to be very very picky eaters, I've had my ball for going on 6 years now, as well as my other reptiles and she continues to be picky even now. She used to only take live as well, but i broke her of that. took a few weeks with out eating and she finally took the F/T rat. How big of a rat are we talking here, my ball won't take much more then hoppers, and a large hamster if I feel she needs a treat.
Just don't feed it for a month or two and then offer the F/T rat again (Balls don't need to eat every week). It will eat it. Just make sure it's worm and that you dangle it in front of its face. Then keep fighting with it after it grabs it. It has to think that's it's a live rat. _________________ 2.0.0 Ball Pythons - Sniper and Q-Bert
1.0.0 Arg B&W Tegu - Steve
Joined: Sep 13, 2006 Posts: 472 Location: harlem, ny
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:27 pm Post subject:
It was only a medium rat. He would've had no problem eating it, just chose not to. The next day I bought 3 mice and he bust them down one after the other. _________________ 0.1.0 arg b&w tegu-chubbs
1.0.0 ball python-debo
0.1.0 colombian red tail boa-sheba
0.1.0 blood python-phatty red
Just don't feed it for a month or two and then offer the F/T rat again (Balls don't need to eat every week). It will eat it. Just make sure it's worm and that you dangle it in front of its face. Then keep fighting with it after it grabs it. It has to think that's it's a live rat.
This does not always work. Worth a try though. I have 3 snakes that absolutely will not eat anything but live. As I mentioned before, I tried to get my big girl to switch to anything but live mice and after 11 months I caved. I have no doubt she would have starved herself to death. She lost almost half her body weight. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed a snake would starve itself because of the food item offered.
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