So I have 6 ball pythons. All feed great except for 1. She is a year old and about 500 grams. All are in separate 20 long aquariums with 3 sides covered with foam board, 2 hides - hot and cool sides (90 and 78 degrees), humidity 60-70%, and some clutter spread out. My mystic potion female will eat ok for a couple moths then refuse a meal. She comes out of her hide when I warm up her FT rat and gets all excited when I bring it to her. She’ll quiver and come up to it but then will eventually back away and give up. I e tried turning the lights off, braining, and I do heat the thawed rats to 100 degrees or so. I try teasing her etc… But still struggle with her. Even when she does eat it takes a little coaxing. Just wondering if anyone has some tricks they’d like to share? I’m thinking of trying to feed her in a tub, or trying FT ASF. I have switched her to live, both rats and mice. She’ll usually eat a mouse but one is too small and sometimes she would only eat one and not 2. I really don’t want to feed mice or live. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Have a read though … New owner with non feeding hatchling, troubleshooting 101 and Feeding Problems- Advice Needed.
Try a smaller meal. You could also try live, smaller meal. Try a mouse, eating a mouse is better then eating nothing and if she likes mice, you could feed several.
Good luck
Had issues all summer with my whole collection and I simply found someone local with live and everyone’s eating.
I’m out of f/t so haven’t tried to go back at the moment but it’s working fine.
I have read all of those threads already, thanks. Looking for more suggestions.
The old KISS method. Just find someone within a 30 minute drive that has live and ask their prices.
If you want to try and have them back on f/t immediately you can feed a smaller live meal, then if they take it offer a larger f/t meal a few minutes after they finish.
Another thing that wasn’t touched on - have you been trying to feed off of tongs? What if you waited to feed until 10PM at night (they’re usually nocturnal), and just put the warmed up mouse/rat in front of their hide, put it down, turn off the lights and leave the room?
Sometimes they’re shy and the way you wiggle the prey around freaks them out, or your presence bothers them.
I will try that! Thoughts like this are what I’m looking for. Thank you!