Hello im new here to morphmarket i just recently got back into ball pythons i used to breed and take in rescues all the time. However, i recently picked up an 800g adult female. Her envirement was dry and had i think 2 basking lights 2 hides and a water bowl might have had a branch i cant quite remember. I put her in a 36longX17wideX7 high humidity i keep between 50 to 60 and up it to 70 to 80 during shed cylcles 2 hides water bowl and some branches. I was told she hasnt ate in the 2 months they had her and notbsure how long she didnt eat for the previous home both live and F/T rats. I was able to get her to eat the first week home but my question to you, is all the other under wieght ball pythons ive taken in took a size smaller meal weekly until they were a healthy weight then i switched back to every 14 days. This one ate one week then hasnt ate again since i was wondering if she could just still be digesting the one she did eat and will eat again when she does since her belly is smaller from being on a strike for so long?
Can you post a couple photos of her so we can see her body condition?
Also what are the temps in the enclosure? How long have you had her?
Was she in a large enclosure in her previous owner’s care? She could be one of those bps that prefer a smaller habitat. I have 2 like that myself. You can maybe try a smaller tub setup until she’s reliable on meals before moving her into the larger enclosure again.
I keep all my ambient temps at 78 to 80 and 88 to 90 on hotspot she was in a 72 gallon glass i believe shes active for the most part and always pops her head out on feed day i feed on sundays she didnt eat this past sunday but the sunday before took a wiened rat 50 grams i believe id have to look to be sure ive only had her 2.5 weeks now she ate the first week i had her then didnt eat the next week i feed on sundays some are on bi weekly and some are weekly i was considering moving her to bi and keeping her on the weiened until shes back to at least 1000g i can post pictures later when i get home
She was out and bout this morning so i grabbed a photo of her before she went back into the hide this is the first time shes been out and about without me removing her from the hide. She will be one of my keep forevers just like any that dont sell i plan on keeping till they do or forever then ill let my kids start there own projects the wife wants GTPs which is great because i like spicy reptiles they are super interesting to me me and fun to enjoy during feed day or clean outs. Had some of them trying to get whatever they could me or the f/t rat
Have yet to own a ball python thats rude but i have seen some of them be in the best set up and still be grumpy assholes wanting to bite just for opening the tub they seem to be the best eaters never seen any of the ones he had that were super grumpy refuse to eat
She definitely looks alot fuller after being with me even a day after i got her i noticed a brighter glow and fuller body tone. I want to say dehydration from the environment was a major player in the loss of appetite and stres
When dehydrated they tend to lack luster to their color and will often look ‘dull’. Body condition wise that snake isn’t too bad for a pet.
UPDATE! Assuming im just over worried because she was super skinny. Anyways she had a complete shed which is why she probably didnt eat the following week. She also had a bowl movement and ate ate sunday night. Plan on monitoring weight. Thanks for any imput.
That was a couple weeks after i got her. She looked alot worse then. Ive been raising these guys for about 10 years only been breeding about 1 to 2 years. My rescues just like anything i produce get turned to my house pets that ill either rehome when i fimd someone I know will provide a good home or ill keep forever if i had a bunch of room id be looking for unhealthy one’s i can save. Theres alot of these guys out there and a majority dont get taken care of properly.