Hi, I got this male pastille ghi ball python and has been keeping it for over two month now, I kept the temperature around 86-93 at hot spot and around 75 on the cold side, right now his about 7 month old and I feed him a small mice once a week, and he take it perfectly every time(I started feeding two at a time since last week)
The only problem is, he don’t move at all and only pooped twice ever since it got home, he stay in the hide 24/7(I laterally forgot to close the bin one night and found him exact same spot when I waked up) pooped and shaded in the hid as well, I kept the temperature around 86-93 at hot spot and around 75 on the cold side.
Is this normal for a ball python? Should I change the set up or the feeding pattern? please let me know, thanks.
Small mice are not enough for a 7 month old Ball Python, he should be eating 10% of his body weight every 10 days. You need to figure out how much he weighs in grams- and adjust his diet accordingly by giving him rats that are 10% of his body weight in grams. For example if he weighs 400 grams he needs to eat a 40 gram rat every 10 days. I know that some male Ball Pythons are however fine eating large or jumbo mice, again it depends on the weight ratio.
I wouldn’t be pushing past 90°F for the hot spot, 93°F is too warm.
What is the humidity like?
Theres a reason why Ball Pythons are referred to as “Pet Rocks” by some keepers, its pretty common for them to not move around a whole lot because they are ambush predators. Essentially they find a comfortable spot to hide and then sit and wait… until food comes around.
If you’ve had him for around 2 months and has passed waste twice already I’d say thats a pretty regular schedule. They are one of those snake species that will hold on and wait a few meals before passing waste, and it becomes more common to happen as the snakes get older- at least in my experience.
With all of that out of the way, if you’re wanting us to give an estimate of your snakes health a few photos of the snake from multiple angles would help a lot, as well as a photo of the full enclosure.
As mentioned, BPs don’t poop very often to begin with. Especially if you’re used to snakes like corns or kings that usually tend to go between feeding days. If they’re coming up on a shed they will also hang onto all that poop and sometimes will just leave you a nice wrapped ‘present’ after.
The other concern is also the size of the mice. The 10% guideline is a great way to keep them on a good track for meals and growth. Just remember to taper off feeding times when he’s older from 7 to 14 days if he starts getting a little too thick.
With such a small feeder size there won’t be much poop since so much of the mouse is being used for energy and growth. You may end up finding just a clump of fur at some point because that’s not something they digest well. So don’t be surprised there
My one year old only goes about once a month, sometimes 6 weeks. Their first few months, most of what they eat goes towards growth, so they won’t go very often. At 7 months, a fuzzy or wean rat might be a better option for feeding. I read that rats have better nutritional value, but I’m sure opinions vary on that subject.
A hiding snake is a happy snake. If it were stressed, I believe it would be climbing the glass, exploring during the day, etc. It is a bit like having a pet rock lol.
Oh, I would get that warm side temp closer to 89-90. 93 is a bit warm, and if you have a spike, it could lead to much bigger issues. 90 basking surface temp, 85ish ambient on the warm side. Just my .02
Another thing to consider is the setup in the enclosure. Are there three hides, and plenty of clutter?
He/she probably is more active at night, like most ball pythons. You just may not see it because you’re sleeping. They sleep during the day.
Thank you for your advice! I will start feeding size large this week.
Just a small problem is that my room is a bit chilly, so I have to keep the heating pad at maximum 24/7 to maintain the temperature on the cold side. I put a thicker substrate on the hot side, so the surface temperature now drops to 85. Is that ok? As for hide, the hide I gave him a few options, but he really only stayed in the paper towel roll for some reason, so now I put in a few of those and have one hide as a humidity box on the warm side
I did gave him a few options, but he really only stayed in the paper towel roll for some reason, so now I put in a few of those and kept only one hide as a humidity box on the warm side. Also, I cant find rat in local pet shop, is there a good website for that? or is it ok to keep using mice.
Oh, trust me… I’ve had many young BPs with ‘sausage butt’. They’ll let it out eventually.
My older Reticulated pythons are definitely fond of holding on to a bit so they can express the displeasure of handling time. BPs have pooped on me because they’re babies not adults as retaliation lol
If they really do look bloated to where they can’t move the back end or there’s pink peeking out from the cloaca, that could be a need for the vet. It’s less common with young BPs, but sometimes they can get blocked with a large urate and need a little help getting that out and uncork.
