ball python wont eat white mice

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

College fishman

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 1, 2010
668
1
16
West Virginia University
so im wondering i took a white mouse (the only ones available around me) and put it in some water with food coloring to make it brown. and then let it dry. would this food coloring affect my ball python?!?!?


please help 2 mice have gone bad and she hasnt eaten for nearly 20 days now.


also she has not shed all of her skin. there are some patches still there. will she eat with there being a little there still??
 
Balls are noted finicky eaters. I would never food color a mouse and feed it to one of my snakes. If she's having a problem eating it's not the color of the mouse rest assured on that one.

How big is the Ball?
What range are the temps between basking spot and cool spot?
What was the last food item she took and how many?
What kind of substrate are you using?
Does she have any tell tale signs of sickness around the mouth / heat pits?
Are their any cottony or mucous build ups inside the mouth?
Has she retained any eye caps in the last couple of sheds?


Mike
 
Mavrick813;5038171; said:
Balls are noted finicky eaters. I would never food color a mouse and feed it to one of my snakes. If she's having a problem eating it's not the color of the mouse rest assured on that one.

Yea it was just a thought. the guy i got her from raised her from the hamsters he breed, so none of them were solid white.

How big is the Ball?
31"+

What range are the temps between basking spot and cool spot?

75-80 degrees

What was the last food item she took and how many?
brown mouse and one

What kind of substrate are you using?
like an old newspaper type stuff. like its been soaked and then dried and cut up. its soft

Does she have any tell tale signs of sickness around the mouth / heat pits?

no she doesnt, but idk what they would look like

Are their any cottony or mucous build ups inside the mouth?
no

Has she retained any eye caps in the last couple of sheds?

she just shed, and she has not. her head is clear of old skin. just some of her back and body retain some skin

Mike


thanks dude
 
Ok, you can try the white mouse in a brown paper bag. Or for her size you could use a Box. Just make sure it's dark inside. Give her an hour or two and take a listen. If that doesn't work you could try a Gerbil to get her back on feed.

I wouldn't worry unless you see a drop in body weight. Or any signs of sickness. I had a ball that would go off feed for 3-4 months at a time, then eat like a pig for 9 months.

Mike
 
The only Ball I'm keeping ATM eats every other week. 2 Small-Medium jumpers, Snake is 18". And quite frankly I'm feeding too much. But I'm aware of it.

Mike
 
My trio of breeding balls I've had for about ten years, and they will not eat thawed or prekilled. Has to be live. Hence why the spare room here is a mouse room: we have about ten cages filled with breeding mice. But it does make picking out pinkies for my small sand boas easy.

Then my mom got four morphs, and they will take prekilled via tongs.

Is anyone on Craigslist around you with pet mice? Any feed stores besides PetsMart and Petco, etc?
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com