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Rescue ball python...

I'm starting to worry about my new BP now, all this bad press about them sure seemed to crop up at the best time, seeing as it looks to have been an import as well.
 
I hope your little ball takes her next meal! Its unfortunate that they can be so picky. I saw a video on you tube ones of a guy showing how to force feed a ball baby, it didn't look too hard. I doubt it would be worth it in your situation though, it sounds as if the poor snake has more than just a refusal to eat going on. An humane end is sometimes the best you can do fro them.

I'm so grateful that mine has never been a picky eater. She came to me severely underweight (74g) but has never missed a meal. She has the second strongest feeding response out of all of my snakes (the strongest being my youngest corn). Up to 186 g empty, and growing like a weed. Hopefully you can say that about your little ball soon :)

I don't see any reason to import captive born snakes into the US when there is a huge supply of captive bred and born here. I feel bad that my poor girl has already had to travel halfway across the world (I did not buy her from the petstore, but took her in after she was found loose in an apt).
 
The reason we still import is the vast number of new genetic mutations that are still yet, undiscovered. Ball Python muations, are being discoveted yearly, and that wouldn't happen if it weren't for import.
 
Alaya said:
I don't see any reason to import captive born snakes into the US when there is a huge supply of captive bred and born here. I feel bad that my poor girl has already had to travel halfway across the world (I did not buy her from the petstore, but took her in after she was found loose in an apt).
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While it's true that we have all these nice snakes now, we wouldn't have most of the color mutations without the imports. For instance, the pieds all came from snakes that were imported, as well as many other morphs. And since the ball python industry is booming, it creates a huge demand for fresh genes.
 
AliCat37 said:
While it's true that we have all these nice snakes now, we wouldn't have most of the color mutations without the imports. For instance, the pieds all came from snakes that were imported, as well as many other morphs. And since the ball python industry is booming, it creates a huge demand for fresh genes.
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+1

At least SOMEONE gets it!:wavey:
 
Carinata said:
Right now, most adult Balls aren't eating. I would leave her be for a few weeks, then offer a small rat. Live of course. Balls can be a pain in the ass, but you've got to have lots of patience.
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Sometimes I forget this is a herp site & LMAO. Thanks for sharing.
 
Is every new morph in balls created solely from imports then? Not wanting to start yet a new fight on MY thread about a rescued ball (ooooohhhh, maybe it's worth force feeding her since she may be carrying a yet unknown morph!) but you're telling me that in the thousands and thousands of domestic balls out there, the new morphs would never come to be without an imported snake.....hmmmmm.....however did we manage to get ANY new morphs in say...cornsnakes without continuing to take from wild stock and not using what was already out there???
 
MegF. said:
Is every new morph in balls created solely from imports then? Not wanting to start yet a new fight on MY thread about a rescued ball (ooooohhhh, maybe it's worth force feeding her since she may be carrying a yet unknown morph!) but you're telling me that in the thousands and thousands of domestic balls out there, the new morphs would never come to be without an imported snake.....hmmmmm.....however did we manage to get ANY new morphs in say...cornsnakes without continuing to take from wild stock and not using what was already out there???
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90% off the Ball Python morphs come from the wild. A lot of normals are brought in, I took care of thousands of them last season, and I only had a very few that didn't do well. As long as they come in before their first shed they do very well.
 
And by the way, many Corns have come from the wild. Palmetto anyone?

You also have to think about the fact that there are so many more Ball Python mutations than Cornsnake mutations, and I think that's one of the reason besides the "politics", that make Ball Pythons worth so much more (monetarily). With Ball Pythons there are new morphs coming in all the time, and new morphs being created every year, every month even! The possibilities are really endless and it all stems from the fact that we have access to new bloodlines every year. C.H. babies hold some of the neatest dinker projects, and I know this because I see so many of them. Yes, with all the C.H animals here, there isn't as much need for imports but there still is some need especially with investment quality animals like Balls and Fat-Tails. I mean I have morphs in my collection that no one else has, W.C. animals that came in from Africa and I was able to snag up that are unique. Without imports the Fat-Tail market would be so limited, but because we are able to import there are so many mutations available.
 
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It's also worth noting certain lesser known species (like my Malagasy Cat-Eyeds or Meg's Snail Eaters), that are imported and don't usually do as well, with work make awesome projects. Without them we wouldn't be able to integrate them into the herp world.
 
Well, this is one of those-the very few that didn't do well.....who knows where Petsmart is procuring their animals from? I have no idea what importer supplies them. Of course I think any animal that won't eat f/t is pretty much not doing well....Considering the different species I have and some of them are w/c imported adults....they ALL take f/t....I just don't get a species that is soooo picky it won't do well in captivity unless you hand it a live animal. Useless I think...
 
MegF. said:
Well, this is one of those-the very few that didn't do well.....who knows where Petsmart is procuring their animals from? I have no idea what importer supplies them. Of course I think any animal that won't eat f/t is pretty much not doing well....Considering the different species I have and some of them are w/c imported adults....they ALL take f/t....I just don't get a species that is soooo picky it won't do well in captivity unless you hand it a live animal. Useless I think...
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Meg, if Ball Pythons do so poorly, why do so many people breed them? In the wild, dead prey would not be their usual diet (some species have been noted that eat carrion, although I am almost certain Ball Pythons are not in that category), so they are only acting naturally. Plenty of species will take F/T with ease and that's great, but some are just not that easy. I understand you've worked with imports and some take F/T with ease, but I cannot see how not taking F/T prey is a sign of a snake that's not doing well.
 
I didn't say dead prey would be their normal food...we're talking about captive animals here. If they don't adapt well to captivity we should be working to make them that way. Continuing to breed poor feeding animals does nothing for the species. Just my opinion. I have this same argument with chondro breeders....going for months and even years force feeding a non-feeder because of it's value. It has NO value to me if it doesn't eat right. I am struggling with one of my chondro babies but it is eating. I refuse to force feed any baby. They either eat or they don't. For this ball, I'll go to live...hardly it's fault it was put at Petsmart but if it refuses live again I'm not going to continue messing with it. It will be euthanized. to force feed an animal the rest of it's life because it can't or won't adapt to captivity is hardly quality. We as breeders are supposed to work to produce animals that adapt to captivity and make good pets. Why so many people breed them..haven't the faintest...someone decided they made excellent first time snakes. I disagree. What first time snake owner wants to take home a snake that won't eat.....perhaps EVER? I know I worried about every aspect of my first snake and he was the best snake ever. Ate every time regardless of all the things I did wrong. He was the epitomy of why people buy a cornsnake. My first chondro was also the perfect first one. Docile, beautiful and a stellar eater. She would eat a hamburger if I put it in the cage...and probably everyday if I let the little pig do it. My snail eaters even take f/t slugs or snails out of the shell and are sporatically taking the canned snails. They don't even need live to get by and these are adults! Taken from the wild in their native country, shipped her, quarantined in some warehouse, taken to an importer and then come to me. They eat f/t.....Really....there has to be a line that breeders draw and choose to breed the animals that take the f/t and cull those that don't. We are breeding for future keepers of these animals...making them difficult just doesn't do the pet trade justice. But...once again, this thread deteriorates to arguments about what is "natural". We're keeping wild animals in cages...nothing natural about it no matter how hard we try to reproduce their natural living conditions-which I do. I just hate that this poor snake will most likely die because she can't seem to adapt like other species. I think it's great that your thousands are all eating but when you posted before, you state you feed live. How about breeding thousands that take f/t for the rest of the pet owners out there? When I go on forums or any question/problem forum the biggest problem listed for balls is "my snake won't eat...what do I do?" That's sad......especially when the answer is: "it's a ball....get used to it"
 
I appriciate your responce. While I do understand where you're coming from, I don't think a snakes reluctance to eat F/T is a sign it adapts poorly. Like you said we are keeping them in cages, and they obviously took to that pretty well. Ball Pythons are a large fraction of our hobby. They are honestly the best investment animals, and are worth the most money. Many Ball Pythons will take F/T, their entire lives without an issue. Many Ball Pythons won't take F/T, does that mean they are not worth what their F/T eating counterparts are worth? No. It means they will need a little bit more attentive owners. It's a matter of what someone is willing to do to see their animal does well. If you are uncomfortable feeding live then make suire you get a snake that eats F/T. Simple as that.
 
Exactly! Why I'll never own a ball.....they are just too much trouble. I can appreciate the snake for itself but I'll never own one. Have no patience for an animal that is that much trouble to feed. Not when I have a room full of snakes that eat without issue unless they are breeding...
 
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