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Rescue ball python...

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but I felt it would be a good idea to submit my advice and opinion about this ball python and ball pythons in general. I am a new member on this forum, but have been active on ball-pythons.net for a good while. On that site you would not believe the number of threads about "my baby ball python won't eat" the first thing everybody asks is setup and temps. I am a little suspicious that a BP who was no doubt hungry wouldn't eat in the perfect environment. Chances are, something was off either temp or cage wise. Also, there is a procedure called assist feeding that I believe everybody has heard of. It is perfectly safe, and usually is the jump start that problem babies need to get going on their own. The snake should have been assist fed as soon as significant weight loss was found. Just my 2 cents.
 
I am sure Meg was/is very experienced in looking after snakes. She tried many different ways of feeding and nothing worked but sometimes you just have to let nature take its course. There must have been something wrong with this snake, especially if she looked bloated and rapidly lost weight, so sometimes you just can't help them.
 
Brobertson,
I placed the snake in a smaller rubbermaid shoebox tub with a hide that gave it lots of privacy. The tub was heated with a heat mat regulated by a good quality thermostat. I tried to make sure the snake had the least amount of stress possible. Assist feeding...yes, I've heard of it...not my first rodeo...but it's not one I will take. Chondros don't always eat either....I've bred a few and there are plenty that won't take food. And they die. HOWEVER, I don't assist feed. There's something wrong with a snake that won't eat. The other ball that came in with this snake ate just fine. This one had been "assist" fed by the vet at their hospital and while it put a little weight on, it wasn't looking good. Very bloated and gassy. This animal also lost excessive weight after she pooped and lost all the bloating. No healthy animal loses 10 grams in less than a week. I've had non eating baby corns go 3-4 months before they are so thin they require euthanasia. This animal lost huge amounts of weight in the short 2 weeks I had it. Obviously it had eaten to make it this far, but a lot of these imports are fed other food items than rodents to get them going. Or perhaps they were "assist fed" wherever they came from originally...don't know. I spoke to the girl that was going to take her if she ever survived and she was not interested in having to force feed either...lets just call it what it is.. it's force feeding. It's stressful and definitely not good for them to do. Not in the snake's best interests but perhaps this is why I don't keep ball pythons. Too many of them are "assisted" instead of breeding good feeders to good feeders, culling poor feeders, and trying to get them more reliable. Appreciate the 2 cents worth though.....and here's mine :)
 
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