My ball python - any advice?

FlapJack16

Hatchling Member
please skip to the questions at the bottom if you don’t want to read this, I’d really appreciate varied responses! Thanks! :mrgreen:
Hey, I know this is a BD website and that there is a similar website for ball pythons(ball-pythons.net) ;I have an account but cannot remember the login so i decided not to deal with that this second and ask here.

My ball python, Gus, is an adult male banana spider ball python, roughly 4 feet long. I understand the controversy around the spider ball pythons, however I 1.) did not buy him for the color morph python trading breeding type deal, 2.) did not buy him from a breeder and 3.) bought him as an adult from a non-chain pet store- highly knowledge and trustworthy people in there (one guy has a crazy amount of animals and knows so much about them and loves them, he’s a reptile expert and most of the staff know exactly what they’re talking about. (I am not at all stating that any of this is bad or good, you do you, some people just get very into that).

That being said,

Gus is FINALLY healthy these last several months, I’ve had him for a year and a half, and I brought him home (which is gonna cause initial hunger strike stress, which is what I expected) but he took it further than that and he didn’t eat for several months (3 to 5). We knew BP were finicky and sensitive, so we were trying but thought he just was getting settled still. He then had 1-3 meals, and after that, went on another 6 month hunger strike.
We tried EVERYTHING. Prey size, live frozen, warmed w an old hair dryer, warmed w water, etc etc.
nothing.
I changed his tank to an attempted bio active, he hated it, I hated it, yet the internet was so fond of it.
Nothing.
I took him to the vet, and he had a respiratory infection due to either low temps, too low humidity, or too high humidity.
So, he got 6 weeks of shots, and he was like A NEW SNAKE. he’s now a somewhat aggressive eater- strikes within 5-10 seconds at the most, eats, ready for the next one. Can’t get my hand anywhere near the tank when hunting, and before we couldn’t get him to react to anything.
Super happy with his health, tank temps, humidity hides recommended by vet, (plastic Tupperware type, a hole large enough for the snake with wiggle room is cut in, sanded and checked to make sure it’s very smooth, and warm wet paper towels are in the bottom. It sits under the heat so it stays warms and humid, and paper towels make it super easy to clean).
He is so healthy and different- happier and everything is perfect.

(Side note; I did gradually increase his meal size to this post respiratory because his system hadn’t had food in so long, suggested by vet to take it slowly).

Questions:
Gus is a male adult 4ft ball python

I am feeding him every 3 weeks (21 days exactly),4 adult mice each time. Without weighing him, does this sound okay? 4 to 5 adult mice kinda sounds right for his biggest section, I can measure him in 4 or 5 days when he’s done digesting.

He’s out hunting earlier than 3 weeks. Tonight I fed him, but once he does excrete, maybe in a week and a half, and maybe even before that he’s hunting. I have to see him hunt for a week or so without feeding him, which makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong, but BP can get obese and I’ve never seen a “keep feeding” suggestion like bugs with beardies. Is this something to ignore until feeding day to prevent obesity/ other side affects?

When he’s in striking position even after 4 mice, is that his natural hunting instinct and he will keep gorging until I stop? (In the wild they are erratic hunters and they will eat like there’s no next meal since they can survive up to over a year without food).

I’m so sorry this post is so long, thank you for taking time to read and answer questions! :D :D :D
 

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