You are so kind and gentle to your animals. The one vid where you show how to calm a feisty baby down was awesome. About a year ago I was very afraid of snakes. Your channel is one of the three that showed me what snakes are really like. Ball pythons are now my favorites.
Great video! Thank you for uploading this. . I'd just like to share something. My snake died literally just a few hours ago. I was devastated. I am a first time keeper and I did not expect the worst. I got her from a reputable breeder, according to other keepers and enthusiasts where I'm from. Although the breeder may have been at fault to some degree, I admit that I did fail to undergo a more thorough investigation, as mentioned in this video. I had no idea that she was a bit of a problematic feeder back in the breeding facility. I only found out that she had a 15-day off-feed when I got her (the essential information was written on strips of thick tape when I got her). During my initial inspection, she had a lot of stuck shed on her head. She was 2 months old but only weighed 50 GRAMS; I thought it was crazy. I know this video just talked about that there isn't a correct weight but I don't think a 2-month ball python who's had 7 meals shouldn't weigh just 50 grams. I've given her ample time to settle in before offering her her meals but 3/4 attempts, she didn't strike on any of them. On her 4th feed attempt, which happened yesterday, she took a strike but it seemed weak. She also did not coil around her prey item (hopper mouse. I made sure it had less girth than her body) but she did start to chew. But after about 3 minutes of chewing, she spit it out, so I just guided her back into her hide to take a rest. Earlier this morning, I found her outside her hide more than usual which suggests her getting really hungry, but I couldn't do anything. The mice I have reserved here at home are way too big for her, all nearby pet shops only had hopper mice to adult mice which wasn't ideal for her condition; I was hoping to get fuzzies. Anyway, I thought she would still be able to survive another week but when I came back home, there she was in her tub, motionless. It still breaks my heart.. 😔😔😔💔 . So for all the aspiring ball python keepers out there: Even if you've done all your research and you think you know everything's going to go according to plan, PLEASE don't be too impulsive & investigate about the animal you are about to get as much as you can. Make sure you request for the latest pictures, feeding dates, & feeding videos if possible. One of the best breeders in my city provides all this and I'm sure a lot of breeders around the world will be able to do the same. I sure did learn my lesson. Good thing the breeder I got her from was kind enough to send me a new snake free of charge. I already asked for all the necessary information and latest photos and this new one does look healthy, no visible stuck shed, & she's a very frequent eater; gobbled 2 hoppers on her first meal and so far she has no records for off-feeding. Wish me luck!
My female ball python turned a year in August. I just got a scale because I was curious, and started realizing she may be on the small size compared to yearlings I see on Instagram. Low and behold, she's only 186.7 g! She's always eaten her meals, I switched her to small rats in late 2019, always shed perfectly, and is overall happy and healthy. She is fed once a week, sometimes 2 at the most. I'm just concerned because she's so tiny for her age. I know you said it's all dependent upon the snake, but is this normal? Lol I don't want to be worried when she otherwise doesn't have any issues.
Your vids are the most informative. Thank you I just woke up to my first hatch this morning named it lucky as it was the only survivor of 5 eggs and I’ve found your vids on what to do with new babies the best
My ball python was straight out of the egg and I wasn't aware. I've had him TWO months and he's just now 87 grams. I was fortunate enough to know how to get him feeding and we've had about 10 consecutive, strong feeds (thank goodness). I'd NEVER recommend buying a snake that hasn't eaten. It's a lot of worry and takes a fair bit of skill and patience to start them off.
Brittany Large I just bought a baby ball python strait from the egg and I had no idea! Please could you help me to get him to eat cus he won’t take anything from me and I’m extremely worried and hes Berry skinny
You just have to be patient with them. I assist fed for 3 weeks and not last week but the week before he finally struck. Do you know how to assist? And also I have alot of tips and tricks now that my snake has eaten.
Samantha Gillespie yes I know how to assist feed. I just moved him to a smaller enclosure so he won’t be stressed and tomorrow I’ll offer him a pinky but if he won’t take it I’ll assist feed him.
Samantha Gillespie he’s 52grams, I weighed him last night. I’ve had him for about three weeks now and I offered him a pinky about a week later. I’ve tried to feed him twice every week since then and he haven’t taken any. I changed his enclosure so he wouldn’t be stressed this morning and he seems to be doing well, I’ll try to feed him tomorrow maybe, and if he won’t take it il assist feed him
Your video is brilliant Gavin, because many don't do this. I've found a local guy I'm buying an Enchi Firefly from and also got my Spider from that uses cards. Your Assist feeder is gorgeous! We can most definitely see the difference between the two pastels. Anyone selling a baby right out of the egg should be ashamed of themselves. That's so very wrong. =( Thanks for the video Gavin! Good Job. 🌾 Merry meet 🌿
Excellent video, good to see you back. There are disreputable people in all walks of life out there and this is where your research comes in. My motto now is 'Research, research, research, then research some more, then start looking for what you want'. Arm yourself with every bit of knowledge and ask breeders questions and listen to their answers, if your still not sure, leave alone and go elsewhere.
I want to think you for all the advise you offer in your videos. your such a big help. i follow you and i always watch your videos keep doing what your doing.
Thank you. I'm planning to get my first snake in the spring. Your videos are helping me be prepared to take good care of my future snake and find a good breeder. I'm in the states or I would get one from you.
I just want to say THANK YOU for all your informative videos. I discovered your channel not too long ago, but since have binge watched a lot and have gathered so much useful info. A couple weeks ago I purchased a handsome male banana Mojave for my 4 yo son. (Not his first snake but his first ball) I of course am the main caretaker. Because of all your videos I asked all the right questions and got a very healthy snake and was able to weed out some sketchy breeders. So me and my son thank you. I'm the bestest mama now as he says!
Gavin: You're like the TEACHER I never had! (regarding Ball Pythons) Master Gavin from Balls 2U, you're killing it with all these educational videos! Legend mate!!
This was such a helpful video as I'm preparing to get my first ball python and it was a question I had as far as weights because I thought that the weight was a good indicator of how well the snake was feeding. I did learn from a previous video I watched that no breeder should sell a snake- epseically a picky eater like a ball python- straight out of the egg. Ball python's shouldn't be on the market until they're a proven eater and had at least one good shed.
yeah, unfortunately here in the US, some corporate stores sell BPs that are straight of the egg. And the workers who know little to nothing about BPs have to deal with trying to keep it alive. :S not to forget that their feeding policies are outdated. Their polices require us to move to feed. :/ thus stressing out the hatchling further to not eat....
I picked up a beautiful pinstripe 2 months ago, I'm struggling to get her to eat.. she's STILL at 60gms and I KNOW she's at least 4 months old.. she's got a sketchy past already so if I can get her weight going in the right direction, we will both be happy campers! But the struggle is real 😯
thanks for sharing and spreading your knowledge you always do a great job and I believe you are providing an excellent service to the reptile community wish there were more like you out there please keep up the great work and congrats on having a great year producing stunning animals
I think my breeder flat out lied. When I got mine, she was a month old (so he says), and he claims that she had 5 meals before I got her. She wouldn't take F/T at all, and live she would just strike at it, but not try to coil or eat it or anything (I did humanely euthanize the pinky with some CO2). I have had to assist feed every time, and I did let her go for a few weeks before I assist fed. Now she didn't lose much weight (she was 110g when I got her, her high was 116, but she's dropped back down to 104, and I'm not cool with that)...so I started being more rigorous with the feeding, and she's starting to get it. Tonight when I fed her, she still fought a little, but I got the rodent in her mouth, and then I held her mid body off the floor of the enclosure with the food dangling in her mouth, and once she realized "OH, this is food" she immediately coiled up (it surprised the hell outta me, almost coiled with my hand), and she ate it with no issue after that. She still hasn't been food aggressive, (she's very sweet, and very inquisitive, which surprised me for a ball python). So I've started feeding her a size down (mouse fuzzies), but more often (every 4 days) to get her lizard brain into the idea of "warm tiny thing=food" mentality. I think her coiling reaction was a fantastic indicator that I'm doing the right thing.
To clarify, she doesn't look emaciated, she's got a slight, and I mean slight peak at her vertebral processes, indicating she is "skinny", but she's not got any health problems, she did hold her poo for a bit, but I upped the humidity and she pooped twice since then. She has shed once (it was a full shed), so I'm hoping this is all getting her back on track, because I have been kind of worried, simply because she wasn't behaving like a snake that knows what food is.
I personally think the breeder saw that she was a problem feeder and didn't want to screw with it so he let her go cheap. (a yellow belly female with great markings for less than $75, I should've suspected something, but I think she's gonna be okay.)
I really like this snake, she's inquisitive, she RARELY balls up. In fact the only time she balls up is when it's feeding time. She avoids her food. Tonight, she was a little more patient about it, she investigated, but before, she'd avoid it, and if I pressed, she would ball up, and then if I touched her with it, she would twitch violently like when a fly lands on you "GET OFF OF ME", so I really suspect she was a hatchling that hadn't fed. or if she did, it wasn't to the degree I was lead to believe.
Cool video! Also sometimes twins happen and then the babies are really small which does not mean that they are not healthy :D. My twins hatched they were 26 and 27 grams :).
How long and how old was the 67 gram snake that had a few feeds? I bought mine at petsmart and it had only been there an hour before I picked it up. And it weighs 64.5g at 18in long. Anything helps thanks 🙏
I just got my bp hatching she weighs 80grams not 100% her feeding habit or how many feeds she has but I'll be seeing how well she'll eat she was being fed once every 5-7 days and was eating hoppers and she's to small to be fed them so I have to start to feed her fuzzies
My ball was 58 grams when I got here, shes 4 months old now and has never denied food or anything and shes only 94 grams. Shes perfectly healthy, sheds good, everything looks normal. I feed her rat pups and she just seems to be growing really slow. I was feeding every 5 days for the first 2 months, and every 7 days since then. Idk why shes so light, its very strange
Mate my 4-5 month old ball python is only 91 grams but he eats a hopper mouse every single week. Is that normal? He was a twin born out of the same egg as his brother.
My snakes feeding response is fine, but I still need to know what emaciated and overweight is. Is there a length to weight to age ratio even if not that accurate?
I bought a baby ball python from a breeder who told me that he had eaten many meals which wore frozen mice, but after a got the ball python he was quite skinny and was very small, I’m extremely worried and he won’t eat from me. I’m desperate and need someone ones help emendiatelly
Hi Gavin, you mention you feed your pastel twice a week, what's your feeding schedule for hatchlings like? At what point do you generally back them down to once a week or so?
Kelsey Graham when I'm feeding the hatchlings on mice I feed twice a week, but when I feed on asf I tend to feed once a week because the asf's are higher in protein then the mice.
Great video, please keep them coming! I've got a 5 month old female Enchi who only weighs 190g. I'm an newbie and have only had her a month, feeding mice every 7 days (not sure what name to call them, but they are the same size as her largest girth) and she has put on 30g over that time. Is she underweight? And should I try her on similar sized rats rather than mice? I've just changed her feeding regime to every 5 days rather than 7. I keep seeing snakes of her age who weigh almost double what she is! Thanks in advance for any advice you may be able to provide! :)
Hi Pal, I'm new to the snake scene and I have really appreciated your videos to fill in the gaps. One thing I did not learn from this is if my BP is on the right tracks. She feeds once a week and weighed in at 103g before her last feed. I feed her on pinkies and will be moving her up after 3 more I think. She is about 5 months old, from what I have researched this is very light? Perhaps she is younger than the breeder says? Perhaps he got her mixed up with another?
Ben Cooper hi Ben and thanks for your time with your question....OK well if she is 5 mouths old and she was a normal baby then yes she is under weight, my hatchlings that are 5 months old are around 250grams.....but all in all, this is just a guide line. all snakes are different, but it does seem to me that she is on the light side. 👍
Is there a such thing as a stunted ball python or snake in general? I got mine at 75 grams and she was a problem feeder. Since the middle of July she’s had around 8-12 meals. I just wanted to know if she’s stunted or not. I’d say maybe now she’s over 100 grams maybe like 130 id say. Just confused if she is stunted :( she’s an albino female as well who’s definitely like 7-9 months.
I just rescued a 2 year old that very small (they were only feeding it hoppers every other week), prob no more than 150 gram do u think its just under fed or perhaps a parasite issue? or both?? Im hoping to bring it back to good health.
@@Dx916x A mouse hopper is about 10g average. That snake got 5g meal per week. How do you think could it be bigger with that little nutrition? Save the money for the vet and use it on food. I would give him a mouse hopper every 5 days until he is about the weight of an average hatchling after 6 meals, lets say 100g. Then switch to small mice (13-19g) every 5-7 days until he reaches 200g. I would stay at every 5 days. Then I would give him adult mice every week or rat pups. Hope this helps. If you follow this scheme and he doesn't gain weight after a few weeks I would take him to a vet immediately.
ive had my ball python for about 4 months now, not sure when it hatched, but ive been feeding him every 5 days since he is so small and eats small pinky mice. but hes still WAY thinner than the baby bp you showed that had eated 5 times already. my bp still has a lot of loose skin and a thin body. im not sure why hes still so small? his food is the correct size and hes never refused a meal so far. any advice at all?
Hey Kevin..! Hoping all is well.. You said you feed your hatchlings twice a week.. What days are you feeding.? I been trying to figure out what days to feed my female pastel who is eating like a champ every Monday on a small adult mouse.. Thanks for your Awesome youtube chanel..! Joe G..
Joey Garcia thank you joey..... if they are a hatchling that I'm keeping back I feed them a multi twice a week, if it's one that's up for sale then I feed a mouse twice a week. thanks for your support 😊
Thanks Kevin..! I only wish you were able to ship to the States.. Your creating Amazing morphs.. I like how you keep it simple.. Hopefully one day I'll be as Badass as you in the hobby.. Thanks again Kevin. ! :)
Hi Gavin, i have a cb17 leopard enchi which now weighs 1130 grams, i feed her every 5 days as she is always hungry, if she weighs over 1500g by november would she be old enough for go at breeding or would you advise waiting till next year? Thanks for your time mate.
Thanks for this video. Do you know the best place to purchase a ball python? I'm thinking if going to the reptile show on the 6th but I'm not sure if I'll make it.
Bundy Hanson hi, like I said in the video, it's best to go to a reputable breeder first, get yourself a good healthy baby....most breeders can send you lists with prices and even arrange a reptile courier, but my advise would be to go and meet the breeder and get to know the person......if I can help then just let me know 👍
Thank you for this video. I find your videos very informative and useful. You have answered quite a few of my questions. I do have another if anyone can help me out. At what point do you stop feeding twice a week? And how do you know when to move up from small pinkies to fuzzies and mice etc.? I'm new at this and want to get a bp soon but I would rather not kill it because I didn't know what I was doing. Any help would be appreciated!
Katherine Rappleye thank you for watching my videos.....I stop feeding it twice a week around the 350gram range and then move it up to a bigger meal.....it's hard to give true weights of the rodents as all suppliers food weights vary....it's all about judgement TBH.... as all as you use a bit of common sense then you'll be fine 😊
Balls2U He's Definately on the small side then, did think that when I picked him up like hmm... But he ate a rat fluff last night:) Banana Mojave het pied :D Thanks for responding!
I know my ball python is at least 9 months old but he still fits in the palm of my hand? I feed him every 5 days but I fell that hes still to small. What size should he be?
I have a question my baby ball python weighs right now 60 😮 grams he’s been with me 2 weeks and hasn’t fed 😣 he fed two Thursdays ago and he’s very timid when eating
My breeder sells them proper...10,000+ American dollar morphs coming...but I'll let him show,you..nothing like this has been done succesfully!!!!My guy is about to break the market....could be millions in profit!!!!Your gonna pay..or he will just keep them!!!
Yeah, but at least there are still some good breeders out there to help balance the scales. Thanks for doing all of these educational vids Gavin, I'm going to be recommending every noob that gets one of my snakes to watch your vids and sub to your channel :-)
