# Proud of my Ball



## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

I have a ball python, Ladon, he's always been a picky eater as most balls are. He has always eaten live, if it didn't move he wouldn't eat it. We've had our issues, he had one rat that decided it was going to eat him and he ended up with a quarter size chunk missing out of his back. 
Well, this past weekend I decided when I went to pick him up food from my local reptile shop that he was going to try a frozen rat this time. Warmed it up for him, put him into the tub(I don't want him to swallow his substrate) and tossed in the rat to give it some "movement" He smelled it, but was a bit more interested in exploring. Gave it one more nudge for another shift, and he struck it! Took him about 10 minutes to get it down and swallowed. 
So proud of him, and happy that I'll be able to save money and time and that he'll be safer.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Great job Ladon! 

Hopefully, simulating movement can excite him to eat the frozen meals more.


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## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

I just have to find a cheap pair of tongs to use. I actually used the handle of my fish net to nudge it. I'll just have to go to the dollar store and then label it Not for Human Use lol.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

My Beardie recognizes the tongs as a food (worms) giving implement


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## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

That's cool! I'm surprised I haven't gotten one yet since I don't really like touching rats or having my fingers that close to a hungry snakes food.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

My teacher use to have a reticulated python in class (had to take it home after it strangled a student o.o) but before it tried eating 13 year olds he had to to thaw his mice and used a pair of raptor gloves, held the rat above it's head and wiggled it by the tail so Winky would see it, see the heat, and grab it. So long as you imitate it's movement he should take it.

And not surprised a rat attacked him xD rats eat smaller snakes in the wild. They have VERY high prey drives. I can't let my rats around my cat because one of my girls had my cat by the throat and was biting into her making her bleed. Most people don't know it but rats are amazing hunters and can even work in groups, in the wild they hunt and kill birds, reptiles, small mammals, and insects. Some even kill and eat fish. I caught Fili sitting on the fish tank with her paws in the water waiting for my betta to get curious and once I gave them a bucket with six live feeder minnows and my two rats dived on in and had eaten them all up before the fish could reach the other end of the bucket. Hard to beat such smart things and with those jaws yeah...feeding live is super dangerous with those things. They can be great pets but so aggressive towards other animals. My friends rats killed both her morning doves once and broke into her gecko's cage because she didn't lock the lid and they ate him too.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I've always wiggled the food before feeding. Mine would never take one that isn't moving either. They are little bums aren't they? :-D
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I know this is off topic but I love your Betta. Love pythons too.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i love snakes. i admire any large constrictor but id rather not own ont that pushes 6 ft long. the length of the snake isnt as important as the size and trength they can have. something similar to ball pythons is just perfect imo. i like corn and garters snakes though i love the colourful tropical vipers much more.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My favorite is corn snakes.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

i wonder if i could invent a machine that attaches to the side of a terrarium and will keep a mouse or rat corpse wiggling until the snake decides to eat it. maybe a rotary motor like a desk fan, attached to a semi-slacked cord that would jerk the food back and forth.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Snakes see in body heat.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Snakes see in body heat.


i've not done a lot of reading on snakes for the last ten years or so, but if i remember correctly they use their heat sense to locate prey at a distance, then when preparing to strike, they primarily guide themselves by vision.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Really?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Really?


yeah. it's best because the light used by their eyes travels faster than heat, and snakes are fully capable of striking fast enough that the difference between the two is actually noticeable to them.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Do you think shaking the food will interest them? I think keeping it warm would interest them more?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

My snake will not strike a moving target that isn't warm. I have about 2 minutes of prime time before I have to reheat.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

So they only attack warm food?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yea, well as far as I know the pythons do. If you look up a picture of one, those little holes along the mouth are the heat pits, which let them see warmth.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> So they only attack warm food?


Bit like me in that case :lol:

Congratulations, mplsmommy! It must be a lot easier for you now, I hope the trend continues. I've never owned a snake but I find them utterly fascinating.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

i think if i was gonna have a large-scale reptile, i'd definitely go for a savannah monitor. i love snakes, but lizards just seem to have more personality.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I hear corn snakes are great.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

homegrown terror said:


> i think if i was gonna have a large-scale reptile, i'd definitely go for a savannah monitor. i love snakes, but lizards just seem to have more personality.


Lizards do. I have owned a snake, wasn't my fav pet, never bonds, never cares about humans, in fact I think they are the opposite, they only tolerate us but would be happier left alone. I felt like a horrid burden to mine and felt it would have been happier not being a pet and gawked at. Didn't have much personality and mostly just hid under it's water dish where i put it's minnows for the most part. The only time it was horribly exciting was when it ate minnows. My iguana on the other hand was a freaking clown xD. He was lovable, looooooved being pet on the head and would shake his head to music like he was dancing, chased the cats, when he was little climbed the curtains and looked at you like "Tee hee I am being naughty and you can't get me." He was a spunky large fella and you could tell he enjoyed being with his humans because he came when called and followed us around the house. If we were in the kitchens he was in the kitchen waiting for table scraps. If we were watching movies he wanted to be put on the couch. Use to sit in your lap too and had a cute little face. I would say in the reptile world I am def more of a lizard person than snakes. Snakes look pretty but aren't too interesting, lizards are crazy funny. I'm chomping at the bit right now for a gecko myself or a water dragon. I considered a bearded dragon because I know someone who had one and he was so loving but eh, I love my water dragons and iguana's and gecko's more. A big monitor lizard would be HEAVEN for me but the risk is too high. Those things can rip you apart with their claws and their bites are painful and they get so big a cage would never be well suited for them unless it took up a room. Lizards just remind me so much of dinosaurs too. Looking into even a gecko's eyes I swear I see T-Rex roaring in them. A little piece of evolutionary history. ....I also see the stupid insurance commercial Gecko within the eyes of a gecko and it brings them great shame T.T

I mean that face...eeeeeee


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Mine is a clown. I don't think any reptile loves it's owner. But, if someone else is holding Snake, he'll desperately try to get back over to me. Good enough for me. I don't need a lot of attention from my animals.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

What is that again? Olympia and Lady.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Mine didn't like being taken out of the tank period. It just didn't like human interaction and preferred to be left alone. When I removed it from the tank then she would reach out for the glass and try to go back in. Not sure if it's a corn snake thing or what but unlikely since my cousins king is the same way. He's rather be in his bin than around humans. It wasn't for lack of trying either, i tried to make her social but you can't force a solitary animal to like you, especially one that most likely thinks you are a dangerous predator since they are a smaller snake and do have the instinct to be on their guard for birds, mammals, and larger snakes. 

I like more social animals which is why I love betta's so much. For being fish they are pretty social animals. My iguana even let hug him. I miss Godzilla, he was even leash trained sooooo cuuuute he was.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I have a ball python.
Bettas? Social? Yikes, no. They swim away when I put my hand in. The goldfish, on the other hand, are like "HOLD MEEEE." :lol:


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Really? All my betta are supper friendly, when I get close to the tank they swim up waiting for food, when I put my hand in the water they swim around it until I have to sush them away so I can finish what I am trying to do. Aquarius even swims into my hand if i cup it underwater and chills like it's a sofa for fish xD. Hollow has gotten very use to people, at first when i got him he was skitish and would hide but now he swims to the top when I approach and has even done a few curious nips to my fingers. Nix...she's just a skuzz bucket and follows my hand around her tank like i am going to break something and she's going to have to yell at me for it. If fish can be OCD she is, move anything even a little out of place she spazzes so every time i'm in her tank correcting it (she rips the plants out of the gravel xD) she's watching me like a hawk to make sure i don't mess up what she has done.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Really OT, but your pic looks almost exactly like the front of my house Olympia! 

I really wish I could have a snake, but BF is scared of them  My choice would be an Eastern Garter or Ball Python.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

my realistic choice would be a corn snake if i had room for a suitable tank. Bothreichis Aurifer is my favorite snake though price, rarity and especially venomous types arent in favor of my current reptile experience. if i had the money, space and experince id get that pit viper first chance i get.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My parents will not let me have a snake only a few fish.


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## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

I must admit that I'm actually scared of snakes, but I have narrowed it down to the fact that I am scared of being surprised by them. If I can see one and know it is there, I'm fine but if it pops out at me I get scared. Or if they are really hungry and I know I have been touching rats just before gloves are a must then(or a sock)


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am getting over many of my fears. I hope to have a pet corn snake someday.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

If you get a corn snake get it from a breeder. I was told corn snakes didn't bit and got mine from petco. Guess what? She was a bitter till the end. I'm thinking that was a breeding issue and plus breeders will have better colors as well. Petstores are so limited on that.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would get Albino but what is the hardiest and longest lived?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> I would get Albino but what is the hardiest and longest lived?


probably unaltered wild stock. i've always liked the salt-and-pepper variant (a naturally occurring color type) but they're very expensive.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

A wild type would be interesting thank you.


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## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

I have this great reptile shop, Twin Cities Reptiles, near me. They always have some amazing snakes there. When I went in to get my rats the other day I got to hold their newest pied ball python (normal ball python pattern with bands of pure white). Those are some pretty snakes, but with that beauty comes a heafty price tag... I want to say it was $700 for a juvenile...


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Wow that must be a pretty nice snake.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Does that shop carry funky jungle geckos?

Or other cool gecko morphs?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Geckos are adorible.


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## mplsmommy (Aug 4, 2012)

The shop carries all kinds of reptiles. You can check them out on FB Twin Cities Reptiles LV. Then possibly on your next trip up to MN you could swing by. It's in St. Paul so if you fly it's just a simple hop and skip over there.


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