[Zoodulcis]

Glad the cardboard worked. Lots of male animals engage in some seriously damaging agonistic behavior if they think they see another male. I once saw a bull elk go after a sedan in a parking lot as he was strolling by and caught sight of himself in the driver’s side mirror. I thought it was hilarious, but the park rangers were less amused, not to mention the car’s owner.

There is a trick that falconers use to tame a shy bird. Works great for small reptiles too if you have the time and patience for it. Grab yourself some form of entertainment where you can manage the content with one hand. Laptop, Kindle, etc. Then, instead of feeding your fellow in his container at the usual time, sit next to the enclosure with your free hand inside and laying on the bottom, palm up. When you open your hand, it should contain a wiggly food item. Crickets are not best for this. Leave it there for at least 1/2 hour. If he doesn’t approach, remove your hand and the food. Later in the day give him only a half feeding. Try again the next day. Do not move your hand or fingers at all during this session once your hand is in place. Do not stare at him at all. All movements in and out of the enclosure should be incredibly slow.

When he finally takes a food item from your hand, take the win, remove your hand and release any other food items into the enclosure. When he voluntarily takes food from your hand and lingers just a bit, you can elevate your hand a fraction of an inch up slowly, then back down. Depending on how shy he is, this whole process can take weeks. It may be impossible to do it every day, so whenever you can when you know he’s really hungry, give it a go. This process is called habituation and will eventually yield results as his stress response diminishes. This will happen when your hand loses its novelty, becomes familiar, and also becomes associated with rewards and no harm.

If you decide to try this in the next few days, please let us know how it went, plus any observations on how long it took him, any surprises, progress, set-backs, etc.

[Zoodulcis]

I think you can reduce your cleaning to every other day. That will reduce any stress caused by that disruption. For they next few days, change the water only once, but put one teaspoon of dissolved honey in it. It will do no harm, and possibly much good, and if constipation is an issue, this should loosen her up if you do it every day for a week. After 7 days, discontinue because it will not provide any further benefit.

[Zoodulcis]

Good for you!! Have you trimmed her nails yet?

[Zoodulcis]

Sounds like a very pleasant time and a fun hobby. Is he/she about 3 months old? Do you know the sex yet?

[Zoodulcis]

Sounds like your sanitation routine is pretty darn good. What sort of water is in the dish? Spring water? There is a possibility that the little one is dehydrated, or that other things are going on as well. Do you see any signs of discoloration on the dorsal side of the body? When was the last time he/she pooped?

[Zoodulcis]

Love the name! Is he friendly and easy to handle, my precious?

[Zoodulcis]

OK, that is a pretty full house!! Do all of the cats get along with Rufus?

[Zoodulcis]

I don’t know you all that well, but from what I can see, I believe that your ball python with behavioral issues will turn around brilliantly under your care. And AB is a great source of support and leads on tips, tricks, and general support. I am very glad that you have chosen this forum and I look forward to sharing your adventure. We do not allow marketing on this site, but that doesn’t mean you can’t extoll the virtues of a pet who is ready to be rehomed. And as always, a narrative that details your rescue journey is always, always, super welcome!

[Zoodulcis]

Huh, this is going to take a little bit of work on my part. I thought perhaps chytrid, but now I’m not so sure. How many dumpies do you have total, and how many are expressing symptoms and when?

Sorry to be so inquisitive, but if you do not have an exotic vet in the area, and I know the feeling, I will have to basically get a medical history from you in order to assist you in making the best and most informed decisions for your little ones. That said, even though I am a zoologist, I am not a veterinarian. I am therefore not licensed to give medical advice, but merely to engage in a conversation about an animal’s care and husbandry. It may be that you will need to travel a ways to visit a vet who can prescribe a treatment, including meds or tests.

That said, within those parameters, I am happy to help you try to figure this out. They do seem thin, and the fact that they all stopped eating at once could be diagnostic. Have you changed anything, added anything, to their environment in the last 60 days? How often do you sterilize the furniture in the habitat?

[Zoodulcis]

I agree that for now, paper towels are a good call. The reptile mats with loop and snags get a frownie face from me 😣. These should not be on the market at all.

Do you rehome the snakes that you rescue, or do they live with you permanently?

[Zoodulcis]

Thanks for that info! Were you impressed with the breeder in general?

[Zoodulcis]

There’s a couple of things that could be going on, but without a picture, I can’t render an opinion. Please reduce the size of the photo and try again.

[Zoodulcis]

Oh Wow! Not a new member of the family acquired during covid. Is he your only one?

[Zoodulcis]

Beautiful!! She is a big girl at 4 months. Must be all that good eatin’! Where did you acquire her?

[Zoodulcis]

A very intense expression! Does he think mom has crickets for him, or is this his usual MO?

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