So if you remember the little guy born with the open belly, you may remember me mentioning his sibling. Well, it is truely a specian needs BP, that will (I hope) one day make someone a great pet. It was born bug eyed, so I call it Bugsy. Still haven't sexed it, but call it a she.

You can see her eyes were quite protruded when she pipped.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_3107b.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_3105b.jpg

Once she hatched, I was able to get a better look. My hope was that they would "go down" and be normal.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_3174b.jpg

No such luck. After her fisrt shed her eyes looked almost scabbed over. It responds to a flash light shown in its face, but not really to movement. I waited to see if she would eat. She did kill a mouse fuzzy, but would not eat. After a month and a half of trying to get her to eat on her own I decided to force feed her some pinks. Did that for two weeks. I then moved up to a fuzzy. This time I simply assisted by placing it in the mouth, and it swallowed on its own. Progress!! Well, we are finally up to large mice. I still have to place it in the mouth, but now it will coil and "kill" once I let go, before swallowing. I hope the little one will eventually feed on its own, but right now it is still scared by the mouse. It did shed again this weekend and here are how the eyes look now.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_5328b.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_5331b.jpg

I'm glad she is being cared for by you!! :yourock: It takes a lot of patience to do it. :yessir:

Wow I have never seen anything like that last pic.

I'm glad she is being cared for by you!! :yourock: It takes a lot of patience to do it. :yessir:

Thanks.

Wow I have never seen anything like that last pic.


That eye is sunk in a bit, and the spot is some debris stuck to it (I think). I am slowely trying to get it off, but am being super carefull around her eyes.

It's good to hear that she is coming around!! I'm sure with your persistence and care she will start feeding on her own soon. Does she do any tracking with her pits or tongue? Just a thought but it might help to prekill it and heat it up a little hotter than normal to help her learn how to find food.

Have you taken her to a vet to have the eyes checked out?

Good luck!!!

Glad she is doing well for you and I do remember her being hatched out and those first pics....Shows what love and care will do

Thanks for sharing and best of luck with her. She couldn't be in better hands :)

It's good to hear that she is coming around!! I'm sure with your persistence and care she will start feeding on her own soon. Does she do any tracking with her pits or tongue? Just a thought but it might help to prekill it and heat it up a little hotter than normal to help her learn how to find food.

Have you taken her to a vet to have the eyes checked out?

Good luck!!!
Tosha, no vet yet, I was not even sure she would survive at first. Everything, since the force feeding began has been f/t. She does show interest, but completely freeks at anything touching her nose. She is very head shy, which stems from the lack of eyesight IMO. I did try live a few times after she killed the first one, but they completely freaked her out. I am going with f/t only now, because without eyesight, it will be very hard for her to know where to strike a mouse, and she would be vunerable to bites.

i just read this thread and the conclusion i have came to is that you have true love for the hobby and all of your reptiles. alot of people say they do it for the love not the money but when they have one born like this they euthanize it or feed it off to some other animal or just throw it in a freezer and that isnt love for your reptiles IMO. not many would take the time or waste the money on trying to keep this little guy alive and feeding on his own with the problems it had and has. i think alot of people that make that claim which is used loosely lately of its its love for the animals not the money could really learn something from you because reading the threads on this little one has shown that its really about the love for the animals and not the money with you and alot of people in this industry should take a step back and check their priorities when using that term and really read threads such as the ones you have on this little one to really see what love for the animals really means. congrats on getting the little one as far as you have gotten him so far. keep up the excellent work. :yourock:

Thank for the compliments and words of encouragement. I sometimes wonder if people think I am foolish for "wasting" (at least in their minds) time on ones like this and its brother.

Thank for the compliments and words of encouragement. I sometimes wonder if people think I am foolish for "wasting" (at least in their minds) time on ones like this and its brother.

Im sure that little ball python doesnt think its foolish.

Good job :yessir:

Good luck with that one, the reward is worth the effort.

Actually we can all learn something from experiences like this. Sharing valuable information in case this happens to someone else. Thanks for posting the pics especially the updated ones.

Thanks all.....I will keep everybody updated, and you KNOW I will be shouting it when she eats on her own!!

That is interesting, good work Jenea :rockon:

Thanks Jeff. Still wish I knew what caused it, since no one seems to have seen it before. My best guess is an incubation issue since the open belly baby came from the same clutch.

Thank for the compliments and words of encouragement. I sometimes wonder if people think I am foolish for "wasting" (at least in their minds) time on ones like this and its brother.

Your no where near foolish I think for doing so and Like Tama said it's nice to learn from this kind of stuff as well :) I hope she pulls through and starts eating for ya :)

Thanks John

Thanks Jeff. Still wish I knew what caused it, since no one seems to have seen it before. My best guess is an incubation issue since the open belly baby came from the same clutch.

Maybe something with incubation, some osmosis pressure thing or temps or something....was it a first time mom? Maybe something there....probably not, just one of those things would be my guess....

Nope, mama produced for me the year before. I think incy issues because I was surprised by the clutch. I was not expecting eggs so late in the year, so the incubator was not set up when I found the eggs. Cleaning cages, lifted the hide and BHAM...there they were! Now I know better, they can lay anytime! But then again, 2 of the bebies were completely normal. You would think incy issues would effect all the eggs.....will probably never know.

Wow definitely keep up the good work with that little girl Jenea. I really am inspired by the amount of care and love that you show for your animals.

Speaking of which "Gumby" is doing great! Ate again tonight :D

Great to hear Adam!! Glad he found a forever home with you.

Thank for the compliments and words of encouragement. I sometimes wonder if people think I am foolish for "wasting" (at least in their minds) time on ones like this and its brother.


i'm sure that little guy and most of us BLBC members doesnt feel or think you're foolish. i dont see it as foolish i see it as an act of love for the reptiles and i feel alot of people can learn from your actions and this thread.

i'm sure that little guy and most of us BLBC members doesnt feel or think you're foolish. i dont see it as foolish i see it as an act of love for the reptiles and i feel alot of people can learn from your actions and this thread.
:o:o

Wow thats some story. I think she'll do great under your care. I have a feeling she'll get it. I know as soon as she wraps her instincts will tell her to look for the head.
Were pulling for you buddy, good luck with her.

Thanks Chris! Lucky her, I put the head in first :) Just wish she would take a bite on her own.

Something tell me that Im not gonna go wrong when I am able to get some hoggies from her.

Something tell me that Im not gonna go wrong when I am able to get some hoggies from her.

there wouldnt be any doubt in my mind when getting something from her.

Wow I've never seen anything like that. Have you tried leaving a f/t or f/k mouse or rat in the tub to see if she'll come by and eat it on her own?

Wow I've never seen anything like that. Have you tried leaving a f/t or f/k mouse or rat in the tub to see if she'll come by and eat it on her own?
I did early on, but not recently. I was thinking of doing that next feeding since she has coiled the last 3 feedings, and is showing a bit of interest when she smells the mice.

good job and i hope every thing turns out okay

Thanks Andrew.

Cleaning cages, lifted the hide and BHAM...there they were! Now I know better, they can lay anytime! But then again, 2 of the bebies were completely normal. You would think incy issues would effect all the eggs.....will probably never know.

Out of curiosity, what were you cleaning with? Eggs are amazingly permeable to both liquids and gases, maybe something there? Or bacteria from who knows what. Anyway, glad to see you are doing what you can. Hope she continues to improve (at least cosmetically) with the eyes. I have tremendous respect for those who persevere against the odds. :yessir:

Cheers,
Kat

Out of curiosity, what were you cleaning with? Eggs are amazingly permeable to both liquids and gases, maybe something there? Or bacteria from who knows what. Anyway, glad to see you are doing what you can. Hope she continues to improve (at least cosmetically) with the eyes. I have tremendous respect for those who persevere against the odds. :yessir:

Cheers,
Kat
Just changiong out the paper really. No chemicals. I think she is pretty special....man I am going to have to sex it soon so I know if it really is a her....

Just changiong out the paper really. No chemicals. I think she is pretty special....man I am going to have to sex it soon so I know if it really is a her....

Or you could just call it Shim. :lmao:

Cheers,
Kat

Or you could just call it Shim. :lmao:

Cheers,
Kat

:lol:

Something tell me that Im not gonna go wrong when I am able to get some hoggies from her.

You absolutely can't go wrong with hoggies from Jenea :D. I've got a few of hers here and they are all absolutely beautiful, great feeders and a perfect little hognose temperment :D.

Wow thats a really loving thing your doing for her!! Your truly one of the good guys in my eyes.. Thanks for sharing this sad but very cool story.. Let us know how she does for you..

Alan

Thanks Alan!

And thanks for the kudos Adam....glad they are doing good for you! :D

Amazing, never seen one like that before. Congrats on your success so far with her. Hope she eats for you on her own soon. Keep us updated!

Thanks Danny. So far she shows a lot of interest when she smells the food, but is still to scared of it to eat on her or his own

I haven't read when the little one hatched. How old is she?
Reason I ask is a friend of mine hatched out 4 last June, I think it was, one of them has just now started to eat on its own!! She was adviced by a few to just let it wither away, that not all of them make it, etc. which I guess is true, but point is she held on and just kept trying. Great thing is she's now eaten twice on her own after 6 months of assist feeding.

Just keep trying and hopefully she'll get the hang of it on her own soon ;)

She was born in August

Any updates? What a great little story.... Has "shim" fed on its own?

Oh yes, feeding great, the feeding response is almost to great. I had it out the other day and it just casually pressed its mouth against my hand and started to open up. Good thing I was paying attention! :lol: Gaining weight and very, very close to being moved to a 15 qt. I will try and remember to get updated pics tomorrow when I feed.

Jenea you are a sweetie . I guess this thread was before I joined so my 1st time seeing it . When I 1st saw the pix I thought of hydrocephalus . I have seen pix of pups born this way.

Glad to hear it's doing good, nice job Jenea! :yessir: