warming and scenting in one easy step

[tracy0416]

I had a pretty good idea around feeding my new ball python BEN which turned out/worked well for me so I thought I'd share it here and see if anyone else had done the same.

Last week a adopted a Ball Python from a great guy on Craig's List. He had actually adopted it from someone else less than 2 weeks prior but a life altering event gave rise for the need for him to find a home for his new pet. Bad for him, good for me!

He told me that while he had not fed the BP yet, the previous owners told him that the snake "would only eat live" rats. I'm not a girlie-girl but the thought of a scream, struggling rat and possible injury just freaked me out. I was going to try frozen first.

So I had a neat idea for warming the rat.

- first, I placed two pieces of 1" thick, long-ish wood slats on either side of a dinner plate and then rested the light on them to test the temp. My light is only for light, not heat, (I have a UTH on the warm side) so it's just a 20 watt bulb.
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- I then tested the temperature of the heat emitted by said light bulb by placing a digital thermometer directly under the bulb on the plate. I thought if the temp was below 100 degrees, I could warm the rat that way (after it was already thawed of course).

- the temp was 99.3 degrees. Yippee! I then placed the thawed rat on the plate, returned the light over top of it and gave 'er 7 - 10 minutes a side.
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- I thought this might also scent the tank so I dangled the tail over the edge of the plate and let it go in through the screen/bars ever so slightly.

- sure enough, within about 7 minutes, Ben arose from his slumber with tongue flicking wildly.

- I picked him up with the snake hook, put him in a rubbermaid sliding drawer thingy and then started teasing him by holding the rat (with tongs) and began dangling/wiggling it around him, bumping him and doing other things I though a rat might do. I ran it a few times over the rim and around the perimeter of the container and all of a sudden, BAM!

He grabbed the rat and spun around it so dam fast it actually made me afraid of him for the first time (as opposed to respectfully cautious). That was my first time feeding a Ball python. Little Josephine my corn snake likes to sniff, slide around it, make sure no one is watching ... but not Ben. He's all business!

So... to continue. Even when he had the rat in his mouth, I continued to gently jerk it about as if the rat was struggling for it's life. I stopped and then started again with the wiggling so that he might enjoy the "fight" and be tricked into thinking it was alive but was beginning to die. Finally, after about a minute, the "rat" gave one last shudder and that was it. I released the rat, closed the drawer, locked it up, and started hoping.

10 minutes later, I slowly opened the drawer and peeked inside.
Snakes 1, rats 0.

Ben had eaten the rat! I was rather happy with myself. My first time ever feeding anything bigger than a pinkie, and I had managed to switch him from live to frozen!)

Ya, I know it was just luck but hey.

Anyone else ever warmed and scented this way? Any other pointers?
Thanks,
Tracy : )

[SnakeDoc]

Yummm...Cooked rat!

[bearhart]

Sounds like some quality acting - but maybe don't quit the day-job just yet

I feed live, in a seperate container. When I have time for it, I let the meal-to-be hang around in the tub for a bit and then scoop it back out prior to introducing my BP. This, of course, gets mouse smell all over the feeding tub. I definately noticed an increase in attentiveness when initially placing my snake into the feeding tub. Previously, he would have no idea what's going on until actually seeing the mouse. With the pre-scenting he's clearly expecting to get fed right away.

[Kagez28]

just curious why you use a snake hook on a ball python?

[Nate]

just curious why you use a snake hook on a ball python?

probably didn't wanna get bitten.

just my it's not really necessary to remove them from their enclosure and feed in a separate enclosure.

[tracy0416]

Yes, I used a hook because I had already scented and didn't want my hand to be mistaken for a rat!

[bearhart]

I feed in a seperate enclosure and I am considering using a hook just for the initial lift out of the tub. But, I'm just very careful when taking him back out. He doesn't really go after the mice anyway. They are so dumb he pretty much just has to open his mouth and wait for them to walk in. It works to my advantage because I don't think he'd actually turn around and strike it he did think I was a mouse.

[SatanicIntention]

Sounds like another great way to get bit!

You're welcome to come over here on feeding day and try to get a few of mine out of their tubs when mice are in the room. I've been bit just OPENING the tub to drop a mouse in and my hands were clean(other hand was holding the mouse, left hand was opening the tub).

They really do not know what a hand is and what a mouse is when the scent is all over the room and is flooding their senses. If it has a heat signature, is moving and is in their tub, it's fair game.

I feel it is best to leave them in a place where they feel safe, secure and warm, and not place them in a wide open bright place(such as a bathtub or a box) that isn't adequately heated. Especially if they don't have anywhere to hide. They are ambush hunters and feel most comfortable hunting from their hides at night.

Even when I only had my one snake(Amani), I still fed her in her home. From when I got her in November of 2004, until now, she has never mistaken me for food(unless it's feeding day and you Open, Drop and Dash with the mouse).

[bearhart]

Yea, I've been over this before and I simply disagree.

I don't ever get bit, hissed at, or struck at. Feeding day or otherwise. I don't get re-gurg. I get quick and easy feeds. I don't have to worry about substrate consumption or mice excrement in the case.

Perhaps its just a matter of my snake but, even so, right now I don't see the need to change something that works well for me. I was considering a hook but I doubt I'll actually need to use it. My snake was merely startled because the second mouse caught him by surprise. I'm sure we'll settle into a new routine and he'll know when he's going to get picked back up again.

I think it really boils down to what works for you and makes you comfortable.

[bearhart]

I don't pre-scent the room and I feed regularly but make no extra special effort to always feed exactly every 7 days. Usually his sheds force me to adjust the schedules slightly.

Also, I used to pre-scent the feeding tub but that's not necessary any more as he associates the tub with feeding.