Moogie's TRIUMPH! (duw)

[Allysen]

So a couple years ago we picked up an absolutely gorgeous lesser in a trade. We called her Moogie, and she came to us VERY big for her age. We asked what she'd been eating, and she was a multiple-live-mice-in-a-sitting kind of girl.

Well, we set her up and let her settle into her new home for about a week before feeding her. She only wanted one mouse. We shrugged it off and chalked it up to the move.

A week later, same deal.

Then she went off feed for a good four months. *Sigh* Frustrating, but not the end of the world. By that time she was nearly a year old and her body condition was fine. Towards the end of her fast we had her vet-checked, complete with fecal, the usual. She came back clean, of course, diagnosis: Picky.

Well after much blood, sweat, and tears, I convinced her to take f/t mice. Which was doubly-awesome because we can get jumbo f/t mice all the time, but can't always get the biggest live ones.

So after getting her over to f/t mice, eventually she started taking TWO in a feeding. MAX. Sometimes. When she felt like it.

With scenting, and all other tricks, we've been trying to get her to take a rat. Any rat. Live rat? F/K rat? Stunned rat? I knew better than to hope for f/t rats, but offered every single feeding just in case.

She's a late '07 and weighs in at a whopping 650 grams. We reprobed her several times just in case she was secretly a male or something, but nope, she's alllll girl. Our friend has her sister, and she's just as picky. A touch smaller, even!

Last night, I scented her cage like normal. I've been using a mixture of dirty rat and mouse bedding a few hours before feeding time. I had thawed the last of our mice, but just for fun, I dangled a medium f/t rat for her. She popped her head up, interested. I wasn't too hopeful yet, she's pulled this before. She stuck her head into the rat's belly, flicking her tongue and scoping it out for about two or three minutes while I wiggled it a little. Finally, satisfied that it wasn't a mouse, she settled back down.

As I pulled the rat out of her cage, I grazed her tail and BAM that was all it took! She had that sucker wrapped and coiled faster than I could even see!

Needless to say, I gently closed her tub and we actually LEFT the HOUSE. I didn't want even the smallest bump in the hallway to startle her off of it, lol!

Regardless of how crazy I may be, she freaking ATE IT. This is the first time since I've acquired her that I've ever seen a bulge in her belly! She looks SO SATISFIED! We'll just have to see if she remembers that lovin' feeling next feeding time.

So after wall of text, here's Moogie from the day we brought her home until a few days ago, pre-rat!

[Alice]

Congrats! She's a beauty. Patience does work most times.

[ballpythonluvr]

Beautiful!

[Strtaylor]

Amazing lesser!

[Allysen]

I almost cried last night, she took her second f/t rat!! She seemed even more excited about it this time! I can't wait until she digests it so I can get a new weight on her, if she can keep it up (fingers crossed, toes crossed, knock on wood) she'll be right on schedule to breed next season!

[BGdyl]

WOW what a triumph that must've felt great and might I say she is one GORGEOUS GIRL

[Jamie-n-Heith]

she is really beautiful!!

[cinderbird]

thats so sweet!

If you would like, you can give the rats tail a few tugs to simulate struggling prey, this seems to REALLY enforce a great feeding response. After that, close the tub and let them eat.

[Allysen]

thats so sweet!

If you would like, you can give the rats tail a few tugs to simulate struggling prey, this seems to REALLY enforce a great feeding response. After that, close the tub and let them eat.

Yep, that definitely helps! It's force of habit around here, even with the boas who totally could care less, lol!

[dreese88]

That's a great looking lesser girl Allysen.