Feeding Response ? *Long, lots of info*

[RichL]

First off husbandry:

- 92-94 Hot Hide
- 80-84 Cool Hide
- 45-60% humidity ( does vary depending on ambient temp as bedroom varies )
- 30W x 36H x 20D enclosure

made from bedroom a moire tv entertainment center ( see pic )


Second, experience:
- about 4-5 years keeping BP's
- only recently really 'got into it'

Now that is out of the way.

About a month ago, I picked up a '11 pastel male and a '11 spider female from Bailey and Bailey Reptiles. I was originally going to only get the pastel, but then my brother wanted a spider. So at the last minute I called Tim back up and had him throw the spider in there as well. So being unexpected I was one enclosure short. I didn't think about a tub till after the fact. So I decided that since my normal female had a large enough enclosure I would put the pastel male in with her till I could arrange another enclosure.

I had fed my normal a medium rat the week before I received my new additions and at that time I was on a biweekly feeding schedule. So, Once the new ones got here, I put the pastel male in and gave him a week to settle in. Neither of them were showing any signs of stress so I decided to go ahead and feed on the 'normal' day. I of course took the pastel out of the enclosure, fed the normal, fed the pastel and put him back into the enclosure. All was well.

My normal female ( ~1100g ) has always had a pretty awesome feeding response. She will eat as much of whatever I put in the tank with her whether it be live, pre-killed, or F/T. Picked her up from some people that just didn't want to take care of her anymore. I am guessing she is an '09 as I have had her for 1.5 yrs and she was a decent size already when I got her.


A week later, still no signs of stress, it was time to feed the pastel again, but it was my normal females 'off week'. So instead of taking the pastel out and feeding him, I took her out and fed him, then placed her back in. Wrong thing to do obviously as she smelled the mouse, went into feed mood and bit the first thing that moved, my hand. I had used some germ x after handling the mice/rats of course. She had never attempted to bite me or strike at me before. Totally my fault for being stupid though.


No biggie, she let go immediately. I pulled the pastel back out, just in case, and closed up the enclosure to let her cool down. I then went and started getting things together for an enclosure as I realized that they definitely needed to be split up.

That's when I noticed a real change in my normal's temperament. I would normally handle her a couple times a week for about 10-15 minutes. Always giving 3 days after a big meal to digest. However, after she tagged me, Anytime I even look in the cage she starts coming out of the hide with 'that look' in her eyes..haha.. Looking for something to eat. Once I got her out of the enclosure, it was no worries though.

By the next week after I got tagged, I had the two split up into separate enclosures by feeding day. I had decided at that point to go with a little bit smaller prey for my normal and start feeding once a week with the new additions. Before even picking up any of the rats/mice I washed my hands and opened her cage. She starts coming at me. No rats are even in the room yet and even so, I never touched them. They were in a box, in a bag the whole way home. So no big deal, I backed up, grabbed the rat, and did a little slight toss into the enclosure from a 'safe' distance..haha ( no rat was harmed in the toss, it was a very gentle landing, for about 2 seconds )She ate, I fed the others, and gave her a few days.

Same thing is happening during the past week with her coming out of her hide with any movement outside her enclosure. Once I get her out, all is well. So feeding day rolls around again today. Once again, I open the enclosure. She starts to come out but doesn't all the way. I put the rat in, and back up. She then lunges from her hide at me and makes it a good 6" out of the enclosure full on mouth open. Rat moves, she turns and its over.

Basically what I'm trying to get at, is I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong?

I have never had any cage aggression from any BP I have ever kept, and have always feed live in the enclosure. She wasn't aggressive either for the first 1.5 years I've had her. She is healthy, sheds in one piece, defecates/urinates on a regular basis. No mites or any signs of external irritation. She shed recently so she is not 'in blue' or anything.

She and the other snakes are eating fine, husbandry is all good. Just wondering if anyone else good be wrong. I'm ok with it if she has just decided to be a bit more aggressive, just want to get an opinion from people with more experience than myself.

Thanks for reading this long post, just know that people like as much information as possible. I even included pictures ! haha

Any help would be greatly appreciated =)

[Jessica Loesch]

Rich - honestly I think all you have got going on right now is a case of horny snake.

They often pound food in the fall for impending breeding season, especially having a male in there may have helped her begin this response.

Don't fret and keep feedin her

I may have missed it somewhere, but you said "off week", does this mean you are feeding every other week? Normally snakes are feed once a week. May help, especially with her increased food aggression, if you are only feeding biweekly. But like I said, I may have read too much in to that.

[RichL]

you are right. I was feeding her a pretty big 'medium' rat every two weeks. Now I have swapped over to a little bit smaller rat every week. Today marked the second week of feeding weekly though.

I hope that is all it is. I have never bred, but definitely want to start when they both get up to size. Didn't think of that though.

[Jessica Loesch]

Sound good, I'd continue to feed weekly on small to medium rats. Shes hungry and horny. LOL.

[RichL]

haha, fair enough =)

[AK907]

I agree with Jessica.

However, one thing concerns me. Judging by your post you are housing these two together. First off, this is highly frowned upon because it causes unnecessary stress and snakes are not social animals. Even more so because there was no quarantine whatsoever. This is just asking for trouble. This could also contribute to her recent aggression.

I would also up her feeding schedule to weekly. She is fairly thin (not emaciated, just thin).

[Jessica Loesch]

He separated em,

[RichL]

Yep. They are separated. TBH I wasn't even aware of a quarantine process till after I picked up these two. Any new additions will be quarantined properly.

She is a bit smaller than she should be as she spent her whole life (up till about 4 months ago) on mice only. I was feeding her multiple mice before I went to rats. I became a little more educated and swapped to rats and she has grown by leaps and bounds since. Now that I have went to weekly feedings, I imagine her to grow even faster.

Thanks !!

[Jessica Loesch]

Glad you joined and have been learning

[RichL]

Thanks ! It's the one thing I never get tired of. When I pick up an interest ( such as this one =P ) I tend to spend hours at a time on forums reading previous posts and such learning as much as possible. My knowledge of this hobby has expanded tremendously since I really started getting into it a month ago. Loving every minute of it.

Have always loved snakes of all kinds. Just never really got into it this much.