Not hitting prey

[Deepsouth]

My male was a great eater, hit rats on first try. Now he is striking and not hitting the rat repeatly. I just tried to feed him and he attempted to hit at least six times and although he hit the rat he released. This has just started in the last month. I placed a small mouse in with him he missed the first time but then hit and coiled. I am leaving the rat in there for another fifteen minutes or so. He had a great shed about a week or so ago.
He seems to know where the prey is but when he strikes he hits and releases

[jbean7916]

Thats a defensive strike. I'd sick with smaller prey

sent from my EVO

[Ezekiel285]

Thats a defensive strike. I'd sick with smaller prey

X2
sounds like he likes mice better

[Deepsouth]

He was eating large rats about twice a month. He is stalking the rat and at least a couple times tried to coil but the rat got away. Will take him out and feed my female. Maybe I need to bring him back up to large rats for some reason.

[Ezekiel285]

He was eating large rats about twice a month. He is stalking the rat and at least a couple times tried to coil but the rat got away. Will take him out and feed my female. Maybe I need to bring him back up to large rats for some reason.

Hmm, maybe try a large one and see if he will take it. He may not be hungry at all and is just defensively striking them.

[Deepsouth]

could be that he is not hungrey, it is colder but what a change. I mean he hit and ate everything. Small mice, large rats. Will try again in a week.

[Ezekiel285]

could be that he is not hungrey, it is colder but what a change. I mean he hit and ate everything. Small mice, large rats. Will try again in a week.

BPs are finicky eaters by nature, as long as he isn't losing lots of weight or looking unhealthy I wouldn't worry. He will eat when he is ready. (Longest BP feeding strike was like a year to a year and a half btw, so maybe that will make you feel better, lol)

[Bigfish1975]

What is your feeding schedule like? You said he would eat large rats twice a month. I personally feed sm/md rats every 7 days and this seems to work well. Occasionally I'll "retire" my breeder rats to my BIG females, but thats once in a while. Most of my snakes eat pre-killed rats but some eat live and have never converted over. I had one occasion in which a larger rat fought back and it shut one of my snakes down from feeding for about 5 weeks. I offered it smaller prey and she's back on with a vengance. I also have hides which seemed to help with some of my slower feeders. They picked up right away and eat much more consistently. Of cousre, check your heat, husbandry, how often he poops. He may be full and not hungry. Some snakes go off feed due to breeding season, and some just do it to annoy us owners Just keep offering weekly not every day as that can also stress an animal that may not want to eat.

[jbean7916]

He was eating large rats about twice a month. He is stalking the rat and at least a couple times tried to coil but the rat got away. Will take him out and feed my female. Maybe I need to bring him back up to large rats for some reason.

Large rats? How big is he? Even my 2500g female won't take a large! I'd go with smaller prey every 7 days. Offer at night, in the dark and if he didn't take it, try next week.

sent from my EVO

[Deepsouth]

our large rats here tend to be on the just a bit larger then medium. He is not losing any weight so I am not that worried yet. He did hit a small mouse that I gave him and that was about five days ago. Will try the rat and next week.