I just got my first blood python last sunday at the white plains, NY reptile expo. I'm thinking about naming him Smaug after the dragon from the Hobbit, since i just reread the book and the movie is coming out soon. My red tail boa is named Toruk after the huge flying creature on avatar, maybe i'll start a naming theme of dragons and dragon like creatures.

Anyway hes a very small baby and I've got him in a shoe box sized sterilite container with holes drilled in the sides. Hes got aspen bedding, a water dish, a hide, and a heat pad underneath. The only problem is hes used to live mice and I'm having trouble getting him to take frozen/thawed. I was going to wait a full week to try to feed him, he hasn't been handled since sunday when i got him and hes been out in a hunting pose so i figured i'd try to feed him tonight, even though it's only been five days. This way if he won't take frozen thawed I'll be able to make plans to get him a live mouse by sunday.

He seems very interested in eating but he won't take the mouse, i stabbed it a bit with a knife to get it to bleed and i tried to warm it up by putting it in a cup of hot water inside a bag. I spent nearly an hour dangling the mouse around in front of his nose but he didn't recognize it as food and kept going right past it looking for something. I even warmed it up slightly in the oven, not enough to cook i was careful. Only problem was it squirted guts out of one of the holes i stabbed in it after when i picked it up, but even then the snake wouldn't take it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him to take frozen/thawed or should i just feed him live for a couple of feedings before trying again with frozen?