Monty Joe's first encounter with a rat

[Ironhead]

Well guy's and gal's....Monty Joe ate his first rat. I started out with a stunned mouse...20 minutes later Monty is still just sitting there wanting nothing to do with the little non moving mouse. I wiggled, pushed and prodded the lifeless little body but Monty wouldnt take. I decided to go ahead and throw a small live mouse in (a small one to get his appetite ready...hopefully....for a small rat). He struck with lightning like he allways does. Devoured the critter in minutes. So......I went ahead with the small live rat (with dow rod in hand incase I had to intervene). Monty gave the rat less than 5 seconds of ground time before he stuck and coiled around the rat. He had a perfect strike. Bit the rat where it's head and ears were in his mouth, but nose and teeth were still outside of his mouth. He seemed to have devoured the rat, which was 3 times as big as the mouse, much quicker. I guess the priming of the mouse worked. I really didnt think he would take the rat, but I was wrong. I just cant believe that he took it so easy after all the reading I had done about how hard it usually is to switch them over. Should I do the mouse first then rat second again at next feeding, or do you think since he had no trouble taking the rat to just go ahead and do the rat only?

Since I had allready fed Cheetah his p/k mice for the day, the cat got the stunned mouse that Monty Joe refused.

[wendy]

If he took a rat for you once, he probly will next time too. Thats great he took a rat for you, I'm jealous. Let him get good & hungry first. Like if you feed on a Saterday, wait til Sunday or Monday, then try the rat. Thats what I would do.....Good Luck!! Wendy

[JamminJonah]

congrats on a rat feed! Strangely enough my BP eats rats with more relish than he ever ate mice- he seems to like rats more.

[gozetec02]

I agree Jonah when i feed Jojo mice he is like ehh another mouse. But when i feed him a rat he gets into it man. He uses his whole body to constrict. Then he downs it. I always feed him a fresh dead rat though. But sometimes a picky ball python will go for live food. I have spent many days doing to rat dance trying to get a BP to eat.

[Ironhead]

I have tried several times to get Monty Joe to eat f/k.....He so far just wont have anything to do with it. The boy has to eat, so I end up giving him live and am allways right there ready to intervene if necessary. My other BP Cheetah has no qualms about f/k, if I could only convince Monty Joe of the same thing.

[JLC]

What if, at your next feeding, you do the same sort of priming, but with a different goal in mind. Give him a live small mouse to get that appetite revved up...then offer him a freshly killed rat the same way you offered the live one? Maybe if he's already into full feeding mode, he won't be so picky or paying so much attention to how it's moving?

Congrats on the easy switch to rats, btw!

[Marla]

Judy has a good idea. That might work out, since he took the rat second this time with no problems. Congrats on the switch!

[Jeanne]

I did not have too much problems switching my bp's over, however, my oldest bp will not eat rats now, she ate them for 3 months, now she wants nothing to do with them, had to go back to multiple mice after she would not eat for a month. Once I gave her mice again, she is now eating just fine. My 2nd bp, Joe, pounds rats, no problem. And the baby of that group, he will eat rat pups very easily.

[maniac]

Mmmm.. I cant wait to start feeding rats.. sounds like feeding fun

[KraZeKelly]

Congrats on the KILL !
Do what YOU feel is right for your snake,dont sweat the small PC issue(s)