Should I try another rat

[motorhead1980]

So my 1000 gram has ate two small rats for me twice since I got her a month ago, both within 10 seconds of putting them in the tank, I feed live. She has also pooped twice within the past week the second being today.She has been out at all hours of the day since Saturday, looking extremely hungry and active. I tried to feed her twice yesterday and she struck at it once and missed, but still seemed extremely interested in the rat, going right up to its face and smelling it, as well as looking like she was going to strike. Every time the rat smelt her face she would back off and then come back again. I tried again today as today is actually feeding day and she had pooped as well. I only had tried yesterday because I have never seen her so active during the day and night, actually sitting out during the day.

So my questions are does this seem normal?
ShouldI try another rat, as this one seems to be less active then the others I have fed, almost slow in a way.
Shoulf I now wait until next Monday to feed.
I'm confused as she definitly looked hungry, and I don't want to make her wait, as well I don't want to keep try if it's bugging her, or it's something about the rat.

Let me know your thoughts, these guys can be confusing!

[dr del]

It won't hurt her to miss a meal so I would probably wait till the next feeding day.

Just keep the rat happy well fed and watered until then.

Could she be going into shed?

[motorhead1980]

She does not look like she is going to shed, I have not noticed any signs. Another odd thing I noticed is ever since I handled her for the first time which was last Thursday, and I had already had her 3 weeks by this point, she has been more active then ever, I expected the opposite.

[motorhead1980]

I forgot to mention when she is out she roams quite abit, up and down the tank, actually out doing it now after the feeding attempt earlier, temps are about 75 ton77 on cool side, 80 to 83 ambient on warm and about 90 to 92 on the hot spot. Humidity is always no lower then 50 and up to 75 or so.

[motorhead1980]

Actually just looking at a few of the stickies (posts) and read over the one about changing out bedding and cleaning the enclosure. She has pooped three times over the last month, so possibly a freshening up might help.

[Redlude92]

I think some snakes need their habitat to be cleaned after they poop. I have an albino that WILL NOT eat until her substrate is removed, washed, and put back in. It's kind of comical if you ask me.
Some snakes are just picky eaters.

[rabernet]

I also would wait a week. The rule around here is "bullseye or bust". You don't eat, you don't get another chance until the next feeding day. This is of course, for well established animals.

[Viol8r]

Apparently in the wild, if they mess up their burrow/den/hole with their feces, they will move to a nice new clean hole. The thought is that they feel a rodent will not venture into a hide if it smells what the snake has done.

[motorhead1980]

That is exactly what I was reading, and I have cleaned the whole tank, as well as put all new bedding down. The only odd thing I have noticed with her is that she roams around a ton, during the day and night, and now does not even use her hide, but sleeps jammed between the hide and the glass. That being said she is about 36"-40" long and approx 1000 grams. So I'm going to get her a smaller hide, as the one I have is an extra large, so when she is inside balled up she only takes up half of it. My thoughts are the hide is too large and she does not feel 100% secure in it. As all the conditions are spot on.

As for feeding her again, Monday is feeding day, so I guess I'll wait until this coming Monday to try again. It's just hard when you see them sitting there watching your every move. Is it worse to try again today? as I have not tried since Monday .

[Viol8r]

I usually go with 'feeding days are feeding days', but have also went off the chart for one reason or another. I think there has been plenty of time that has passed to feed again. Place the live rat in a box under/close to her tank for about 10-20 minutes and watch how she reacts. If she starts hunting around give her a few more minutes then drop the rat in. If she doesn't show interest in the smell, wait until feeding day. I got a snake last Thursday, handled her for about 30 minutes that day, she ate a small rat the next day. I held her twice on Sunday (am/pm) then found one of my rats looking a little off, so I threw it in her tank. She went straight to it as soon as I dropped it in there.