Small Victories

[Caspian]

Ever since I got Miqula, my super pastel female, she won't touch frozen-thawed. I actually have a cage full of squeaking pinkies behind me right now, because it's a two hour drive - each way - to buy live rodents for her. She would flicker her tongue like crazy, get all excited, and no matter how nice and toasty I got those f/t, she'd slither all over the top of them and utterly ignore them - or if I made them dance, she'd hide, and fear-strike, but not bind on them at all.

Well, tomorrow is her regular feeding day, but I noticed her peeking out and getting interested when I fed the kings. Or tried to. The male's doing that fall kingsnake thing that I'd read so much about and never experienced - he's cranky, sullen, and won't eat, all of which are utterly unlike him.

To get back on topic, since I saw her peeking out, and I'm out of live mice, I figured I'd take advantage of the situation and got a rodentcicle thawed out and warmed up... played peek-a-boo around the corner of her hide... and... !!!

I just watched its tail disappearing down her throat. She must be giving me a holiday gift. Now, if she'll just keep it up! ... I guess if she does, I'll be freezing some rodents when they grow up some.

Here's Miqula. Not to-date current, she wasn't speaking to me, and it was a photo taken at night with a flash, but a photographer I am not.

[Herbie'sMom]

I have one of those myself. He wants nothing to do with f/t. Boggles my mind since we think he got bit by a live rodent after he was coiled (I supervise all feedings from strike to tail disappearing) and suffered a nasty wound. I thought, "You dummy, that's what you get for only wanting the ones that can still use their teeth"!

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[Caspian]

Miqula got a nasty bite on her belly from one of those - she grabbed it by the belly, instead of the neck-bite that she usually uses, because it reared up on its hind legs to look around just as she was striking. All healed up now, but I was worried.... didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, crazy little slither!

[Reinz]

Congrats! I bet that is quite a relief.

[Caspian]

Congrats! I bet that is quite a relief.

It is! I got my male, Zyali, at the same time... after two weeks of frustration making f/t rodents dance for him, and him act scared of them, I got frustrated and just dangled it over his head. It was like a lightbulb switched on immediately. He looked, sniffed - and pounced. As long as I dangle them over him, he'll nuzzle and grab every time. Not Miqula... she wasn't having anything to do with that. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it's not a fluke!

[pastelballs]

Huh! They're so funny like that... My female took live or frozen when I got her, and this was before I bought a ton of f/t, and a live mouse bit her. Almost immediately let go of it and slithered away to hide. She healed up fine, but after that she shied away from the live ones.

[Caspian]

Huh! They're so funny like that... My female took live or frozen when I got her, and this was before I bought a ton of f/t, and a live mouse bit her. Almost immediately let go of it and slithered away to hide. She healed up fine, but after that she shied away from the live ones.

Heh! Not Miqula... She wasn't letting go of that mouse for anything. She just gave a jerk to yank her scales out of its mouth, and kept right on squeezing.

My male's awesome. Doesn't matter if it's a mouse, a rat, thawed or live - he'll eat it.

[pastelballs]

My boy also isn't nearly as picky as my girl... He hasn't declined anything since I got him about four months ago

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