Baby ball always missing her mouse...

[GpBp]

(Top half is the background on her, the bottom is the problem)


Hello! I've noticed some weird behavior in May, and I am starting to get worried. She's (about) 7 months old. When I got her (at 2ish months) she was only 65g! The last time I weighed her 2-4-2018, she was 165g. She's growing well! May was eating live, but I was able to switch her very easily on the first try! She has been a great eater, except for this problem. Eating two hopper mice, or one adult mouse. She's shed twice for me now, one bad, and one whole shed. I could absolutely be wrong, but it almost seems like she has the slightest duckbill? Her snoot is longer and flatter than my boy Geno and most balls.




~~~~




So, almost every meal I've had to leave in overnight! Not because she's not interested (very interested, she has a great feeding response!), but because she just cannot get the mouse! I make sure to warm the mouse very well, to about 105°F. This is how I thaw:

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside.

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. Open tank and offer ASAP.

(dakski, thank you!) and she seems to miss anyway! It usually takes around 4-5 stricks for her to get it. It worries me a bit, but I could just be a paranoid snake mom. Thank you!

[GpBp]

Heres the pretty girl

(She's not currently in blue, old pic)

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

[Zincubus]

Hi ..

It's clear that you are a very precise person reading your procedure above so here's my proven method .... works for 20 snakes each week , many different species and all feeding on thawed frozen ..

The key differences seem to be in the actual thawing and the vital part of offering at the end .... I never dip in water as it's washing away the all-important rodent aroma .

I have a hairdryer in the snake room and they're warmed and then offered on tongs in the space of a second or so ... as mice lose the heat incredibly fast . Always feed , in the evenings , low lighting and many Royals prefer to strike from within their hides ...

In more detail ...

I thaw naturally in the snake room , sometimes on a heatmat and sometimes put the rodent/s in a sealed plastic bag and dunk in really warm water ( if I'm short of time)
So then when I'm due to feed , I make sure the viv is unlocked and there's some card on top of the substrate to minimise bark ingestion ... Then I get the mouse/rat by the tail in some tongs and give the rodents head / top half a 10 to 15 second blast with the hairdryer ( hottest setting ) .... then IMMEDIATELY dangle it in front of the snake . They're usually ready and waiting .... Mine all now prefer to strike from inside their hides so I dangle it in front of the entrance for about 15 seconds but no longer as it cools down quickly , if there's a hint of interest such as head movement or tongue flicking then that gives me confidence and I repeat the procedure .... Hot blast and immediately offer ..... repeat as often as it takes ... If there is simply no interest though , either it's going into shed or not hungry ( couple of mine eat every two weeks even though I offer every week just in case


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Sunnieskys]

Her snoot looks normal to me.

i put rat into ziplock bag and leave out at room temp all day. At sundown I throw it into hot water out of the top for 5-15 min then feed. My snakes have never refused a meal.

[Zincubus]

I can kinda see what you mean about slight duck-bill .. although it shouldn't affect his striking ..

I have a Caramel Albino Spider with a slight duck-bill and he strikes 100% and he's very keen on food


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[GpBp]

Thanks for the advice guys!! I always feed around 9:00pm or later. This was actually the first time I thawed like this, as I used to thaw for 20ish minutes in sort-of-hot water in a baggie. But I can hit with hairdryer instead. Though this is how she always has done it, not only because I swiched to this method. I fed last night, and she didnt get it (struck and missed 3 times) so I left overnight and she ate. Also, I feed in enclosure with cardboard sheet, because when she struck she would be so off she'd strike at eco earth and get a mouthful! I always had to help her get it out, this only happened twice before I got cardboard. Sorry if this is confusing lol, thanks again!

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

[GpBp]

many Royals prefer to strike from within their hides

Mine all now prefer to strike from inside their hides


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Same! May usually is very ready! So she's either waiting in her hide or peeking from behind her log



Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

[GpBp]

I like the idea of thawing in snake room, but I don't have a designated snake room... All my animals are in my room, which wouldnt be a problem but I have guinea pigs too... In the same room. I dont wanna offend them But seriously, how would they react? To smelling dead rodents in the room... I dont think I could do that. Idk though

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

[Zincubus]

I like the idea of thawing in snake room, but I don't have a designated snake room... All my animals are in my room, which wouldnt be a problem but I have guinea pigs too... In the same room. I dont wanna offend them But seriously, how would they react? To smelling dead rodents in the room... I dont think I could do that. Idk though

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

Thawing them anywhere will be fine , the key is to blast with a hairdryer near the viv then offer instantly before the rodent cools ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[dakski]

First, I wrote the thawing method for GpBp. I have had more luck eliciting a strike with the warm water than with the hairdryer, but that's me. I know this is a hotly debated topic.

The main reason I wrote it is that GpBp is very precise. Also, the previous method of very hot water was beginning to cook the rodents and GpBp was getting refusals.

GpBp, as I stated in the full post of thawing, there are many ways to do it. If the hairdryer works well for you, or something else I haven't thought of, go for it! Just please do not cook the mouse in hot water!

I take no offense to whatever method of thawing works for you and just shared what I do. I used to use hot water as well, until I learned not to (a long time ago with the help of this site), and my snakes eat better now. So, I am far from perfect and just want what's best for all our animals. I am also very happy to continue to learn and like where this thread is going and the information in it.

I am not being difficult, defensive, or snarky here, and I hope that's clear to everyone and that my past posts speak for themselves. There is more than one way to skin a cat, or thaw a mouse. I just wanted to be clear why I wrote that and my thought process. I also have been trying to help GpBp with many different aspects of snake car, as we both have BP's and BCI's. I want it to be crystal clear that I may not always have the best option and I am just sharing my opinion and experience.

Secondly, my snakes miss sometimes too! I would just be happy she strikes. My female BP almost never does. She usually grabs and pulls into her house to eat alone!

Striking in my book, means interest and food drive! She might just get frustrated and wait for you to leave it, and/or she's a little shy like my girl.

My BP has missed when she does strike, and my BCI gets so excited, she often misses at least once, when striking like crazy! My corn does too sometimes, but he has pretty good aim.

I would be very happy she is eating, period.

Good question though and really glad we have different opinions in this thread.