Murder

[MikeC1212]

Background: I've had her 2 1/2 weeks, Poop 2nd day, ate 4th day, Shed 11th day (sometime, I just found it one of the times I checked in on her).

That would have made it 7 days since she ate; I tried to feed her again.
A friend of mine suggested that I feed her in a different enclosure so she won't associate food with enclosure.. reducing the possibility of me getting bit when I stick my hand in there.

Within about 2 minutes in this new enclosure (with nothing other than some news paper & a hopper) she got him. Choked him out and left him!

There were a few times that she went up to it...and it was like she was sniffing it. Didn't eat it. I thought if it wasn't moving she wouldn't eat so I decided to get the tongs and dangle it in front of her a little.. didn't care. She actually got a little scared with this method. After she wrapped around this hopper and killed it.. she started paying more attention to my wife & I. Maybe she was thinking: "You see that, you 2 big uglies are next!" lol. I watched her the first time. I don't understand.

Should I wait a week from that day and try again? In her enclosure? Blah.

Thanks,
Mike

[joepythons]

Background: I've had her 2 1/2 weeks, Poop 2nd day, ate 4th day, Shed 11th day (sometime, I just found it one of the times I checked in on her).

That would have made it 7 days since she ate; I tried to feed her again.
A friend of mine suggested that I feed her in a different enclosure so she won't associate food with enclosure.. reducing the possibility of me getting bit when I stick my hand in there.

Within about 2 minutes in this new enclosure (with nothing other than some news paper & a hopper) she got him. Choked him out and left him!

There were a few times that she went up to it...and it was like she was sniffing it. Didn't eat it. I thought if it wasn't moving she wouldn't eat so I decided to get the tongs and dangle it in front of her a little.. didn't care. She actually got a little scared with this method. After she wrapped around this hopper and killed it.. she started paying more attention to my wife & I. Maybe she was thinking: "You see that, you 2 big uglies are next!" lol. I watched her the first time. I don't understand.

Should I wait a week from that day and try again? In her enclosure? Blah.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike she more then likely did not eat it because you interupted her by watching.If she was eating for you while in her normal enclosure then why change the routine.I would wait a few days then give her a try in her enclosure and once she wraps it up leave her alone and no watching

[littleindiangirl]

My snake peach is aggresive as heck when it comes to the kill [f/t]. But afterwards she takes her sweet time to eat it. Sometimes she just goes back in her hide till we shut the tub, then she'll eat in privacy about 5-10 minutes later. Another of mine doesnt even wait to "kill", he just starts swallowing right off the tongs. I just think he's a lazy snake lol.
I guess it just depends on the snake how long it takes for them to eat.

[littleindiangirl]

lol. I didnt read the whole post.
Yes, you should wait one week to offer her again. Try it in the enclosure so it's not such a stress to be somewhere new AND have to eat. Most snakes will not associate your hand with food.[unless you just played with a rat and still have the scent on ya]

[Ginevive]

Yeah, they can get distracted between coiling and eating, and it can ruin the process. I let then constrict (usually all of them in the rack, if I am feeding on the same day) and then I place a thick blanket over the front of the rack. I give then a few minutes and then peek in; usually by then they are all eating. If someone is not, and the others are about halfway done, I remove the live rodent and wait a few days on the nonfeeder (this is rare.) I use the blanket because my darned cat has a habit of walking by and distracting them; they then ignore the prey and try to see the cat/person walking by!

[Kaaa]

My snakes i take them out of the cages and feed them on the floor, away from anyone but myself, because i do not want to stick a live mouse in the cage with them and be the one to find a dead snake in a few hours. But my female she wouldn't eat outside of her tank for about a month, so i was feeding her pinkies, because there eyes are still closed and they don't really have any teeth. But every feeding session i would take her out of the tank and try to get her to eat, and if she didn't take i would put her back in the tank with the pinky. to get her to relate the two things, and she did! And a month later she know eats in the open just like my other snakes.

My Male he will strangle the life out of a mouse till the point were there about to bust. But if i feed him a pinkie he swallows it alive with out even strangling it. The only reason i gave him a pinkie and not a hopper was because, the store did not have anything else so i gave him, so i gave him 3 pinkies, to substatue for the 2 hoppers he eats. And a week later he is still looking for food.

[littleindiangirl]

Usually, feeding live does not end up with a mauled snake. We've all seen the horror pictures of total disregard for the animal. That is usually after HOURS. When feeding live, make sure to supervise it completely. Leave it in there for 10 minutes or so, if the snake doesnt take it, remove the Rat.
I know a couple of breeders that leave the rat with the snake and check back after an hour. I don't feel comfortable with that long of a time, and I watch to make sure the rat doesnt feel like a snack. Right now, I prefer FT over live.

[elevatethis]

My snakes i take them out of the cages and feed them on the floor, away from anyone but myself, because i do not want to stick a live mouse in the cage with them and be the one to find a dead snake in a few hours. But my female she wouldn't eat outside of her tank for about a month, so i was feeding her pinkies, because there eyes are still closed and they don't really have any teeth. But every feeding session i would take her out of the tank and try to get her to eat, and if she didn't take i would put her back in the tank with the pinky. to get her to relate the two things, and she did! And a month later she know eats in the open just like my other snakes.

My Male he will strangle the life out of a mouse till the point were there about to bust. But if i feed him a pinkie he swallows it alive with out even strangling it. The only reason i gave him a pinkie and not a hopper was because, the store did not have anything else so i gave him, so i gave him 3 pinkies, to substatue for the 2 hoppers he eats. And a week later he is still looking for food.

Just a heads up, you realize that hatchling ball pythons over 50 grams should eat hopper to small adult sized mice, right? Pinkies are not much of a meal for them, and they won't grow the way they should on that kind of feeding regiment.

[Kagez28]

and also the moving to a separate tub to feed is a myth. if you clean the cage and handle regularly, they will not associate your hand as food. tell you read he needs to read up on ball pythons a little more, wonder what other bad advise he is sprouting.

well usually have this on a weekly basis, so do a search and you'll see why it's "better" to feed in the enclosure.

[Kaaa]

and also the moving to a separate tub to feed is a myth. if you clean the cage and handle regularly, they will not associate your hand as food. tell you read he needs to read up on ball pythons a little more, wonder what other bad advise he is sprouting.

well usually have this on a weekly basis, so do a search and you'll see why it's "better" to feed in the enclosure.

I have done this with all my snakes in the Past 4 yrs and i have never been bitten, never been hissed at, and my snakes are beautiful and are very active, and in good health. How you feed your snakes is completely up to the person and the snake.

Yes, i know what they should be eating but also in the statement i said "thats all the Pet Store had at the moment."