time between feeding multiple mice

[spudz11]

Hey... so my dude Gizmo is a pretty healthy guy, and has a really good feeding response, but only on the first mouse when I'm giving him more than one.

To backtrack a little bit, I switched him back to mice a year ago or so because he seemed to have a better response for them. He was getting by on rats, but was never a frequent eater. So, the first time I switched to mice he ate 3 adult mice, and 7 days later ate 2. Some ppl posted that 3 was too much, but according to the frozen food sizing guide its still within the weight of one small rat.

Gizmo kept going along at about that rate, eating 2 mice 9 days later and 2 more 9 days after that. After that, his feeding response seemed to decline. His initial attack on the mouse is great! He's just dying to get it and hits hard... but when I'm giving him the second, he seems to sniff it out first, seems to get excited like he's about to strike, then seems completely uninterested and almost looks like he gets intimidated by the mouse... Doesn't go into a ball or anything, but will quickly turn his head away and hide under a bit of his body and seems really annoyed if i put it in front of him again. And he never strikes at me when I pick him up to put him back in his cage, seems just pissed off with the mouse being there.

I've slowed down his feeding, partly to allow his body some of the natural stresses of life in the wild and also because I was away for about 10 days, twice recently. So over the past month, he's only had 1 mouse around 2 weeks ago, and 1 about 10 days before that. But even tonight after slowing his feeding - and believe me, he was ready to eat, and struck the mouse hard - he failed to show any interest in a second mouse.

Any ideas? I don't think 1 mouse at a feeding is really enough for him.

I have only had one idea tonight that i'll try next feeding that is to put him back in his hide after the first mouse, let him relax a bit, then take him out again in like 15 minutes or so to try again. Usually, after I give him the first mouse and then turns down the second, I'll put him back in his cage, he'll go straight to his hide and then stick his head out a few inches. As he usually does this when he's hungry, maybe he just needs some time to chill before wanting seconds?

There is loose substrate in his cage so I don't want to leave a mouse in there to see if he'll eat over night. I left him in a smaller tank with the thawed mouse for a few hours once and he ate it, but hasn't worked since.

and... just because someone will ask, yes the temps/humidity are good, checked, verified, and set up reliably for quite a while now

thx
-BR

[Nikki0326]

Well when I feed multiples I usually just wait until she re-aligns her jaw and is looking around for more. I think there was a time or two she killed it (I feed live) and didn't eat right away. I put the mouse in with her and looked back a few hours later and it was gone. I don't feed multiples every week though given the fact shes only about 2.5 ft long. I'll usually feed 2 about once a month with her. I wouldn't think there would really be a problem with the setup given the fact hes still eating, just not as much. He may just be slowing down his appetite, or maybe try switching back to rats again to see if you'll get a better response with them?

[littleindiangirl]

Has anything in the husbandry changed recently? Or the surrounding area? Maybe he is under the weather and needs a check up at the Vet. (I'd recommend)

You say its spot on, just to make sure, give us some numbers. (you knew we'd ask)
Secondly, how long does after he's swallowed do you offer another mouse?
How long has this been slowly in the decline? How big is he/ how old?

Maybe he is going off feed.

I'm just throwing ideas around here, but if it's enough to bother you, take him to the Vet to be sure.