Rats decomp fast...

[Reptilian]

Oh man oh man oh man.....

Yesterday was an off night. I hate off nights...

I do my ritiual Monday feeding only to notice Spot is opaque. No biggie I"ll try to feed him. So I lift open his hide, he goes to strike position, probably because he's mid shed and I dangle a rat weekling in front of him.

He sniffs the air and goes rigid. Spot quivers slightly and begins to slither forward. I place the rat on the cage floor. Spot tenses up again.

Well I think he's going to eat and he strikes and begins to coil around his pery. I go to replace the hide in it spot, but it won't fit. Spot is in the spot the hide should be.

Stupid me grabs the feeding tongs and gently moves Spot, still holding his prey. I put the hide down. Spot lets go of he meal and slithers into teh safety of his hide.

*shoot* Layna what in the universe did you do? He's not eating! *shoot again*

I leave the room and he pokes his head out and investages the rat again. And doesn't eat.

I leave it in over night and wake up to a sicken smell. Decomposing rat. Yum.

I threw it away.

*sigh*

I'll try again next week and will NEVER make an attempt to move him again.

[Brimstone111888]

Yeah if they are in the way of furniture I wait about an hour and then put it back in. My girl was having trouble eating her rat tonight. She kept trying to eat it arm first, which wasn't working.

[Reptilian]

She kept trying to eat it arm first, which wasn't working.

No it usually doesn't work that way. Hope she finally ate for you. Next time I'll be sure to wait to put the hide in.

[JoshJP7]

Ive had the same experience... fed my one stubborn jerk a live small rat... he strikes and kills and i go about cleanin his cage... since his is the top cage i use a little step ladder... im up doing my business and he decided hes more interested in me than the rat... i put the top on the tub and leave him for about an hr 1/2... come back and he didnt touch the rat. learned my lesson to leave em be and keep the top on the feeding tub so he cant see me!

[Hellix2494]

yeah I never mess with my snakes when they are feeding. Only onece and that was because she broke the rats spine but some how didn't kill it??? it was still breathing as she was swalowing it and she was having a hard time with it. So i grabed the rats tail and moved it slowly and she re-coiled and killed it. After that it was OK and she ate it.

Other then that I leave the tank as it is when a snake starts eating.