feeding - how long to wait?

[YvesA]

Ok, so I place a F/K mouse next to my BP's hide and he came right out and he has been in a 'S' shape going closer then backing up for 1+ hour now. He's currently just laying in front of the mouse, still in his 'S' shape.

How long do I wait to remove the mouse? Or should I just leave it in until morning?

This is my 3rd feeding and he usually strikes and and eats in about 5-10 minutes after he sees the mouse. So this is bit strange for him to do.

Thanks in advance.

[soy.lor.n]

Ok, so I place a F/K mouse next to my BP's hide and he came right out and he has been in a 'S' shape going closer then backing up for 1+ hour now. He's currently just laying in front of the mouse, still in his 'S' shape.

How long do I wait to remove the mouse? Or should I just leave it in until morning?

This is my 3rd feeding and he usually strikes and and eats in about 5-10 minutes after he sees the mouse. So this is bit strange for him to do.

Thanks in advance.

That's pretty much what I saw in my first feeding. After about an hour, I picked the mouse up with my tongs, and did the zombie dance again, and she went right for it.
If he still doesn't want it after the zombie dance, you can leave it overnight. That hasn't worked for me so far, but some people say it does.

[YvesA]

ok great thanks.

The 'zombie dance' seems to scare him rather than entice him though I did try it again this time.
He went back into his hide so I decided to remove the mouse and save it for later.

[ndizzleg]

Bro, I did my first feed today with a live feeder mouse. Worried the whole time. And in 3 minutes it was over for mr. mousey! I would honestly try doing live man. A living, breathing mouse is more enticing than a thawed one. Everyone debates back n forth on the issue of alive vs. f/t. But my view is: with the right temps, humidity, cage setup and care given to your ball, he/she has no reason not to 100% succeed in getting that live mouse for dinner. It's always worth a shot!!

[YvesA]

Bro, I did my first feed today with a live feeder mouse. Worried the whole time. And in 3 minutes it was over for mr. mousey! I would honestly try doing live man. A living, breathing mouse is more enticing than a thawed one. Everyone debates back n forth on the issue of alive vs. f/t. But my view is: with the right temps, humidity, cage setup and care given to your ball, he/she has no reason not to 100% succeed in getting that live mouse for dinner. It's always worth a shot!!

Something to think about, thanks

[soy.lor.n]

But my view is: with the right temps, humidity, cage setup and care given to your ball, he/she has no reason not to 100% succeed in getting that frozen/thawed mouse for dinner.

That said, there are plenty of reasons for a BP to refuse a meal other than husbandry problems (shedding, seasonal fasting, etc...) and so, to the OP, there's always the chance that it's something like that. I'd recommend just keep offering whatever you're comfortable with on the schedule. If he starts losing too much weight, you might have to reconsider, but one skipped meal does not a fast make.
Heck I bet your snake has eaten more in the past week than I have lol
(it's the last week of school, it's been really hectic!!!)

[ndizzleg]

Yeah, there could be other issues besides husbandry, for sure. Ultimately its your choice, take the tips n' stuff the people on the forum give your and make a reasonable decision based on all the feedback.

[YvesA]

Yeah, there could be other issues besides husbandry, for sure. Ultimately its your choice, take the tips n' stuff the people on the forum give your and make a reasonable decision based on all the feedback.

I always do.

He's been given F/T since he hatched (captive bred) so I'll stick to F/T for now and think about live as a last resort (so to speak).

The size of the mouse was a bit bigger then usual, may that be a reason?

[soy.lor.n]

I always do.

He's been given F/T since he hatched (captive bred) so I'll stick to F/T for now and think about live as a last resort (so to speak).

The size of the mouse was a bit bigger then usual, may that be a reason?

probably could be...I'm trying to switch my girl from mice to rats...without success so far. I can't tell though if it's because of the size or the scent. Last time she was SO ready to eat, stayed in the s position like you said for at least an hour, and then just gave up
well I'll hope for good luck for both of us next week anyway!