Why would this be?

[zackw419]

Last night I offered my 1/2 a year old carpet a live rat pinky. She first struck and coiled. I go to check on her about 20 mins later to find she just left it dead on the substrate and she was on the opposite end of the cage. So I washed it off heated it up a little and offered it again. She struck and coiled again (I'm pretty sure it wasn't in defense, most of the time when shes being defensive she will just strike). So I go to check on her again. She ends up leaving it in the substrate yet another time. So I take it out wash it off another time, heat it up and leave it on some newspaper in her cage. An hour later It's gone, she ate it.


I get the feeling she had intentions of eating it the whole time, I just don't know why the process was so odd.

P.S. I always completely cover the cage when my snakes eat so they have privacy.

Anyone ever have this happen?

[Chuck]

Last night I offered my 1/2 a year old carpet a live rat pinky. She first struck and coiled. I go to check on her about 20 mins later to find she just left it dead on the substrate and she was on the opposite end of the cage. So I washed it off heated it up a little and offered it again. She struck and coiled again (I'm pretty sure it wasn't in defense, most of the time when shes being defensive she will just strike). So I go to check on her again. She ends up leaving it in the substrate yet another time. So I take it out wash it off another time, heat it up and leave it on some newspaper in her cage. An hour later It's gone, she ate it.


I get the feeling she had intentions of eating it the whole time, I just don't know why the process was so odd.

P.S. I always completely cover the cage when my snakes eat so they have privacy.

Anyone ever have this happen?

This is actually pretty common is this the first time you have offered a rat to this girl. I find this sorta common when offering rats to mice feeding animals. What I do is usually offer a pinky mouse then after they eat it I offer a rat that I have washed off to get the rat smell off this usually works then I gradually stop washing the rat then I just start offering only rats. That is how I switch most of my carpets and has had good success with that.

Chuck

[zackw419]

The first day I got her she took a rat and ate it immediately, same with the following week, and the week after that. This is her fourth feeding with me and all I have offered her is rats.

[Chuck]

ya I wouldn't get to wrapped up in the why of this one. Maybe she was just in a picky mood who knows. just keep doing what you are doing.

Chuck