Rats Give Off A Different Scent Then Mice??

I traded for a ball python yesterday & im not sure when the last time he ate was... I also made the dumb mistake of asking what he was eating whether it was live or frozen. I offered a frozen mouse and he did not want it... should I get a frozen rat and try that? If not then Ill have to try live I guess.

Being that you just got the snake yesterday, you should give it a week to get settled into its new environment, without handling it or anything, before trying to feed it. Usually when going through these changes they won't eat due to stress.

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Originally Posted by Jacob1023

Being that you just got the snake yesterday, you should give it a week to get settled into its new environment, without handling it or anything, before trying to feed it. Usually when going through these changes they won't eat due to stress.

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Indeed, also read the care sheet here on BP's and make sure you follow it very closely as far as the enclosure goes. Husbandry with BP's is very important.

I would bet each rodent species smells unique to snakes.

Ok so I thought the snake might be hungry... the guy who had him knew nothing about him. I bought a small live rat today and he took it without hesitation.... :banana:

Hera used to be very picky about what she wanted to eat. At first she would take F/T mice but would occasionally refuse. I could never get her to take rats. And then about a month ago she stopped caring about F/T completely. So we switched her to Live mice and she now never refuses.

I know that the mice CAN bite her but I check the mice carefully and if they seem eager to bite I will do a fast P/K and she will usually take them.

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Originally Posted by thedarkwolf25

Hera used to be very picky about what she wanted to eat. At first she would take F/T mice but would occasionally refuse. I could never get her to take rats. And then about a month ago she stopped caring about F/T completely. So we switched her to Live mice and she now never refuses.

I know that the mice CAN bite her but I check the mice carefully and if they seem eager to bite I will do a fast P/K and she will usually take them.

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Yeah thats the ONLY thing that worries me about live... but they eat live in the wild... so I guess its really no different. I never have seen a snake eat live until tonight. It was pretty cool. Small rats are $3.99 from my local pet store which I guess isnt too bad right? I love my ball python... first one ive ever owned and they are so tame... so easy to handle.... theyre so cuddly if I can say that...lol!!:rofl:

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Originally Posted by Bdubedub

Yeah thats the ONLY thing that worries me about live... but they eat live in the wild... so I guess its really no different. I never have seen a snake eat live until tonight. It was pretty cool. Small rats are $3.99 from my local pet store which I guess isnt too bad right? I love my ball python... first one ive ever owned and they are so tame... so easy to handle.... theyre so cuddly if I can say that...lol!!:rofl:

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if a rodent bite concerns you take a pencil with full eraser and after the snake coils put the eraser in the rodents mouth if it's in a position to do damage to the snake.have fun !

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Originally Posted by twh

if a rodent bite concerns you take a pencil with full eraser and after the snake coils put the eraser in the rodents mouth if it's in a position to do damage to the snake.have fun !

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I hold the head with feeding tongs till the last breath:gj:

a week is a bit long to get comfortable. try again in two days and try at night. make sure the mouse is warm and smellable. then hold th emouse by the tail right in front of em, until he starts smelling around, then SNAP he takes it and loves it peace