BP STILL wont eat rats.

My BP Mitch is around a year and a half old. I bought her October 1st of last year. I started her on live mice, then slowly worked my way up to live rats, which she ate a few in her life, but doesn't seem to like to eat them. The last 4-5 attempts to feed her the SMALLEST rat i can find has ended in failure.

I also tried the F/T approach, which was a miserable and terrifying experience for both Mitch and I! She didnt want to eat it, the rat was pouring blood from its face, and the skin from the tail slid off the tail bones... It was disgusting.

I hear people saying that some snakes just wont eat rats, but i REALLY want her to start eating them. I rather feed her 1 rat then 3 mice. With mice she kind of stalks them and eats them no problem. With rats she gets a little spooked and goes into her hide until i take the rat out. Any advice? Any tips? Help me please!

Try skipping the next scheduled feeding. Let her go about 2 weeks without eating. Try to find a rat that weighs about 50 grams. Most pet shops have little transport boxes for live rodents, place this box/w the rat on top of the enclosure, or next to the vent holes, depending on your set-up.This is called pre-scenting. After about 30 minutes place the rat in the enclosure on the opposite end from the snake. Good Luck...

Has she eaten rat pups? How big is she - does is small rat you're talking about the girth of her widest point?

What I do to switch over finicky mouse eaters is I put some dirty mouse bedding in the tub and leave it for about 10-15 minutes. The snake will get the mouse scent and start looking for it. Then you drop in your live rat or rat pup and they should strike it because they smell mouse and will hit on the first heat signature of a rodent they sense. Usually after they swallow a rat they get the taste and realize its food and should begin eating them. It may take a few times or maybe just once but they will get it;)

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Originally Posted by Mikekrause2000

I also tried the F/T approach, which was a miserable and terrifying experience for both Mitch and I! She didnt want to eat it, the rat was pouring blood from its face, and the skin from the tail slid off the tail bones... It was disgusting.

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The advice above is all great for switching her. The big thing is be strong - missing a few meals won't hurt her if she refuses. Once you get her on live rats, if you want to go F/T, make sure you are holding the rat with tongs behind it's shoulder blades (the scruff, basically), then you don't have to mess with nasty rat tails.

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Originally Posted by Slashmaster

Has she eaten rat pups? How big is she - does is small rat you're talking about the girth of her widest point?

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She has eaten rats, not rat pups. The nearest place with a rat colony is about 30 miles away. And yes i always make sure that the rat is smaller then her widest point. Shes about... 3 feet long? And i always have my mice/rat cage right under her tank. And i have put rats in dirty mice bedding before... dosent seem to work. The rat will like walk near her and she gets spooked.

Try this -

small dead rat (under sized), dark enclosure, overnight (quiet)

Sometimes it works. Good luck.