Feeding Help NEEDED

Hey everyone, I am having trouble feeding my JCP. This is my first time ever trying to feed a snake in its enclosure. Whenever I take out the hides to feed her she just gets very defensive and does defensive strikes at the mouse but doesn't constrict. Any advice on what to do? Also, is there anyway to make her not cage aggressive?

-Alex

Young Carpets are nippy, in time they settle down... but for now all you can do is handle her and wait.

What exactly are you feeding her? most carpets have a very high feeding response when the proper meal is offered.

If frozen thawed is the rodent 100 degrees?

How big is the rodent?

Dont take out her hides. Snakes are very vulnerable when eating so some get very nervous. Leave her hides in while you feed her.

I don't have a JCP so I'm no expert, but why are you taking out the hides, wouldn't this just disrupt her? When I feed my BP I just throw the mouse in a corner and walk away, checking every couple minutes.

I have a Carpet python and I remove the hides... this isn't the issue here. (mine hasn't ever missed a meal... Ball Pythons they are not)

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When I feed my BP I just throw the mouse in a corner and walk away, checking every couple minutes.

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Are you feeding live? because if so walking away at all is very dangerous.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Young Carpets are nippy, in time they settle down... but for now all you can do is handle her and wait.

What exactly are you feeding her? most carpets have a very high feeding response when the proper meal is offered.

If frozen thawed is the rodent 100 degrees?

How big is the rodent?

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I handle her everyday and she is for sure starting to calm down but she tries to take a chunk out of my hand whenever I reach in the cage. I am feeding her frozen thawed fuzzies right now until I can buy rats. And yes, I make sure they are piping hot.

-Alex

Yeah, they can be a handful, but they do settle down eventually. A bite from a little crept doesn't hurt at all so it really isn't a big deal.

The fuzzes might be a little small, I started mine on hoppers (they can take meals that are huge. some people go by the width of their head, some people even say 1 1/2 times the width of their heads.

My carpet rarely "strikes" at his meals... instead he slithers up to them and bites them then 50% of the time he will actually constrict them. but he always eats. I think he know that they are already dead.

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

I handle her everyday and she is for sure starting to calm down but she tries to take a chunk out of my hand whenever I reach in the cage. I am feeding her frozen thawed fuzzies right now until I can buy rats. And yes, I make sure they are piping hot.

-Alex

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Not too hot though right? No more than 100 degrees

And when you take her out dont hesitate just reach in and grab her and she'll learn quickly biting you doesnt work. Im pretty sure carpets are known to be nippy when young but she should grow out of it.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Not too hot though right? No more than 100 degrees

And when you take her out dont hesitate just reach in and grab her and she'll learn quickly biting you doesnt work. Im pretty sure carpets are known to be nippy when young but she should grow out of it.

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No, I use good judgement and make sure it isn't too hot when I feed it. Yeah, she was pretty nippy when I first got her but she is starting to calm down. She still doesn't like being taken out of her cage though. I was told to buy a snake hook to get her out and thats what I've been using but I'll just grab her next time.

-Alex

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Yeah, they can be a handful, but they do settle down eventually. A bite from a little crept doesn't hurt at all so it really isn't a big deal.

The fuzzes might be a little small, I started mine on hoppers (they can take meals that are huge. some people go by the width of their head, some people even say 1 1/2 times the width of their heads.

My carpet rarely "strikes" at his meals... instead he slithers up to them and bites them then 50% of the time he will actually constrict them. but he always eats. I think he know that they are already dead.

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Yeah, I know they are a little small but I had 3 left so I figured why not just feed them to her. I am probably going to get rats next time I am in town. Do they switch pretty easily to rats?

-Alex