Defensive strikes when trying to feed hatchling

My 140g BP ate for me the first week I had him, and has done this weird defensive strike thing the next 3 times I've tried to feed. As soon as I dangle the f/t rat pup in front of him, he strikes at it but doesn't latch on - I can't tell if he's closed-mouth striking or just missing every time... after that first strike he just stares at it and won't try to strike again.

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Sounds stressed to me. What's your husbandry like?


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After the husbandry question: How are you dangling it? When I got my first snake, I thought I had to dangle the mouse by the tail and jerk it up and down. That caused defensive striking, because it's a lot of movement and doesn't look like food.

Are you holding the rodent by the scruff of the neck and having it "crawl" and twitch a little on the floor of his cage in front of him? Imitating how an actual rodent would move around. That seems to work best for me, for if the snake refuses to just see it as food otherwise.

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Originally Posted by BMorrison

Sounds stressed to me. What's your husbandry like?


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41qt tub in a rack with 6 other snakes. Ambient temperature 80 degrees (I heat the whole room), 92 degree hot spot. Coco husk substrate, the tub is much bigger than he needs so I have a water dish, two small RB black hide boxes, and then two half logs and a couple other extra hides and stuff to clutter it up. Humidity is around 70.

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Try this heat the rat up, use a blow dryer and get the head to about 120 degrees then stick the head of the prey item in the opening of whatever hide your snake is in. Come back and check in about 2-4 hours, if he hasn't taken it wait it out about 10 hours. My pastel mystic potion was like that at first he'd hit it a few times but wouldn't constrict or take it. I've switched 6 snakes to this method last month as I previously fed exclusively live. Haven't had 1 refusal since.


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