Sumatran Keeps Wrapping And Not Eating Suddenly

As some of you may recall, I had battled with this girl for awhile, getting her to eat frozen/thawed consistently. But, I finally won and she has been eating like a true killer. However, for the past two feedings she keeps striking, wrapping and not eating. When I open her tub on feeding day she is practically charging out of the tub before I can even present the rat. She immediately strikes and wraps, but when I check on her later on the rat will be laying in her tub. So, I will heat the rat back up with my heat gun and she will immediately strike and wrap again. Once again, I will check on her later and the rat will be laying in her tub. The prey item is the perfect size for her, so it isn't that it's too large for her or anything... Does anyone have any idea why she would be doing this all of the sudden? Maybe she is trying to swallow it ass first and can't get it down or something, perhaps?

Sometimes it helps if you wiggle the prey animal. After they grab and wrap it. It makes them feel as if they are killing there own food. Just use your feeding toungs to wiggle it a little bit.

I always do that, actually...

I don't think its the "butt first" thing, because you would notice the back end of the rat being all slimy...

Could it be that she is preparing to go into shed ? Bloods often have such a strong feeding/striking response that she may strike first, only to realize she doesn't actually want to eat ?

Either that, or could there be something wrong with those rats? Are you warming them the same exact way as always ?

I'd wait a few days, try again and as soon as she takes it, turn off the lights and leave the room. Don't even check until a couple of hours later or next morning.

Who knows with those snakes, LOL. Especially being a female. You just never, ever know what's going on up there, LMAO !!

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Originally Posted by zina10

Who knows with those snakes, LOL. Especially being a female. You just never, ever know what's going on up there, LMAO !!

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Haha 😂 they're kinda like cats in that way!

Lol, especially being female! That's a bit odd, is she constipated, maybe a nice warm bath will help.

[QUOTE=Aedryan Methyus;2564777]I always do that, actually

( Actually) I was just trying to help you. I wish you the best.:cool:

I think you should skip the next two feedings and then try again. No handling until you get her to feed again. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by zina10

I don't think its the "butt first" thing, because you would notice the back end of the rat being all slimy...

Could it be that she is preparing to go into shed ? Bloods often have such a strong feeding/striking response that she may strike first, only to realize she doesn't actually want to eat ?

Either that, or could there be something wrong with those rats? Are you warming them the same exact way as always ?

I'd wait a few days, try again and as soon as she takes it, turn off the lights and leave the room. Don't even check until a couple of hours later or next morning.

Who knows with those snakes, LOL. Especially being a female. You just never, ever know what's going on up there, LMAO !!

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Good point about how I would notice the rat being all slimy if that were the case. Neither end ever appears to be slimy, so she must be striking, wrapping and not even trying to eat it. Nothing has changed with the preparation and everyone else is eating fine. Their rats sit out in the snake room for a few hours and thaw to room temperature then heated with a heat gun before I feed each of them. She doesn't appear to be getting ready to shed. She just shed on 8/25, but who knows... It's most likely just because she's a crazy female. She probably just needs some Xanax! lol :P

[QUOTE=Tigerhawk;2564982]

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I always do that, actually

( Actually) I was just trying to help you. I wish you the best.:cool:

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(Actually) I know you were just trying to help and I (actually) appreciated it. All I (actually) did was state that I do, in fact, always wiggle the prey after they take it... lol I'm not sure why that made you feel slighted... :confusd:

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Originally Posted by Albert Clark

I think you should skip the next two feedings and then try again. No handling until you get her to feed again. :colbert:

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Thanks, Albert. I think I will try to feed her once more on feeding day (Monday) since she has already missed her last two feedings and if she pulls this again I will try your advice...

My boy is weird too. He strikes the rat and then needs 20 to 30 minutes to eat it. He sniffs at the rat everywhere and sometimes looks clueless in my direction. In his tube, when he was nearly to big for it he sometimes had no space to eat it, because he strikes near his hide. I then often rearranged the rat for him and he ate it. I wonder how they survive in the wild. When he is a few days before getting blue, he hisses at the rat or strikes it but won't eat it. That's just normal. After his shed he is hungry again.