Time to defrost a rat?

Florence has seemed to have had a good shed, she is in her new and larger vivarium (and has participated in helping with the interior designing by repositioning her grey hide) and from the few times I've peeked at her, she has been cruising around or sitting pretty with her head and neck standing tall, just directly out front her hide.

Is it time to defrost a rat????

Probably, though most BPs are braver about taking prey when they are IN one of their hides with just their faces poking out (waiting to ambush a rat).

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Probably, though most BPs are braver about taking prey when they are IN one of their hides with just their faces poking out (waiting to ambush a rat).

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She has been moving from hide to hide doing this exact thing!!

I'll put a rat in the fridge to thaw and feed it to her tomorrow!!

What size prey are you feeding? And how often?

What does the snake weigh? How old is she?

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Originally Posted by Florence_Bones

She has been moving from hide to hide doing this exact thing!!

I'll put a rat in the fridge to thaw and feed it to her tomorrow!!

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Just to help things along when you do feed ..

Wait until the evening, dim/ low lighting and he's settled under a hide and give the rat a good ten second blast with a hairdryer then offer INSTANTLY whilst it's still warm !! Don't blink !


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Just to help things along when you do feed ..

Wait until the evening, dim/ low lighting and he's settled under a hide and give the rat a good ten second blast with a hairdryer then offer INSTANTLY whilst it's still warm !! Don't blink !


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Should I dangle the rat or just drop it in her house?

I was also told to run it under water first. Should I do that as well as blast it with a hair dryer????

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

What size prey are you feeding? And how often?

What does the snake weigh? How old is she?

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She last ate on September 14th, as per the woman at the expo exhibit I bought her from. She is 3. She eats small, frozen thawed rats.

I am not sure how much she weighs...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Florence_Bones

Should I dangle the rat or just drop it in her house?

I was also told to run it under water first. Should I do that as well as blast it with a hair dryer????

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You've thawed it completely in the fridge, right? I'd submerge it in very warm water for a few minutes to help it warm up inside, then quickly blot off the water
on a paper towel & blast w/ hairdryer RIGHT before you offer it using tongs. Hopefully your snake is peeking out of hidebox? Using the tongs, give the rat a slight
wiggling motion so the motion + warmth signals "live rat" to the snake & they're grab it from the tongs. Do NOT make it seem like the rat is coming AT the snake-
make it look like it's cluelessly passing by where the snake is, as many snakes are turned off by what appears to be an overly-bold rat coming AT them. Watch the
snake's reactions to everything you do...you want to repeat what works. Some snakes will only eat a stationary prey item under cover of darkness (overnight) &
for best results (in case yours isn't a "grabber") you should have done this at night in dim light...that's when they prefer to hunt & feed. Shy snakes...good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You've thawed it completely in the fridge, right? I'd submerge it in very warm water for a few minutes to help it warm up inside, then quickly blot off the water
on a paper towel & blast w/ hairdryer RIGHT before you offer it using tongs. Hopefully your snake is peeking out of hidebox? Using the tongs, give the rat a slight
wiggling motion so the motion + warmth signals "live rat" to the snake & they're grab it from the tongs. Do NOT make it seem like the rat is coming AT the snake-
make it look like it's cluelessly passing by where the snake is, as many snakes are turned off by what appears to be an overly-bold rat coming AT them. Watch the
snake's reactions to everything you do...you want to repeat what works. Some snakes will only eat a stationary prey item under cover of darkness (overnight) &
for best results (in case yours isn't a "grabber") you should have done this at night in dim light...that's when they prefer to hunt & feed. Shy snakes...good luck!

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^ this^


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You've thawed it completely in the fridge, right? I'd submerge it in very warm water for a few minutes to help it warm up inside, then quickly blot off the water
on a paper towel & blast w/ hairdryer RIGHT before you offer it using tongs. Hopefully your snake is peeking out of hidebox? Using the tongs, give the rat a slight
wiggling motion so the motion + warmth signals "live rat" to the snake & they're grab it from the tongs. Do NOT make it seem like the rat is coming AT the snake-
make it look like it's cluelessly passing by where the snake is, as many snakes are turned off by what appears to be an overly-bold rat coming AT them. Watch the
snake's reactions to everything you do...you want to repeat what works. Some snakes will only eat a stationary prey item under cover of darkness (overnight) &
for best results (in case yours isn't a "grabber") you should have done this at night in dim light...that's when they prefer to hunt & feed. Shy snakes...good luck!

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Rat is in the fridge. I took it out last night. I'll aim to feed her around 9 or 10 as from what I've observed over the last week, she seems to be active around that time.