Why would this be?

Last night I offered my 1/2 a year old carpet a live rat pinky. She first struck and coiled. I go to check on her about 20 mins later to find she just left it dead on the substrate and she was on the opposite end of the cage. So I washed it off heated it up a little and offered it again. She struck and coiled again (I'm pretty sure it wasn't in defense, most of the time when shes being defensive she will just strike). So I go to check on her again. She ends up leaving it in the substrate yet another time. So I take it out wash it off another time, heat it up and leave it on some newspaper in her cage. An hour later It's gone, she ate it.


I get the feeling she had intentions of eating it the whole time, I just don't know why the process was so odd.

P.S. I always completely cover the cage when my snakes eat so they have privacy.

Anyone ever have this happen?

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Originally Posted by zackw419

Last night I offered my 1/2 a year old carpet a live rat pinky. She first struck and coiled. I go to check on her about 20 mins later to find she just left it dead on the substrate and she was on the opposite end of the cage. So I washed it off heated it up a little and offered it again. She struck and coiled again (I'm pretty sure it wasn't in defense, most of the time when shes being defensive she will just strike). So I go to check on her again. She ends up leaving it in the substrate yet another time. So I take it out wash it off another time, heat it up and leave it on some newspaper in her cage. An hour later It's gone, she ate it.


I get the feeling she had intentions of eating it the whole time, I just don't know why the process was so odd.

P.S. I always completely cover the cage when my snakes eat so they have privacy.

Anyone ever have this happen?

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This is actually pretty common is this the first time you have offered a rat to this girl. I find this sorta common when offering rats to mice feeding animals. What I do is usually offer a pinky mouse then after they eat it I offer a rat that I have washed off to get the rat smell off this usually works then I gradually stop washing the rat then I just start offering only rats. That is how I switch most of my carpets and has had good success with that.

Chuck

The first day I got her she took a rat and ate it immediately, same with the following week, and the week after that. This is her fourth feeding with me and all I have offered her is rats.

ya I wouldn't get to wrapped up in the why of this one. Maybe she was just in a picky mood who knows. just keep doing what you are doing.

Chuck