What to expect in feeding

OP after I have heated the rat I put the tongs on the hind legs (I did try it on the tail once and I ended up holding a tail with not rat attached!) I then slowly "bounce" and wiggle the rat in front of the BP so the head is at the same level as the snakes head. If they are showing interest but not striking immediately I move the rat around slightly by around an inch per side until they strike. I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

---

Cmooon :) Watch it :P I've even recorded it few times and posted on FB :P Fsck it :) If need to watch people munch on McCrap let them watch my python munch on rat :rolleye2:

Well, Cave ate! :D

Caroline didn't though. D:

It took a couple hours! But he did! ^^ Their faces make me laugh when they are eating. xD

Why did it take a couple hours?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

---

I am sorry you haven't been able to witness this yet!!

I guess I have always been lucky as I haven't really had a hard feeder. I have had my king snake make me mess with her for a few minutes before a strike but the pythons I have owned have always struck right off the bat and fed well (I know, I'm very very lucky considering the problems a lot of people have!)

^^^This goes along with husbandry though. I have always spent usually about 3 weeks getting the habitat perfect before putting them in their. I custom build my own vivariums and I always make sure all the husbandry aspects are spot on before releasing them in there. I count up my great feeding results to this as this is the main reason people have issues.

I want to know when my ball python is full grown about how big of pray will I feed it, how big of rat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maxamilliano

I want to know when my ball python is full grown about how big of pray will I feed it, how big of rat

---

Small to med rat depending on size of the snake

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

It's never good to dangle live prey, just put in the enclosure and keep watch. A dangling mouse/rat is very dangerous for your snake. You want to just calmly put it in and it will really just explore the new surroundings and bam... snake strikes :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

---

That is how my snakes eat now. I just put them in the enclosure and once the snake notices them they strike and eat just fine. That first time was just hard for me and my normal. I tried just putting the mouse in at first and she wanted nothing to do with it. Even worse than that, it crawled over her and she balled up. (Ps I am very cautious and aware while I am feeding my balls, I makes sure that the love mice never bite my snakes) Things are much easier now that I am just dropping them in. Thank you for the advice though!

First time when I've feed live to my python was hilarious. They almost became friends. Sniffed each other for 10 minutes before snake noticed it might be food that's moving around his tank. They even "kissed" for couple of times but the look on the snakes face when he realized it's food. Just crazy. Seconds after that the mousy went to lalaland :P

But since the time he missed the mouse and grabbed her by it's last legs and the mouse went into survival mode, started biting, I had to intervene and sorry to say kill the mouse because my python didn't let go of her neither did coil around the mouse to restrict it. Before I managed to grab the mouse and restrict it myself I believe the snake was bitten. Since then I never feed live again.

Maybe not hours, it felt like it though. xD
I was really excited!!