1st snake is a rescue...Montinegro Reginald Python (aka Monty)

He spit the second one out twice trying to get a better angle on it, so I conducted an experiment and grabbed the tail when he let go with the tongs. he didn't want to give it up, but I got it. Once I began "the dance" he grabbed the head and re squished the mouse (it must have been alive still since it got away...right?) he got it down much easier this time, and proved to me that he would take zombie critters from the tongs! F/T rats it is!!! I saved the paper towel the mice were on in the tub so I could scent the rats if needed, but I get the vibe that he'll eat whatever I give him as long as he's hungry.

Monty's thermostat came in today, so that and the UTH were installed, along with a pair of matching dog dish crocks from walmart with half circle openings cut out to make them into hides. He was using the bottoms of a pair of cardboard 12 packs as his hides since I got him (he had a WAY too small half log before). He really liked the cardboard hides, but the dog bowls will be much easier for me to clean. He's exploring the new environment now...hopefully he settles down soon and likes his new hides.

Great to hear that he's eating and has his home all sorted out! It's reassuring to see how resilient these beasts are.

I have a rescue as my first snake (an underweight female BP) - it's really rewarding to watch them grow.

Well, he took his first rat last night without too much issue. He likes to strike the rear end to wrap up and isn't a very efficient killer, so I ended up having to use the tongs to keep the rat's mouth away from his body, as he was trying to get a bite in there. Next week will be his first F/T. He did well with the zombie dance on a mouse last week, so I think he'll transition well, and I'll be less stressed about him getting bit. Plus, my daughter won't get attached to his food that way!!

Pictures???

I'll poke around and find what I have of him and get em up in a few

There's some pics in my gallery of him now. Haven't quite figured out the picture system on this forum yet...


http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/brow...mageuser=60094

You are Monty's guardian angel! What a wonderful job you've done with him [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Congrats Steve, sounds like the both of you are batting 1000. He's been underfed and that is probably why the feeding response is so strong. Don't worry too much about the aspen swallowing, these guys are feeding machines that have adapted through evolution and can handle that. Lol.

UPDATE!! Monty has been sucessfully switched to FT Rats of an appropriate size. He took them right off without a single issue! He has doubled in size visually (need to weigh him today before feeding time. He's very friendly with everyone he meets, and when you go near his enclosure, he pops out of his hide (prefers the cold side for some reason) and heads for the lid, dancing around hoping to be taken out to explore and be handled (never met a snake that enjoyed being handled so much). He had his first shed since I've had him on Monday, and it was a perfect shed! If you recall, previous owner had mentioned that every shed was partial and difficult. A bit of damp sphagnum moss in his hides is what I believe did the trick, along with proper temps and a constantly clean tank. very difficult to type this, as he likes the touch pad and keyboard of my laptop...