What could I have done to help? *kinda graphic maybe*

I don't think I have to start getting comfortable feeding her live on my own. Not in any hurry anyway. My neighbor is more than happy to do it for me, and she still gets fed every week. The breeder only feeds live too, I'd considered swapping too. Plus the others he had weren't as gorgeous as she is, with all that gold on her. I'll try nudging her with the tongs or something if she ever drags out a killing like that again. Or better yet, have the neighbor boy do it :D

The boy I did try to switch to rat pups a while back, but he refused to eat them. 3 in a row before I put him back on mice. He only likes mice apparently, but he LOVES mice. Matter of fact, my sister's corn wouldn't take the rat pinkies I got him either, just mice for the boys. I'm not terribly concerned about price. In fact I have a tray of jumbos and weanlings from the reptile show in May. So for now, it's money already spent.

I really appreciate you guys' input and suggestions... it's funny how taboo snakes can be! I'm really glad this place is here to come to. I've been admonished on other boards for posting pics of my snakes because it scares some people. In fact I had the girl out front in the grass taking pics with my phone and a jogger asked me if I was not getting reception in the house, and when I told her I was photographing my snake she got back to HAULIN'.

With my snakes I can clear a room of my relatives out in 2 seconds.

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Originally Posted by gibbrishclown

My boy BP has upped his feedings by double, 2 weaned mice every week. He's not visibly bigger yet, but he was trying to strike at ME! during feeding yesterday. I fed him one f.t and he hit it so hard it exploded a little, an dthen after cuddling with it a minute he set his sites on me! He even struck a few times, so I just dangled the other mouse for him and once he took to that I got the lid on his tupperware and let him work on the mice in peace. That was way out of character for my boy though... could he have been angry that he got fed Sunday instead of Friday? He's kinda cute when he's mad. hehe.

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Is it possible that maybe you were standing or sitting too close to him, and maybe he sensed your heat signature?:confused: That's happened to me a few times....

ive had to kill a injured cat that would have had a long painful death other wise. it was the worst feeling in the world to hear it 'scream' thats y i dont really want to feed live to my snake. but becasue he just WONT accept F/T the vet said i should try.

and this is y you dont have a W/C snake. =(

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Sounds like maybe she wasn't wrapped around the rat properly. I've gotten to where I can tell right off if the snake is wrapped correctly and will sometimes make adjustments with a pair of tongs. Usually just prodding the snake a bit will make it wrap tighter/better. But that's one reason I choose to feed mice, they don't 'scream'.

As for the boy snake, I'd suggest upping the prey size.

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Mice do scream, its just that most snakes wrap around the mice so tight they cant scream.
I know they scream because I had a savanna Monitor lizard and I would feed it 12 live mice in a feeding and one time it got the mouse from behind, That mouse screamed the most sickining scream I have ever heard a creature make that after that I had to wear headphones when I feed him so I would nt head them scream again.
HE would always bite the mice mid body then kind of wipe his head left and right the tilt it up and gulp the prey down.

If screaming prey bother you and your snake wont eat F/T try this,
see if you can get them to pre-kill the mice where you get your live mice. If the place is a cool place they can knock the mice out for you that way they are still warm and fresh.

I have two Wild Caught BP's and they love f/t rats and wolf them down with no problem. It's not really that they're wild caught it's just that some snakes are harder to get to eat than others. They take more patience. Actually it was one of my Captive Bred BP's that was giving me the most trouble.

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Originally Posted by SnakieMom

Is it possible that maybe you were standing or sitting too close to him, and maybe he sensed your heat signature?:confused: That's happened to me a few times....

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Could be. I had him on a medium sized dog crate (slash coffee table to me LOL) and he was in a shoe box tub I was about 18 inches from the tub walking... he just kept striking at me. Once he was full I put him back in his tank and he let me pick him up no problem... It has to be a heat signature or the fact that I'd been thawing mice or something!

She's captive bred too. She just refused to switch to f/t :(

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Originally Posted by gibbrishclown

Could be. I had him on a medium sized dog crate (slash coffee table to me LOL) and he was in a shoe box tub I was about 18 inches from the tub walking... he just kept striking at me. Once he was full I put him back in his tank and he let me pick him up no problem... It has to be a heat signature or the fact that I'd been thawing mice or something!

She's captive bred too. She just refused to switch to f/t :(

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He was probably still in feeding mode, my Ball was like that when I fed it. I fed it in a separate feeding cage that had a lid when I opened the lid he was up and ready to strike. I always wore gloves when I went to get him out of the once I got a hold of him he knew feeding was over.

When I come into the room with F/T rats my RTB strikes at any movement I swear he has superman smell because he know immediately when hes aobut to feed wihtout even seeing me I just have to have a plate to F/T jumbo rats and I guess he smells them.

It is probably a combo of smelling the prey, seeing heat and movement which is causeing him to strike out.

I just love how snakes have no facial muscles for expression but when they are in feeding mode they look evil and their look totaly changes.

Yeah he did look kinda evil, but cute because he's a tiny little 06 and I know he can't really do much damage at his size. I took the girl outside and I could kinda see that she was happy... not that she had any expression like you said, but she just felt happy... LOL

Sorry.. but if you are not prepared to feed live, then maybe you should not own a snake. Some never accept f/t. I have a bunch that will only eat live.
It is the cycle of life. If it is not pretty, so be it. I think that it would be a shame for a snake to not be eating merely because its owner will not offer it live prey if that is what it prefers.