My new girl bit me!

As a terminus to this:
Sunday am I fed her a weanling rat...she shot up to the front of the cage and grabbed it before I could get the tub closed. Sunday pm I was feeding some others kids and peeked in, and she came up out of the tub at me! I had an extra weanling rat, so I offered it to her and she snatched it out of the air. This evening, I slid the tub out two inches to check on her, and she was right at the front, waiting, in strike mode. One of the cats leaned over for a better look and almost got nailed. So I'm thinking she's not going to be a problem feeder. :-) I don't intend to give her two meals a week, so don't worry about that. I just happened to have 'em and they weren't any bigger than mice.

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

As a terminus to this:
Sunday am I fed her a weanling rat...she shot up to the front of the cage and grabbed it before I could get the tub closed. Sunday pm I was feeding some others kids and peeked in, and she came up out of the tub at me! I had an extra weanling rat, so I offered it to her and she snatched it out of the air. This evening, I slid the tub out two inches to check on her, and she was right at the front, waiting, in strike mode. One of the cats leaned over for a better look and almost got nailed. So I'm thinking she's not going to be a problem feeder. :-) I don't intend to give her two meals a week, so don't worry about that. I just happened to have 'em and they weren't any bigger than mice.

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(YESSSSSS)! Always good to hear! :sweeet:

I have to tell you I would feed that girl HEAVY for the first 30-60 days. First the bite was not agression or defensive it was a feeding response. A defensive or agression bite is almost always a strike and let go or strike and chew and let go ordeal.

When the bite and hold on it is almost always a feeding response, when they ignore water and have to be given a "shot" to make em let go it is deffinitely a feeding response.

The girl is hungry that is why she is comming up and snapping so agressively. Feed her till she is full. Feed her until she goes into normal metabolic levels for an adult ball and I bet she will be as sweet as any snake ever was.

Nice to hear she has a new home and is clearly in good hands now, even if they are a bit bloody, :neener:

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Originally Posted by jjspirko

I have to tell you I would feed that girl HEAVY for the first 30-60 days. First the bite was not agression or defensive it was a feeding response. A defensive or agression bite is almost always a strike and let go or strike and chew and let go ordeal.

When the bite and hold on it is almost always a feeding response, when they ignore water and have to be given a "shot" to make em let go it is deffinitely a feeding response.

The girl is hungry that is why she is comming up and snapping so agressively. Feed her till she is full. Feed her until she goes into normal metabolic levels for an adult ball and I bet she will be as sweet as any snake ever was.

Nice to hear she has a new home and is clearly in good hands now, even if they are a bit bloody, :neener:

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I had no question about what -kind- of strike it was (and for the record, as of this evening, two days after eating, I walked up to the rack and leaned over and her head slammed into the side of the tub. She is hovering right a the front, waiting for the first thing to come by.

But on the feeding...I was under the impression that if they had been seriously underfed (she has visible indentations running lengthwise down her body), then it was better to build them up slowly, rather than stuffing them full and sending them into a fast. There's so much I still have to learn about this stuff...why do you think she should be fed heavily?

Love bites! :D