she doesnt like her 1st try at frozen

can you guys explain pre senting?

this is my 3rd week im about to try and she still hasnt eaten a frozen one. I havent fed her a live one for a month now because i realy want to get her switched over.

i bought a live one today, im going to thaw out the frozen one then throw it in the box with the live one for a little while to get the smell of it on the frozen one and see how that works, if that doesnt work im going to try killing (i hate saying that or doing it) the live one maybe by putting it in a plastic bag and sealing it, suffocating it or something (really dont wanna hit it over the head or anything) and see if she eats that.

ill post back later tonight or tomorrow to say if she ate either one.

either way, shes not getting a live one this week. if she doesnt eat this week, ill feed her a live one next week just cause its been so long since she ate and i feel bad.

Hi,


Prescenting just means letting the smell of the mouse come to the snakes attention before you offer the food.

With F/T a good way of doing this is to actually leave it to thaw slowly in the same room as his tank.

I wouldn't put the thawed one on a tub with the live one for several reasons - the live one would probably either be freaked or try to eat it.

I would try really making the thawed one nice and hot before offering by blasting its head area with a hairdryer and doing the zombie mouse dance with it.


dr del

I've found most snakes will switch over if you take baby steps. Here's how I've done it, many times:
First, make sure the snake is eating regularly--if they will only take live, then give them live, and get them in a habit of regular feeding. It doesn't hurt to offer them f/t before you break down and give them the live prey item, they might surprise you and take it--but don't skip a feeding if they refuse. Snakes respond well to routine, and if they are used to eating in a specific setting on a specific schedule, they'll be more open to a change in what they eat.

Once they've taken at least 2 meals on a regular schedule, then offer pre-killed. It's important to offer the prey on tongs, so that the slight movement of your hand simulates a live prey item. If they refuse pre-killed, offer stunned (unconscious but living) and try pre-killed the next time. Once they've accepted pre-killed twice without refusing, try f/t. If they refuse it, try scenting it with live mouse bedding. If it's still refused, then offer pre-killed again, but the next feeding, offer pre-killed that has cooled to room temperature...then try the f/t again the feeding after that. I always offer the food on tongs, even if they would take it off the cage floor, as this stimulates the snakes to strike and constrict, giving them a bit of exercise.
While some snakes may take longer to go through each of these steps, I've yet to have this method fail. I've also never had a snake backslide--that is, once they have eaten f/t prey once, even if it was scented, they will continue to accept it.
I'm sure there are some exceptionally stubborn snakes out there that just won't cooperate with this method, but from my experiences, the vast majority will.

When I got my snake he was eating live and I tried f/t the first week and he ate it no problem. I did prescent and hit it with a hairdryer.

I like to feed live every now and then to change it up for the snake and whenever I get live mice I ask for some bedding. I keep it in the little box they give you and I use that to prescent. Soon as I open the box I see his head pop out. I come back a few minutes later and he its all the way out of his hide fully stretched to the top of the cage. This gets them excited. I usually then wait until he goes back to a hide to feed him. I remove a few pieces of furniture and he knows whats coming. He just sits and waits. One thing I found that really gets him to strike is to drag the mouse along the bottom of the cage near them. Soon as I do that he instantly takes it.

Good luck with the switch.

This was recommended to me on this forum, and I have had no problems since using this technique. I thaw the mouse right on top of the tub, just let it sit there for about 4-6 hours. Then I hit it with the blow dryer for 15 seconds a side. I remove the hides and water bowl, and put the warm mouse in there. Haven't had them refuse since doing it this way.

Some snakes will eat almost anything you offer right from the start--some are terribly stubborn. There's a wide spectrum between the two.

My roomates baby bp went to f/t after having been given 2 live, 1 stunned, and one pre-killed mouse. (plenty of refusals of f/t, and one refusal of pre-k, along the way).

After that, he took a f/t rat pup on the first introduction, and there are no more refusals. :)