Striking off during feed-- seriously freeking out

I'm really worried about my ball python Tiberius. It's not that he's refusing feeding, I know that that's not something to worry about too much, but the problem is that he always misses!

I'm feeding him a f/t small mouse, and when I offer it to him with the tongs, he'll notice it, coil up, but when he strikes he misses! He just lunges right past it and knocks it off the tongs; then I have to pick it up and offer it to him again. Usually, he gets it by the second or third time, but tonight, he missed 5 times! Finally he wouldn't even strike at it anymore and I had to put it back and put him back in his tank :(

I know he's hungry cause he's still crawling around looking for food, but I don't know what to do. I'm worried that I'm giving him a complex and he's just gonna start striking at everything now. He's still really coiled up and frustrated and I'm sure that's not good for him....

What's wrong with my Tiberius? Is there anything I could be doing to fix this?

P.S. since I know someone will probably ask this: I've checked myself to make sure that it's not me that's moving slightly when he lunges, and I'm not, I'm sure of it. :(:(:(

If you don't have it heated up properly, then he's smelling the prey, but he's zero'ing in on YOUR heat signature (aiming for the warmest area he "sees" with his heat pits).

Touch the nose of the prey onto a heat lamp for about 20 seconds to get it nice and warm to give him a better heat signature next time.

Thanks so much! That's a great idea! :D

Also he probaly is very hungry and can't control himself!

Maybe try leaving it in there, too. If it's not swinging around he'll probably have an easier time, and you could just lay it somewhere in his cage, especially if you heat the nose up too. My guys don't seem to care if it's moving or not, when I feed the f/t :)

If you warm it up and he still does it. He might not want to eat, and you're stressing him enough for him to give a warning strike. I see this more in hatchlings, but also in adults.

Oh it sounds like he is hungry.

Like Robin said your heat signature is just stronger. Plus he is probably really excited.

Henry often use to miss when he was young. Elizabeth would lock on to our sig. and we were feeding live...lol. Sam...well nevermind...sam never misses nor refuses. But I have a new tiny tiny baby .....and she does not like to strike. She likes it prekilled and layed in front of her. Such a little timid baby. UGH

i also feed live and my bp latly missed 2times because she's getting so much hungry before feeding day that once i put the mouse in she striked.

a good thing to do for the heating is first thaw the mouse in cold water and then when its completly told you put the mouse in some warm water NOT cold neither HOT this will raise the temp to simulate a living mouse, and then quickly get it out, dry it and offer it before it gets cold again (it won't be long since the mouse is dead)

hope i was a bit helpfull!! good luck!! :))

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Originally Posted by don15681

If you warm it up and he still does it. He might not want to eat, and you're stressing him enough for him to give a warning strike. I see this more in hatchlings, but also in adults.

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I have seen this too. It's more of a "you're annoying me, go away" type of strike than a typical "I'm hungry and gonna eat this mouse" kinda strike. Because when they are hungry they don't miss.....:D

i agree about the warming part. yesterday i was feeding mine and he struck it but not a good hit, then dropped it and began searching for it. he could smell it but it wasnt warm enough to see. he actually ended up biting himself thinking it was the mouse. he gave up searching so i stuck the mouse back under the heat lamp for a few minutes, then brought it back and he struck it good enough to hold on and ate it. i wear gloves when i feed mine so he doesent mistake my hand for the food

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Originally Posted by rabernet

If you don't have it heated up properly, then he's smelling the prey, but he's zero'ing in on YOUR heat signature (aiming for the warmest area he "sees" with his heat pits).

Touch the nose of the prey onto a heat lamp for about 20 seconds to get it nice and warm to give him a better heat signature next time.

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x2

A common problem. Just make sure the rodent is nice and warm.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

X3, etc. Ball pythons have extremely poor vision, but they 'see' infrared with their heat pits. A room temperature rodent is virtually invisible to them.

x4.

Use a blowdryer after the prey item is thawed. Works wonders for me. Much better then scalding hot water.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

A room temperature rodent is virtually invisible to them.

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They can smell it tho. My shy feeder can take as long as 5-10 minutes to come out and take his prey, by then I'm pretty sure it's cooled down to room temp.

It sounds like you remove him from his home tank to feed, that can also cause problems. Is there a reason why you do?

I recommend leaving him in his tank to feed him. I do with all eight of mine, and I don't have any problems.

I use a common hairdryer to heat the heads of my rats/mice, and my babies rarely miss.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

It sounds like you remove him from his home tank to feed, that can also cause problems. Is there a reason why you do?

I recommend leaving him in his tank to feed him. I do with all eight of mine, and I don't have any problems.

I use a common hairdryer to heat the heads of my rats/mice, and my babies rarely miss.

Gale

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Both are good points:gj: