Largest live rat safe to leave overnight

Ok, I have a few VERY stubborn snakes refusing feed right now. I've been trying every trick I can find once a week for the last 2 months plus, and no go.

So, I know sometimes using live instead of F/T can persuade them, but since they seem extremely shy recently, I thought maybe live overnight might help.

I need to know the largest size of live rat I can leave overnight without worrying about my snakes safety. Granted, the prey might be much too small, but if I can get them to take SOMETHING, maybe they'll come around.

Thanks in advance,

Gale

NO!!!!!! Never leave a live rodent in with your snake unsupervised,(unless it's a rat pup) or you could wind up with a snake like this

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/100_4400.jpg

They will feed eventually, how old are they?

I'd say none, unless you're going to give them something that doesn't have their eyes open yet. Really, a curious rat can be a dangerous rat, and even little baby rats have teeth. I probably wouldn't risk it. Good luck on getting them to eat, though! If you have the time, maybe try putting the rat in and sitting there with the lights off until they take it, so it's supervised. :)


Edit:
Yikes, I'd forgotten about the picture :O

Quote:

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Originally Posted by musicalKeyes

Yikes, I'd forgotten about the picture :O

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Yes a picture sort of puts things into perspective, one of the other members posted it a little while ago, after someone brought the snake in to him, a rodent was left in for who knows how long, so sad

Umm, I did say largest SAFE size, didn't I ? I know perfectly well how dangerous it is to leave live prey, otherwise I wouldn't be asking would I ? I'd have just thrown something in and then come here crying my snakes got chewed up. So don't lecture me on that.

I know for a fact several people do this, what I want to know is do they stick with pinky rats? Fuzzies? Or if you can go a large as a rat pup. I don't care if a fuzzy rat would be like an M&M to these guys, I just want them to eat something, anything!

All four snakes have lost weight, and despite my best efforts, refuse to take any F/T anything. If I am going to try live, I want the best possible chance at coaxing them to eat, and right now that to me is overnight where they can have peace and quiet.

Gale

if you've ruled out every possible cause for going off feed (stress, temps, insecurity, etc) then maybe your snake is just off food. It happens. A lot. They will tell you when they want to eat again.

I have a female that goes off feed for me almost every year ive owned her in October and starts eating again in may/july. I don't even offer her food because its unnecessary, shes not displaying hungry behavior, and when she FINALLY did i offered her food and she ate.

do not leave a live rodent with erupted teeth in with your snake unsupervised.

I have had several pickey eaters lately and I do feed live. What I might suggest and it has worked for me is to prekill it and throw it in. After a couple of hours they have eaten it. Apparently they want some privacy and when you prekill them they typical pee a little....(sounds weird but I think that helps). BP's can go quite a while without eating....depending on their weight.

small rat pup around 20g at the largest I would say is what anyone should leave overnight if they absolutly have to, otherwise, nothing in a tub overnight if it is live

Also I am not sure when you got this snake but there are some BP's out there that just plain refuse to eat rats!! :rolleyes: Spoiled little poopers!!

Well first off I would try just regular feeding live, mouse, rat, asf. If you are leaving anything in there unsupervised make sure there is food and water and I wouldn't recommend overnight.

thank you lovelace, i was looking up that pic for this thread, glad to see my pic being used to help people, never leave a rat

Hey someone else just stated this on another thread and I thought it was brilliant. When you prekill or use F/T and want to leave it in the rack.....put it on the warm end.

Totally makes sense...duh...never thought of that. Just wanted to throw that in for you!!;)

I do appreciate the actual helpful suggestions and ideas from a few of you.

The rest of you ding-dongs who seem to think I'm some kind of moron who'd toss a starving live jumbo rat in with one of my beloved babies, you are just a waste of my time. If any of you bothered to actually read the post instead of jumping to conclusions about how stupid I am, you might learn something. Then again, you might not.

All of these snakes have happily taken rats numerous times before, but in the three months since I moved them to a rack, only about half eat. I've been there, done that with pretty much every trick in the book, which is why I've come to this point. I wouldn't be wasting anyone's time if this was a one time thing.

But since this has gone on for a length of time with sub-adult snakes, and it's been enough to cause them to loose weight, I feel it necessary to take this further than I already have been. I know most of them would barely notice a fuzzy rat if they ate it, but if they did at least they'd be eating something, and it might just snap them out of the fast mode.

Regardless of if it works or not, I am not about to put one of my scaled babies at risk, despite what most of you seem to assume.

Gale

Gale...I have to tell you....no one at all meant to assume that you did not know what to do or that you would do that. 99.9% of our members have the best intentions in the world of helping out ALL reptile lovers. To be honest....we all ask lots of questions as we have been faced with ppl that truly truly do not know better. If someone did not say anything in regards to leaving a feeder in...and then something happen..oye. I personally would feel terrible and feel like I let down the OP as well as the reptile. Please do not take offense as to ppl stating to you what might be obvious....as we have no idea of your prior knowledge to BP's.

I hope that you understand my reason for this post and that I did not offend you in anyway nor try to insinuate that you are stupid!! :oops:

Largest I've ever left in an animals' cage/tub unsupervised was a rat pup

While I don't condone such activity, I can say that I have accidently left small rats in the tub overnight, and some for two nights, without any adverse effects to the snake. With that said, my best advice to you is to feel the gums of the rat you are wanting to leave in overnight, and if the teeth are long enough to puncture a scale, do not leave it in for more than an hour and a half.

p.s. Have you tried mice or ASFs before making this attempt. Sometimes a prey change is all that is needed to spark a feeding response. Another trick is to take your snake for a ride in the car in a snake bag for about 30 minutes. Then try feeding it when you get home.

Hope that helps,

Elizabeth, I certainly wasn't talking to you or about you.

I actually appreciate your advice. I am not so sure I could P/K an appropriate size rat, I am kind of attached to the little guys, and I'm a softie to begin with. But, I am running out of tricks to try. Mice don't work, live or F/T, smaller F/T rats didn't work, leaving F/T overnight didn't, ASF are illegal here, so I don't have that option.

I tried the pillowcase thing, tried moving them into smaller tubs for a couple of weeks, tried prescenting the room with my daughters pet rat, tried the chicken broth thing, no deal.

I think I'm going to try the car ride thing, heck that's the only way I could get one of my kids to sleep as a baby. Then if that doesn't work. I'll
try and locate a few larger fuzzy rats and give them a try. Worst case scenario, my good eaters will take them if the others do not. Best case, my stubborn babies will eat again, and I'll feel better.

If this doesn't work, I'll do my best to stomach the P/K thing. I just worry about them because they are losing weight. Not a lot, yet, but enough to worry me.

Gale

Gale

you could always try that co2 thing to prekill. ?? I have not made the switch to rats yet as I too have a soft spot for them. Mice on the other hand....ahhh ...no problems. Especially after I got bit by one.

The ASF idea might not be a bad idea ....but good luck on switching back after that. I heard they are like candy to BP's.