Can fuzzy rats harm my baby BP???

Ok, thats the question, can fuzzy rats bite my baby 107 grs BP, i am forced to feed live, because she doesnt care about FT (tried moving, warming them, the dark box, leaving the FT mouse all nigth and the nex morning its just there, i really tried all i imagine, every day she doesnt eat is valious wasted time, as she's just a baby), Fresh killed she strikes and bites, but doesnt constrict, she was eating live mice from the boy that sold her to me, he said he also tried hard getting her into FT, but its just not for her, i dont like live, but i love my snake and i dont want her to starve to die, so i will put tomorrow a fuzzy rat in her cage, but because she's picky i was thinking in leaving the rat in the cage, turning off the ligth and pray she eats, but i dont know if i can safely leave the rat wuth her, its not i dont want to supervise her because of lazzyness, its just i want to disturb her the lest in order she eats. please help me...

no, but monitor all feedings

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Originally Posted by llovelace

no, but monitor all feedings

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thanks, but for doing so i have to turn on the ligth, id like to hear some more advices

I feed live prey to my snakes. I just stand there and make sure the snake gets a good strike and nice coil around the prey. I look to see where the prey item's head is at to make sure it cannot bite my snake. I then turn off the light and leave. I always check after fifteen minutes also to make sure they have eaten the prey so that it is not in the enclosure with my snakes unattended.

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Originally Posted by zato1

thanks, but for doing so i have to turn on the ligth, id like to hear some more advices

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I used to breed ASF's for feeders. They are a bit more aggressive than other's like mice & regular rats.
So that being said you should just take a flashlight and keep an eye on the feeding, keep a pair of tongs handy so if your BP don't get a good head strike you can use the tongs to keep the rats head from biting your bp. Or just to help squeeze the life out of the rat a little quicker. They may also scratch your bp to so again the tongs help.
Also if you stun the rat it will still be alive and kicking, yet it will have less resistance. (knock it on the head with something hard before introducing it to your bp) just don't knock it out and kill it since you want to feed live.
Shoot me a personal message if you have more questions, as I do have some experience with ASF's.
Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by zato1

Ok, thats the question, can fuzzy rats bite my baby 107 grs BP, i am forced to feed live, because she doesnt care about FT (tried moving, warming them, the dark box, leaving the FT mouse all nigth and the nex morning its just there, i really tried all i imagine, every day she doesnt eat is valious wasted time, as she's just a baby), Fresh killed she strikes and bites, but doesnt constrict, she was eating live mice from the boy that sold her to me, he said he also tried hard getting her into FT, but its just not for her, i dont like live, but i love my snake and i dont want her to starve to die, so i will put tomorrow a fuzzy rat in her cage, but because she's picky i was thinking in leaving the rat in the cage, turning off the ligth and pray she eats, but i dont know if i can safely leave the rat wuth her, its not i dont want to supervise her because of lazzyness, its just i want to disturb her the lest in order she eats. please help me...

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Ah also don't be lazy man, besides it's one of the perks of owning a snake~watching them eat. Plus this is the time of year when they do want to be picky and or just not eat, especially a female.

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Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Ah also don't be lazy man, besides it's one of the perks of owning a snake~watching them eat. Plus this is the time of year when they do want to be picky and or just not eat, especially a female.

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LOL...don't think he said he was being lazy...he said he's not being lazy, but rather, is afraid of causing stress or fear that would prevent feeding.

As to that...the room doesn't have to be totally dark to feed your snake. Really, any time of day is fine, and even in a dim evening-time room, you should have enough ambient light to see by. Once you observe a good kill, then you can slowly step away and let the snake be to finish its meal without being disturbed.

Simple answer NO, A fuzzy can't hurt your snake at all, what I call fuzzy's can barely open there eyes. If it is a true fuzzy you can leave them in their unsupervised as long as you want.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

I feed live prey to my snakes. I just stand there and make sure the snake gets a good strike and nice coil around the prey. I look to see where the prey item's head is at to make sure it cannot bite my snake. I then turn off the light and leave. I always check after fifteen minutes also to make sure they have eaten the prey so that it is not in the enclosure with my snakes unattended.

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thx, ill keep your suggestions in mind

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Originally Posted by 8-Ball

I used to breed ASF's for feeders. They are a bit more aggressive than other's like mice & regular rats.
So that being said you should just take a flashlight and keep an eye on the feeding, keep a pair of tongs handy so if your BP don't get a good head strike you can use the tongs to keep the rats head from biting your bp. Or just to help squeeze the life out of the rat a little quicker. They may also scratch your bp to so again the tongs help.
Also if you stun the rat it will still be alive and kicking, yet it will have less resistance. (knock it on the head with something hard before introducing it to your bp) just don't knock it out and kill it since you want to feed live.
Shoot me a personal message if you have more questions, as I do have some experience with ASF's.
Best of luck!

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thanks man, trust me i will if needed xD:gj:

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Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Ah also don't be lazy man, besides it's one of the perks of owning a snake~watching them eat. Plus this is the time of year when they do want to be picky and or just not eat, especially a female.

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im very lazy in a lot of stuff, but never about my pets.

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Originally Posted by JLC

LOL...don't think he said he was being lazy...he said he's not being lazy, but rather, is afraid of causing stress or fear that would prevent feeding.

As to that...the room doesn't have to be totally dark to feed your snake. Really, any time of day is fine, and even in a dim evening-time room, you should have enough ambient light to see by. Once you observe a good kill, then you can slowly step away and let the snake be to finish its meal without being disturbed.

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yeah thats what i meant, and ill try to get a little ligth, and take your sugestion. thanks

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Originally Posted by BbyBoa

Simple answer NO, A fuzzy can't hurt your snake at all, what I call fuzzy's can barely open there eyes. If it is a true fuzzy you can leave them in their unsupervised as long as you want.

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it relaxes me a lot, thnx man, and for the record im giving her a 10-13 grs fuzzy rat, is that a fuzzy right?

if she is a picky eater, she won't eat the fuzzy even leave in the dark for over night. I have done this few times for one of mine, she just won't eat the dam rat :(

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Originally Posted by mc5guy

if she is a picky eater, she won't eat the fuzzy even leave in the dark for over night. I have done this few times for one of mine, she just won't eat the dam rat :(

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and how did u solved it??

just to inform: Ok i followed advice and supervised the feeding, she just spent near 5-10 seconds and striked, coiled and eventually killed the fuzzy rat, however the fuzzy was try'n to bite her, but i placed the hemostats in its mout so it didnt succed.

Does she show interest when you put a FT in? My son's BP showed interest but would never strike, so we just fed live for a while. After about two months of feeding live, we decided to try FT again with the same results. She would coil and shake and show interest but never strike. I finally figured out that she liked the mouse to be pushed instead of being dragged by the tail. She also didn't like the zombie dance. Once I figured that out, she's been on FT. BTW, she was born in July 2010 so she's fairly young. Hope that helps.

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Originally Posted by dren

Does she show interest when you put a FT in? My son's BP showed interest but would never strike, so we just fed live for a while. After about two months of feeding live, we decided to try FT again with the same results. She would coil and shake and show interest but never strike. I finally figured out that she liked the mouse to be pushed instead of being dragged by the tail. She also didn't like the zombie dance. Once I figured that out, she's been on FT. BTW, she was born in July 2010 so she's fairly young. Hope that helps.

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when ft was warm she did not even care, when it was hot she slithered and just get closed and nothing, fresh killed she striked one or twice ( iwas moving) but never coiled, never, i tried with ft slow motion, medium lvl, fast motion, picking mice by its tail, back, neck, but she just did not care, mi other BP eat FT, ill go live for 3 or 4 meals more, and after that try again FT, hope i canr turn her into that. thx

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Originally Posted by zato1

just to inform: Ok i followed advice and supervised the feeding, she just spent near 5-10 seconds and striked, coiled and eventually killed the fuzzy rat, however the fuzzy was try'n to bite her, but i placed the hemostats in its mout so it didnt succed.

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Good deal man! I always keep my hemos ready as a precaution just in case mine strike a bad spot, it seems my younger snakes tend to do it more so than the older ones, they are learning but we can help um from getting all scared up. Yes they still have teeth and claws that will scratch (All rats & mice)

Oh and I thought you meant African Soft Fur rats. I must have read it wrong, it was just when I was waking up earlier. My mistake!

Take care:snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake:

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Originally Posted by llovelace

no, but monitor all feedings

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I've actually seen it happen quite a few times, misplaced strikes and the bottom teeth of the mice catch the side of the snake. Luckily they squeeze the life outta the things before they can do much damage....

thx 4 the support, all of you were very helpfull. :gj:

Only size rodents i will leave in over night for stubborn hatchlings is fuzzy - wean mice or pinky- pup rats.

They cant harm the snake at all.

But once hatchlings are started they stay eating for while. If they stop its due to their surroundings.