Can he handle it?

ok, so I am trying to get my new BP to eat and when I got him at Repticon the dude said he is on rat pups. Well, I didn't have any and had just bought some small mice. So I have tried to feed him twice but he seems interested in eating just has no use for mice. So yesterday I ordered a rat pup from a pet store because my big order won't be in until next Wednesday. I really want to try to get him to eat before then so that is why I ordered just one. Well, when I got to the pet store I got this rat pup they have for me and THIS THING LOOKS TOO HUGE FOR HIM!!! So I have posted a picture of Cody and a pic of the rat pup for some comparison. Do you guys honestly think he can get this thing down. I appologize for the pics but I didn't think it would be safe to actually put the snake and rat next to each other for comparison...hahaha.

Cody:
http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r...36IMAG1128.jpg
http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r...2011/Boba1.jpg

rat pup:
http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r...011/Ratpup.jpg

Does the store offer rat pinks (not pups)?

I guess I could just go ahead and get a fresh kill rat pink tomorrow. I was going to try and feed tomorrow and I want to get him on f/t ASAP.

I started all mine as hatchlings with rat pinks for the first few feedings. Because the pinks are smaller, they digest more quickly.

Cody weighs in at about 110g.

You don't have to kill the pink. It can't hurt your BP, and the movement helps induce a strike.

hmmmmm...true dat.

technically a snake can swallow a prey item about the size of their thickest part but it doesnt always mean they will.
i know cuz my girl will only take the smallest of the smalls.
i can tell you now that does not look like a rat pup :colbert:... it looks more like a small.
pinks are reaaallly small, my idea would be a fuzzy maybe...
when your snake has eaten it should have a little bit of a bulge in its belly.
a snake will not eat something if its too big, trust me your snake will let you know if somethings too big & you'll start getting a good idea of what it'll take and you'll be able to gauge the sizes correctly.
took me awhile. :oops:

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Originally Posted by GoFride08

You don't have to kill the pink. It can't hurt your BP, and the movement helps induce a strike.

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Yea but then if my boy don't eat, I got rat pinkie I have to maintain and the store has a no return policy on feeders.

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Originally Posted by mommanessy247

i can tell you now that does not look like a rat pup :colbert:... it looks more like a small.

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That's what I thought too but I was mentally comparing the rat to the small mice I am feeding my other BP and I jsut couldn't judge it while I was at the store. So I thought yea it looks pretty big but Cody is a bit thicker than my other BP. Then the minute I got home and was able to physically see Cody, I was like...NO WAY HE CAN EAT THIS.

The rat in the pic is on the larger side of being a pup for sure, but a 110 gram ball should be able to handle it with no problem.
Mine are now 130 and 145 grams and they both ate a pup today.

maybe its the pic but Cody looks smaller than 110

Well, I just weighed him yesterday. I just think that the rat looks very plump compared to others that I've seen. Maybe a dumb question but does the freezing plump them up at all and he might thin out when I thaw him?

If he doesn't eat it, you can always freeze it for later.

If you want to see something stressful, you need to check out my sand boa eat. Finding the right size is very difficult. He is 31 grams and eats 5-8 gram asf's :O or rat pinks when I can get them.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

If he doesn't eat it, you can always freeze it for later.

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Yea, I thought about that but I just wanted to make sure he won't eat it and hurt himself...now that someone told me he won't eat it if it's too big I feel a little better trying to offer it to him.

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Originally Posted by RetiredJedi

Well, I just weighed him yesterday. I just think that the rat looks very plump compared to others that I've seen. Maybe a dumb question but does the freezing plump them up at all and he might thin out when I thaw him?

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When I had frozen and they thawed and were wet you could really tell its true size.
Have the hardest time going to the store and picking out the proper size

Bump to see if I can get a few more opinions. :oops:

Feed him already!!:P

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Feed him already!!:P

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HAHAHAHA...I am going to give it a shot tonight...:D...I think I'll go get a rat pinkie tonight just to see if I can get him started.:please:

That looks like it's between a rat pup and a weaned rat. The rat pups I get have very short tails. However, just feed him, they can handle larger food than most snakes. I bet you'll be surprised how fast he scarfs it down :)

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Originally Posted by LGray23

That looks like it's between a rat pup and a weaned rat. The rat pups I get have very short tails. However, just feed him, they can handle larger food than most snakes. I bet you'll be surprised how fast he scarfs it down :)

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Even if that darn pup looks a bit thicker than my boy?

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Feed him already!!:P

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Yea... just feed the poor guy :rofl:

UPDATE!!! I went back to the store and got a live rat fuzzy. It took about 4 seconds and he snatched it up. :banana::banana::banana:First time eating after 3 tries. :banana::banana::banana: I am pretty happy. I had a feeling he was hungry but he refused to eat mice and only wanted rats. I felt a little bad for the rat cause the little thing squealed but after I saw Cody pushing it down, I didn't feel bad any more. The guy at the store also gave me some of the substrate they kept the rats in, so I'm gonna try to thaw my frozen mice that I have left over in that substrate to finish these mice. Happy day.

cool! I bet he'd eat that pup. It's big, but not too big, especially if he is a good eater! To me, as long as baby isn't scared of it or can't actually swallow it, it seems like they will eat sizes that look too large for their little heads. They aren't QUITE as piggish as my ratsnakes, who will eat just about any size of any rodent, but they will let you know what they like!

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Originally Posted by darkbloodwyvern

cool! I bet he'd eat that pup. It's big, but not too big, especially if he is a good eater! To me, as long as baby isn't scared of it or can't actually swallow it, it seems like they will eat sizes that look too large for their little heads. They aren't QUITE as piggish as my ratsnakes, who will eat just about any size of any rodent, but they will let you know what they like!

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It's not about being too big for his little head it looks too big for his body actually. I'm just glad he ate now. He took it fast too and I had to hold myself back from yelling real loud with joy...hahaha