Feeding Help NEEDED

Hey everyone, I am having trouble feeding my JCP. This is my first time ever trying to feed a snake in its enclosure. Whenever I take out the hides to feed her she just gets very defensive and does defensive strikes at the mouse but doesn't constrict. Any advice on what to do? Also, is there anyway to make her not cage aggressive?

-Alex

Young Carpets are nippy, in time they settle down... but for now all you can do is handle her and wait.

What exactly are you feeding her? most carpets have a very high feeding response when the proper meal is offered.

If frozen thawed is the rodent 100 degrees?

How big is the rodent?

Dont take out her hides. Snakes are very vulnerable when eating so some get very nervous. Leave her hides in while you feed her.

I don't have a JCP so I'm no expert, but why are you taking out the hides, wouldn't this just disrupt her? When I feed my BP I just throw the mouse in a corner and walk away, checking every couple minutes.

I have a Carpet python and I remove the hides... this isn't the issue here. (mine hasn't ever missed a meal... Ball Pythons they are not)

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When I feed my BP I just throw the mouse in a corner and walk away, checking every couple minutes.

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Are you feeding live? because if so walking away at all is very dangerous.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Young Carpets are nippy, in time they settle down... but for now all you can do is handle her and wait.

What exactly are you feeding her? most carpets have a very high feeding response when the proper meal is offered.

If frozen thawed is the rodent 100 degrees?

How big is the rodent?

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I handle her everyday and she is for sure starting to calm down but she tries to take a chunk out of my hand whenever I reach in the cage. I am feeding her frozen thawed fuzzies right now until I can buy rats. And yes, I make sure they are piping hot.

-Alex

Yeah, they can be a handful, but they do settle down eventually. A bite from a little crept doesn't hurt at all so it really isn't a big deal.

The fuzzes might be a little small, I started mine on hoppers (they can take meals that are huge. some people go by the width of their head, some people even say 1 1/2 times the width of their heads.

My carpet rarely "strikes" at his meals... instead he slithers up to them and bites them then 50% of the time he will actually constrict them. but he always eats. I think he know that they are already dead.

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

I handle her everyday and she is for sure starting to calm down but she tries to take a chunk out of my hand whenever I reach in the cage. I am feeding her frozen thawed fuzzies right now until I can buy rats. And yes, I make sure they are piping hot.

-Alex

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Not too hot though right? No more than 100 degrees

And when you take her out dont hesitate just reach in and grab her and she'll learn quickly biting you doesnt work. Im pretty sure carpets are known to be nippy when young but she should grow out of it.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Not too hot though right? No more than 100 degrees

And when you take her out dont hesitate just reach in and grab her and she'll learn quickly biting you doesnt work. Im pretty sure carpets are known to be nippy when young but she should grow out of it.

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No, I use good judgement and make sure it isn't too hot when I feed it. Yeah, she was pretty nippy when I first got her but she is starting to calm down. She still doesn't like being taken out of her cage though. I was told to buy a snake hook to get her out and thats what I've been using but I'll just grab her next time.

-Alex

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Yeah, they can be a handful, but they do settle down eventually. A bite from a little crept doesn't hurt at all so it really isn't a big deal.

The fuzzes might be a little small, I started mine on hoppers (they can take meals that are huge. some people go by the width of their head, some people even say 1 1/2 times the width of their heads.

My carpet rarely "strikes" at his meals... instead he slithers up to them and bites them then 50% of the time he will actually constrict them. but he always eats. I think he know that they are already dead.

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Yeah, I know they are a little small but I had 3 left so I figured why not just feed them to her. I am probably going to get rats next time I am in town. Do they switch pretty easily to rats?

-Alex

Also, does it matter what time of day I feed?

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

Also, does it matter what time of day I feed?

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I haven't noticed a difference based on the time of day.

I got her to eat by keeping the hides in. Thanks for the help everyone

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I have a Carpet python and I remove the hides... this isn't the issue here. (mine hasn't ever missed a meal... Ball Pythons they are not)

Are you feeding live? because if so walking away at all is very dangerous.

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Aaron, come on, I know I'm new but really...... :) No, I'm feeding F/T.

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Originally Posted by Trochu

Aaron, come on, I know I'm new but really...... :) No, I'm feeding F/T.

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You would be surprised at some of the stuff ive seen in my short time here lol

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Originally Posted by Trochu

Aaron, come on, I know I'm new but really...... :) No, I'm feeding F/T.

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Well you never specified... and there are many people on this forum....

I hope I didn't offend you I certainly did not mean to.

I don't own carpets, I could be wrong about this.
I believe that JCP eat birds as their natural prey, I have friends that start them on quail hatchlings and change them over to rodents as they mature.

I like to feed my Carpets rat fuzzies when theyre 50-100 grams and then move to double fuzzies. Rat pups at 150 grams.

General python feeding help, works wonders on problem feeders:

1) Feed in cage, leave the cage undisturbed before feeding

2) Feed a half hour after lights out

3) If you can start an animal on rats that will eat rats as an adult, do it.

4) Warm up F/T feeders to body temperature. Pythons make very good use of their heat pits when determining whether or not something is prey.

5) Use long tongs (I like 9''ers, but 6''ers will do), it separates your giant heat signature from the small feeder heat signature

6) With reluctant feeders that look interested but don't strike, sometimes leaving the feeder in the cage after they begin eyeballing it can do the trick.

7) These are ambush predators. Let them ambush from their hiding spots :D They will feel more confident if they think they aren't seen by the 'prey'

Do you have some type of branch or perch in the enclosure for her to climb on?

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Do you have some type of branch or perch in the enclosure for her to climb on?

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yeah, my carpet loves eating from his perch.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

yeah, my carpet loves eating from his perch.

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So does mine. As soon as he smells the rats he will usually climb up on his perch and wait. If he isn't already on his perch, I will usually present the rat about the same level as the perch so that he climbs and stalks it...

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Do you have some type of branch or perch in the enclosure for her to climb on?

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I made this out of PVC and added some vines to it

http://img.tapatalk.com/441883c5-8da6-1e0d.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/441883c5-8dda-b05e.jpg

Nice perch. I should finish up my pvc perches tomorrow, then I can finish up the new tank....