Snake suck in feed mode, or has he turned evil?

My snake was on a few week hunger strike. Then he ate a 50g rat, then went on strike for another few weeks. This week we chomped down a 50g rat, then was still acting hungry so 2 days later I fed him a 90g rat that was 2 days ago. Tonight he is still acting hungry, comes out of his hide a little bit when someone comes in the room, gets all S-shaped. I figure what the heck he's gotta know the difference between my hand and a rat. WRONG. I opened the cage door, he struck at my hand, so I nudged him back in his hide with his water bowl, think maybe he's calmed down, take his hide off of him and reach in to pick him up so I could check under to make sure he hadn't peed and bam he decides to proceed to bite me.

He is 1200 grams last time I weighed him (before his hunger strikes) and the 90g rat is just about the right size for him. Is he just super hungry from being on strike? Or has he decided to hate me?

Get him on a consistent feeding schedule and stick to it (every 5 days or every 7 days) see if that helps.

Has there been any temp or humidity changes? Change anything inside his tank?

- - - Updated - - -

Nevermind, I just thought about it and realized if he was stressed about something, he probably wouldn't eat. Der......

I agree about keeping him on a schedule. Wait another 5-7 days to feed.

His hunger strike was undoubtedly brought on by a new cage. But husbandry is spot on and he's obviously settled in and ready to eat, be it man or rat. :D He has been on a 7 day schedule up until this recent hunger strike. Usually feed every Friday, but the other day he was actually acting hungry so I took the opportunity. Then he was still hungry two days later so I figured hey, can't hurt. He'll definitely be going back to every 7 days now that he's eaten something that should last him that long.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VooDooDoc

His hunger strike was undoubtedly brought on by a new cage. But husbandry is spot on and he's obviously settled in and ready to eat, be it man or rat. :D He has been on a 7 day schedule up until this recent hunger strike. Usually feed every Friday, but the other day he was actually acting hungry so I took the opportunity. Then he was still hungry two days later so I figured hey, can't hurt. He'll definitely be going back to every 7 days now that he's eaten something that should last him that long.

---

Most of my snakes are suddenly eating like starving psychos and even the 'sweet' ones are leaping out of their tubs for their food.

If it's not feeding day, they're tracking me like little nasty Copperheads, hoping for more food.

One literally launched out of his tub, grabbed the rat midair, constricted so hard it exploded rat guts and blood everywhere and then hung there, halfway out of the tub until he was sure it was 'deader' and then slowly, creepily slithered back into his tub to inhale it.

{{{shudder}}}

Somebody here said it was breeding season related.

They're eating good so whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

:P

yeah summertime makes males crazy especially deep summer and the start of breeding season riles all the sexual mature ones up or "teenagers" too haha. I wouldn't worry all of my big ones are having crazy feed responses. My large male sable BP almost took a chunk out of my thigh when i opened him up to feed. If you house males near females could also be getting them going and femmes are getting ready

A 90g rat seems fairly small for a 1200g ball python. 10% of his body weight is 120g, and that is the low end of the feeding "rule of thumb". Possible he is still hungry?

I'm feeding my 800g ball python rats that are bigger than that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anna.Sitarski

yeah summertime makes males crazy especially deep summer and the start of breeding season riles all the sexual mature ones up or "teenagers" too haha. I wouldn't worry all of my big ones are having crazy feed responses. My large male sable BP almost took a chunk out of my thigh when i opened him up to feed. If you house males near females could also be getting them going and femmes are getting ready

---

Maybe you should start carrying a cane when you feed Abel.

:rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by UpNorth

A 90g rat seems fairly small for a 1200g ball python. 10% of his body weight is 120g, and that is the low end of the feeding "rule of thumb". Possible he is still hungry?

I'm feeding my 800g ball python rats that are bigger than that.

---

Nah that rat is ok.

A 50g rat once a week seems too small imo.

yeah hes been on 90-100g rats I just happened to have one last small one.

mann, seeing this thread just makes me jelous, i still have a 960g mouser :(

Originally I felt as if I was over feeding at 14-15% body weight per meal, but haven't had one regurgitation or refusal after he has struck/wrapped. The odd meal he just smells and then goes back to bed, but that is likely due to my low ambient temps (fixing with an RHP tomorrow).

The idea that you have to feed a certain % or a certain set feeding schedule is silly. Snakes don't have that in the wild, if he's acting like this- give him a big meal, let him sit on it for a few weeks. Usually gets them to calm down for several days after taking it, and then by the time they come down off the big huge feed, they are calmer and not so jumpy. More frequent and small feedings make them jumpier in my experience, the small meals are just not filling enough for them to realize they don't have to hunt and eat everything that moves in fear of going hungry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FrankieCarbone

mann, seeing this thread just makes me jelous, i still have a 960g mouser :(

---

I know that feel, brah. I have a 750g mouser. This is the first time in 3 years (aka, since I've had him) that he took TWO mice in one feeding. Next stop, rats! *crosses fingers*

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by UpNorth

A 90g rat seems fairly small for a 1200g ball python. 10% of his body weight is 120g, and that is the low end of the feeding "rule of thumb". Possible he is still hungry?

I'm feeding my 800g ball python rats that are bigger than that.

---

The 10-15% rule of thumb is for hatchlings and juveniles, not adult BP's.
We feed our males 1 small 60-80 gram rat every week and our females top out at about 120-130 gram rat every week. The females may occasionally get something that is slightly bigger, but never anything over 150 grams.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MMReptiles

More frequent and small feedings make them jumpier in my experience, the small meals are just not filling enough for them to realize they don't have to hunt and eat everything that moves in fear of going hungry.

---

I have to completely disagree with you on this statement.
All of our animals get fed smaller meals on a weekly basis and it doesn't make any of them "jumpy" or always hungry. Besides a couple of animals in our collection that are always little jerks and don't like to be bothered at all, the rest of our collection is perfectly fine 99% of the time and aren't 'jumpy" or "sketchy" at all.
Now when it comes to feeding day all bets are off!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

The 10-15% rule of thumb is for hatchlings and juveniles, not adult BP's.
We feed our males 1 small 60-80 gram rat every week and our females top out at about 120-130 gram rat every week. The females may occasionally get something that is slightly bigger, but never anything over 150 grams.

---

Looks like I missed this part. I guess I'll space out the remaining ~120g rats over 10 day feedings and then toss the bigger ones in the garbage (only about 6) unless I can find another local Harper with boas or larger pythons.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

I have to completely disagree with you on this statement.
All of our animals get fed smaller meals on a weekly basis and it doesn't make any of them "jumpy" or always hungry. Besides a couple of animals in our collection that are always little jerks and don't like to be bothered at all, the rest of our collection is perfectly fine 99% of the time and aren't 'jumpy" or "sketchy" at all.
Now when it comes to feeding day all bets are off!

---

Because all snakes are the same and should be treated as such, and everyone's experiences are the same. I've had many snakes over many species that when fed larger less frequent meals, or even a couple larger meals thrown in are much calmer than if fed smaller meals more often. Sometimes, it works, no reason not to try it.

People will tell you; OP, that you are power feeding, over feeding- but this is beyond incorrect. Snakes would take larger prey and larger meals in the wild, and do not eat every 5-7 days in the wild. Nothing about what we do to these snakes is natural, while I don't agree that you should give it a large rat ever 5 days, varying prey size is more than acceptable.