Ball Python Hunting for Rat But Can't Find It?

So this is the end of Bud's 10th week on strike, and he's been coming out in the middle of the day for quick cruises. I took this as a sign he was finally deciding he may want to eat, and went and got a few small rats from the pet store.

I thawed it out like I usually do; setting it out at room temp. This time I set it close to the heat lamp so that it thawed out in an hour, and then held its head under hot running water to see if he will take it like that. I'll be trying boiling water next, which is usually the only way that works with him. He's been spending an hour frantically circling his tub desperately looking for the rat, top to bottom, end to end. But, even when he comes into contact he'll just have a short hesitation, run his nose up and down the rat and then move on. He's obviously hungry, as he's been hiding all day and when I was thawing it he came out of his hide and was staring straight up at the rat (it was on top of his tub). When I put the rat in, I turned off all the lights and everything but that hasn't been helping him. He's always been a ratter, with only a few mice before, but he's always taken rats nonetheless and he hasn't had any mice in over a year.

For all I know, he may end up finding it after I post this. -.- Should I just leave it in overnight, or is there something else I should do to help him out? It usually doesn't take him this long, especially when it's heated. I'm doing everything exactly like I normally do, the only difference is that he's in a tub with a red light. I've got a UTH, though, that I'll be trying out again. I think it's only 13 watts or something, and the last time I tried it it couldn't even get the heat through the tub, let alone the bedding, with or without a thermostat but I'll give it a second shot before I get a CHE bulb. I'm saying this in case maybe the light could be affecting him?

You could try feeding him in the dark, you could also slice some slits in the rat to get the scent of blood and such....Or brain it......:snake:

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

You could try feeding him in the dark, you could also slice some slits in the rat to get the scent of blood and such....Or brain it......:snake:

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He is in the dark, but I can try the braining/bleeding and see if that will help. :gj:

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

I'm doing everything exactly like I normally do, the only difference is that he's in a tub with a red light. I've got a UTH, though, that I'll be trying out again. I think it's only 13 watts or something, and the last time I tried it it couldn't even get the heat through the tub, let alone the bedding, with or without a thermostat but I'll give it a second shot before I get a CHE bulb. I'm saying this in case maybe the light could be affecting him?

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Was replying with this in mind. Herps CAN see red light. If i were you i'd find some flexwatt or thg heat tape......:snake:

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

Was replying with this in mind. Herps CAN see red light. If i were you i'd find some flexwatt or thg heat tape......:snake:

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No problem, I've got a UTh set aside ready to use, as well as a thermostat. :) If the UTH still isn't good enough, I'll get some heat tape or something. I usually don't use red light, or really any lights at all, that's just what I had on hand when I first moved here. It's what I used for the first 5-6 years I had him, but he spent 6 months+ without any light other than the sun shining in the room, so he's probably become sensitive.

If herps can see red light then why do they sell them for night time bulbs???

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

Was replying with this in mind. Herps CAN see red light. If i were you i'd find some flexwatt or thg heat tape......:snake:

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I've never heard of them being able to see red light.. Where did you hear that?

I've always had a red light for the night time display light. Dovah comes out to explore the moment it gets dim in my house and it's no different when I have the red light on or off.

Cloud, yes you can leave it in overnight if that happens next time.



[QUOTE=Kat_Dog;2225573]I've never heard of them being able to see red light.. Where did you hear that?...
QUOTE]


If I'm reading the thread right:

It's not a matter of seeing the color red, it's a matter of seeing the heat signature coming off the red bulb itself. I don't know what color spectrum snakes actually see in, but it could be possible snakes can see the red which we see.

We could also be so caught up with BPs using their heat pits for infrared where we don't count on them really having vision enough to see colors and depth. So we think they may not be able to really see the red light.

[QUOTE=Pyrate81;2225586]Cloud, yes you can leave it in overnight if that happens next time.

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Originally Posted by Kat_Dog

I've never heard of them being able to see red light.. Where did you hear that?...
QUOTE]


If I'm reading the thread right:

It's not a matter of seeing the color red, it's a matter of seeing the heat signature coming off the red bulb itself. I don't know what color spectrum snakes actually see in, but it could be possible snakes can see the red which we see.

We could also be so caught up with BPs using their heat pits for infrared where we don't count on them really having vision enough to see colors and depth. So we think they may not be able to really see the red light.

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Alright, I left in with him for ~5 hours that night, but he gave up and went into one of his hides - after burying the rat in his bedding (it started out on top of a hide I was planning on replacing). I'll try either again once I've had him on a UTH/heat tape for a decent amount of time, or in a week.

I did a simple test with him that I discussed in another thread where I had him and his lamp out. (I didn't shine it right at him so it wouldn't blind him.) I had the lamp off, I didn't even give it time to cool off, just flipped it off. When I turned it back on he flinched, so I'm pretty sure they can see red light. My boa constrictor also had his daily habit drastically changed by the red light I tried to use when he first went into his 6ft enclosure, and they stopped immediately when I discontinued its use.

Just out of curiosity, did you also try the zombie walk? I'd give that a 'shake' too....:snake:

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

Just out of curiosity, did you also try the zombie walk? I'd give that a 'shake' too....:snake:

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Yup. I waved it around, and then set it down on his hide. I didn't try for long, because that usually scares him to death and last time I did it I got a nice bite. He's not coming out during the day from what I can tell, but he's periodically sticking his head out to look around and I saw him out and about when it got dark. He's back in his hide now, though.

get a cheap pair of plastic tongs, use the tongs to hold the prey by the tail, zombie walk it til he bites and constricts it. Sounds like he still wants to eat, just needs some help with recognizing the food again.....Mine won't touch f/t yet, unless i do exactly this, then he thinks it's still live, and has no problem....( i got bit twice before i went and bought some PLASTIC tongs)....:snake:

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

get a cheap pair of plastic tongs, use the tongs to hold the prey by the tail, zombie walk it til he bites and constricts it. Sounds like he still wants to eat, just needs some help with recognizing the food again.....Mine won't touch f/t yet, unless i do exactly this, then he thinks it's still live, and has no problem....( i got bit twice before i went and bought some PLASTIC tongs)....:snake:

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I mean, he does strike it...but he just lets go and then he puffs up and runs away. He's just fear-striking and getting stressed. He's eaten f/t 5 times before, with no movement, just setting it down in front of his hide. I guess I can keep trying, maybe he'll get over it idk. Is there a certain way that maybe wouldn't scare him as much? I've tried dangling it above him, just holding it by the tail and going back and forth, in circles in front of him, and even dragging it across the bedding so there wasn't a big hand hovering over him.

If it hasn't been mentioned already I would avoid boiling water. Any risk of cooking the rat at all is best avoided. I use a cheap hair dryer on its low setting. It's quick, easy, and gets the scent in the air which usually gets the snakes interested quickly.

In my experience the inability to 'find' the rat that you describe is pretty normal. Sometimes they'll take it on their own no problem, and sometimes it's like they just don't recognize the food, but they know it smells like food.

I keep the rat at around ground level and shuffle it around a bit. Usually they take it quickly, if they don't I might try shuffling it a bit closer to them, or shuffling it a bit farther away. They seem to go for it when it gets close or farther from them. Sometimes they'll constrict but wont swallow it, and they'll go poking around looking for it like they've somehow lost it after constricting and then give up, in which case I retrieve it and offer it a second time.

It gets a bit frustrating sometimes, but it's always worked given enough patience.

Trick is just to be patient and to remember that they can be a bit skittish, even with prey.

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Originally Posted by Drift

If it hasn't been mentioned already I would avoid boiling water. Any risk of cooking the rat at all is best avoided. I use a cheap hair dryer on its low setting. It's quick, easy, and gets the scent in the air which usually gets the snakes interested quickly.

In my experience the inability to 'find' the rat that you describe is pretty normal. Sometimes they'll take it on their own no problem, and sometimes it's like they just don't recognize the food, but they know it smells like food.

I keep the rat at around ground level and shuffle it around a bit. Usually they take it quickly, if they don't I might try shuffling it a bit closer to them, or shuffling it a bit farther away. They seem to go for it when it gets close or farther from them. Sometimes they'll constrict but wont swallow it, and they'll go poking around looking for it like they've somehow lost it after constricting and then give up, in which case I retrieve it and offer it a second time.

It gets a bit frustrating sometimes, but it's always worked given enough patience.

Trick is just to be patient and to remember that they can be a bit skittish, even with prey.

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I do try to keep the time in the water to a minimum, since I don't really have a hair dryer on hand because it takes a ridiculous amount of time to dry my hair with it. lol I may go out and get one, though.

Thanks for that info, I'd never encountered this problem with mine before, he always found it immediately and ate it. He was fed live for 7 years and I just recently switched him to f/t a couple months ago, he's 7.5 years old now. I'll keep trying to tease him and maybe he'll get it one of these times. lol You're right, it does get exasperating, so it's lovely I have the boa and garter. :P

Wish i could keep a garter, where I live it's illegal to keep garter snakes of any sort, because they're considered wildlife.....Even if you were to buy them captive bred from a pet store or breeder, which is also illegal ....:confusd::O..My kids bring them home, and i have to tell them their harmless snake is illegal to keep. Good luck with getting Bud to eat....:snake:

An update for everyone:

He finally took a rat! He refused it last week, but I offered again today. I was going to yesterday, but I had to take him out to work on his bedding so I gave him that day to settle down. I set the rat out, and when I opened his tub I bent down and saw his little nose at the entrance, just hovering there. I waved the rat in front of him, and he struck so hard that the front of the hide jumped up in the air. He didn't grab the rat, but managed to knock it onto the bedding. I picked it back up waved it again, just in case it was just a failed strike and not a fear response. This time, his aim was true and he tore the rat from the tweezers and drug it into his hide. I was grinning from ear to ear. This was the end of his 13th week on strike, so fingers crossed he'll repeat this next time!

Is a small rat every two weeks ok, or should I go back to my original medium rat every two weeks? The small rats are about half his girth, and the mediums are roughly as big around as his widest part. I figure weekly would be too often, especially since he's gone a good amount of time without food?

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Originally Posted by Ripsaw642

Just out of curiosity, did you also try the zombie walk? I'd give that a 'shake' too....:snake:

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heh heh, that's "punny"

sorry, couldn't resist.. :rolleyes: