Questions about feeding live...

Ok, my bp has been acting strange and has been refusing food for a few weeks now. I have her on f/t small rats. I wondered if tossing in a live one would get her attention and maybe get her eating again. What should I know before I attempt this? I do know not to leave them unattended and to take it out if she ignores it...anything else?

Also, she has eaten before without constricting...if it's struggling will she know to constrict? I don't want her getting injured.

Yea you could try live if you would like to. As long as it has been one week since the last feeding attempt. How long has she been feeding on f/t? All her life? Only with you? Definitly monitor a live feeding... never leave her unattended! She will eat without constricting if she feels the prey will cause her no harm. she will deifnitely constrict if a live prey gives her a struggle (probably for any live prey at all for that matter). Well you do or don't want her getting injured you must realize when feeding live prey there is always that possibility. Most people on this forum that feed live for all there snakes will tell you that they have never had a problem (including myself). Hope this helps.

The last attempt was last night so I'm going to wait at least a week. I've been wasting so many rats it's insane. She's been on f/t since I got her in May. The pet store was feeding live fuzzies. I'm not sure how long they had her..I suspect about a month. I had absolutely no problem switching her to frozen.


Ok, for the sake of argument, lets say the rat puts up one hell of a fight and injures the snake...would I intercede or just leave it be till the struggle is over?

A couple more things...should I try this with a smaller mouse or the same size rat as the f/t I've been feeding? If she refuses, how long do I wait to take the lil bugger out?

Oops..one more thing. If she does take it live, do I switch back to f/t for next feeding or will that turn her off again?

Thanks!

I watch ours like a hawk, I've had some rats that are more aggresive then others and keep coming back to the snake and really freak them out to the point where the snake attemps to hide or stays balled up, if this is the case then yes I get the rat out and try again in a few days. Usually my snakes dont give there prey a chance to harrass them, but there is that rare case.
All of the injurys my snakes have gotten have been from a jab here or there when they constrict the mouse/rat, minor little scrapes.

so this ball python was eating fuzzies in May and is now eating small rats? How big is this snake? Perhaps it is not hungry.

A little background information is always helpful. :)

Well, I really have no way of knowing how old she is. She's never been sexed but I chose a female name so that's what I go with. She was being fed 1 live fuzzy mouse a week at the store for however long they had her, like I said, I guessed about a month or so. For her size, she was definetly underfed. When I got her, I upped her to hoppers then switched to small rats as she grew. I feed every 5 days unless she's in shed. She's now a bit over 2ft and last weight was 350g.

One more thing. Do I need to stun a rat/mouse if I'm there keeping an eye on her? I'll do it if I have to, but I'd really rather not.

I feed my smaller snakes adult mice if the pet store is out of rat pups. And I feed the mice live without stunning them. but unless its a rat pup with its eyes still closed I stun the hell out of them. HOld by the tail and wack up against something hard (like my porch ledge lol) My biggest female on the other hand won't eat pre killed only live or stunned. I accidentially killed one of the rats a couple feedings ago and she wouldn't even pay attention to it. Couple flicks of the tongue at it and just tried to get out of my feeding box.
Best of luck to ya!

so rats are more dangerous than mice?

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Originally Posted by jenaero

so rats are more dangerous than mice?

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I don't think so, but I don't feed any larger than a small rat, and I do not ever stun prey - that makes them even more dangerous should they "come out" of it. There are humane methods for pre-killing, and

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stun the hell out of them

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is most definitely not humane in the manner described.

Ya, that was my only real method of doing it. Never really heard of anything else except for the paper bag trick. I will say though, One time I did stun it and it did come back to life just as my snake went for it. As if it got a quick shot of adrenaline.


Any other methods please fill me in. I'm always accepting constructive critisism and helpful tips.

my snake doesn't take dead prey though...It just won't. Is it really better to throw it in live versus stunning? It has to be live i know that.

Ok I was thinking stunning it would be pointless because I was hoping the movement might get her interested in eating again.

Well when I say stun that thing is twitching around the box. As if its on its way. Sorry to sound morbid but I do care about my snake. I HATE rats tho...I just do. So looking out for my snake. or atleast TRYING to I want that thing as close to dead as possible while still breathing.


Like I said though, any more effective safer methods would greatly be appreciated

One thing I always do is pre-scent the room for about 30 minutes before offering the live prey. Set the Kritter Keeper down near the enclosure and let the snake get ready for the introduction of the prey.


I also follow strict routines - I feed the same day of the week, same time of day, and in the same order. By the time I offer the prey item (be it a large mouse or small rat), the snake is often already head out of the hide waiting for dinner to be served and the prey is struck and constricted in under a minute (in some cases before their feet hit the floor). I choose prey that is slightly smaller than my snake's girth and find they are quite capable of dispatching the prey on their own! :D

Ok so I just chuck it in and hope for the best?

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Originally Posted by jenaero

Ok so I just chuck it in and hope for the best?

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I don't "chuck" them, and don't hope for the best (it always goes fine). Follow routines, drop the prey in and if he doesn't take it in 15 minutes - remove and try in another week.

With my luck she'll ignore it and I'll have another pet:eek:

Of course I'd put it in carefully and keep a close eye on them. There's no real routine anymore because of her constant refusal...

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Originally Posted by jenaero

With my luck she'll ignore it and I'll have another pet:eek:

Of course I'd put it in carefully and keep a close eye on them. There's no real routine anymore because of her constant refusal...

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Make a routine - pick one day a week and offer on that day only. She'll pick up the routine. You might even give her two weeks until her next feeding to get good and ready.

I had one "kiddo" that fasted for about six months last year. Just offered once a week until he decided he was ready to eat again.

I just worry that she's not going to come around. She's never refused before and now it's been weeks. I know that's relatively normal but still.

Ok so last attempt was last night..I really need to wait til next wednesday? She used to be every 5 days.

I do worry that she's too small to go months without.

Do you know how much she weighs? Yes, I'd wait until next Wednesday - she'll be fine. It could be that she's just fasting to "catch up" with the food she's gotten every five days previously. And then as new owners (I did it myself as a new owner) we worry and worry and try to offer more frequently, when all that does is really just stress them out and exacerbate the fast.


Smaller meals once weekly helps to reduce the number of fasts (as well as spot on husbandy)

I do believe I've got everything under control as far as her setup. I've been having trouble keeping the temps up so I think I may move her into the turtle room, as it's always warmer in there. If she did get out in there tho, it'd be a mess.

I weighed her a few weeks ago and she was 350g.

Thanks so much for all your help. I must be gettin on your nerves:P

Nope, not at all (the getting on my nerves). Temps could be playing a role if it's been getting cooler in your area. Just one thing to rule out! :D

I'm just terrified that if she ever got out in the turtle room she'd be toast. That's really the only reason I haven't moved her in there.