Feeding night and laser thermometers.

[MontyAndMelissa]

So, I just fed Monty, after 15 minutes of watching her take down a mouthful of substrate and become disinterested in the rat, I sat here, frustrated, watching her look for food with the rat RIGHT THERE ! So, after a few minutes of brain storming, I remembered how she will watch the laser when I take temps. She will follow it all around the tank, much like a cat would. So how do you think I directed her attention back towards the rat? Pointed the thermometer in the tank, and pointed it towards the rat. She found him and started eating..

Are your snakes as interested in lasers as mine? Or is she just a weirdo?

Also, does your snake drag the rat around the tank before swallowing? As I'm typing this she whacked the rat against the side of the tank. Then into her water dish. Where she blew bubbles, I'm assuming she thinks it was the rat that blew the bubbles. She just coiled around him again. Definitely going to start taking her water dish out when I feed her.

Talk about a frustrating feeding.

[dr del]

Use tongs and take the rodent back out and reheat it.

[MontyAndMelissa]

She got it down, finally. She smelled him following the laser.

[The Golem]

Don't think of it as frustrating. Feeding is a time of teamwork and cooperation between you and your snake

Never even considered this but going to see if my snake will watch the laser tonight.

[200xth]

So, I just fed Monty, after 15 minutes of watching her take down a mouthful of substrate and become disinterested in the rat, I sat here, frustrated, watching her look for food with the rat RIGHT THERE ! So, after a few minutes of brain storming, I remembered how she will watch the laser when I take temps. She will follow it all around the tank, much like a cat would. So how do you think I directed her attention back towards the rat? Pointed the thermometer in the tank, and pointed it towards the rat. She found him and started eating..

Are your snakes as interested in lasers as mine? Or is she just a weirdo?

Also, does your snake drag the rat around the tank before swallowing? As I'm typing this she whacked the rat against the side of the tank. Then into her water dish. Where she blew bubbles, I'm assuming she thinks it was the rat that blew the bubbles. She just coiled around him again. Definitely going to start taking her water dish out when I feed her.

Talk about a frustrating feeding.

Leave the water dish. No reason to be messing with the enclosure at feeding time.

[AlexisFitzy]

I always take the water dishes out of my tubs. Just take them out before you start preparing the food. Mine just know it as routine now that I'm going to take stuff out of their tub before they get fed so it doesn't bother them. I just don't want to have to clean up an easily avoidable mess if they decide that bump into the water bowl or drag the rat through it. Much easier just taking it out and replacing it when they are done.

[Reinz]

In my case, I agree about removing the water, especially for my Boa.

The tank is too small, temporary, unplanned for a rescue Boa. The water bowl and hide take up most of the room. The water is 3-4 in deep. Last feeding, she snagged the rat mid air and landed coiled and submerged in the water. It did not phase her one bit. I pulled her out of the water and she never let go of that rat, and They were completely under!

[MontyAndMelissa]

My water dish is pretty shallow, but large. She can lay in the water dish, and her nose will be above the water, unless she's upside down like yesterday. I never had an issue with the water dish being in the tank at feeding time. And I fed her a smaller prey item last night. I usually go with 180g prey, last night was 154g.