2nd feed - problems????

[melissafred]

Crash's first feed last week went very well -1st mouse lasted less than 5 minutes; the second less than 1. Last night was his 2nd feed. As usual, we had 2 live mice. He dawdled around for close to 10 minutes with the first one before finally striking on it. Let him eat it then offered the 2nd. He made a couple of half-hearted strikes at the mouse but other than that, he literally let the mouse run all over him. After about 20 minutes, we put Crash back in his cage and left the mouse in Crash's dining room.

Tried again tonight. Again, no luck after about 15 min. Crash made a couple of half-hearted strikes but ultimately didn't do anything with the mouse. Had my son put the snake back in his cage and left the mouse in the dining room.

Should we be disinfecting the dining cage after every feeding to avoid confusing the snake? Should we just leave him alone and offer the mouse again next Tuesday night, which will be his regular feeding night?

Thanks!
Melissa

[Python-77]

Once a snake skips a meal its best to wait until the next feeding before attempting again, daily attempts can stress the animal out. If he ate one I wouldnt worrie about it until his next feeding.

[bongzor]

he is just full.. My rat snakes used to eat a mouse then when the 2nd was offered they would strike and miss out of defense. Sometimes they eat just 1, and are full.

[frankykeno]

If Crash ate 2 last week and 1 this week Melissa I'd agree to just call it good and save the second mouse for next week (it will be even yummier for Crash after a week of good chow at your house LOL). Both our Ball Pythons are multiple mouse eaters and we just offer their 2nd course after the first one is fully down and they appear interested in more. If they don't take #2 we figure now problem they did eat one. Kind of lets them decide if they are hungry enough or not.


~~Jo~~

[melissafred]

Thanks for the replies.


Update on the mouse. My son came home from school and the mouse was dead. despite being given guinea pig food (and no water, which I forgot about). I told him to offer it to the snake, which he did. Greg said he didn't show any interest in it so I told him to just chuck it out in the woods and let the neighborhood cat have a snack. In the time it took him to come downstairs, tell me what happened, me give him instructions, and him to go back upstairs, I guess Crash got hungry. Greg said he was leisurely swallowing away; he got it all down in his usual timeframe.

My only concern is that if the mouse was ill, could it cause problems for the snake?

Thanks!

BTW - I don't think Crash likes me. Every time I go to move him from his cage to his dining room, he rattles his tail and pulls the crap-fllinging routine. OTOH, he'll rattle at Greg but doesn't feel the need to sling stuff at him. Go figure!

[frankykeno]

Not sure on that ill mouse question Melissa though when I had a breeder female mouse get a big bump thingy on her spine I was advised it was okay to feed her off. Hopefully someone else can better answer that.

They fling poop at you! Oh...my...heavens (I'm just trying not to laugh at that...it's freakin funny tho girl!) I had heard of the tail rattling thingy but not the ummm other.

Maybe Crash dislikes your perfume and is just trying to help you out there Melissa


~~Joanna~~

[melissafred]

Maybe Crash dislikes your perfume and is just trying to help you out there Melissa


~~Joanna~~

PML!!!

Evidently, colubrids have a nasty of habit of doing that to show how disgusted with you they really are. My guess is that it's a survival mechanism for life in the wild. His Royal Highness actually let me pick him up last night. He was active but at least I didn't get pooped. Told DS that in between feedings, he's going to get handled a little bit every night. He was used to it at the shop. He just needs to get re-used to the idea now that he's at home. We'd like to be able to take him to DS's science class when they study life cycles so he needs to get over his 'tude. He's never offered to strike - just poop. (What's the official herp term - must???? mist???? )

Re. the mouse. I volunteered at the pet shop yest. They said that probably what happened to the mouse is that those 2 or 3 half-hearted strikes caused some fatal internal injuries. I noticed he was acting odd the morning after the 2nd offerings.

Melissa

P.S. - the shop has a good-looking yearling Ball. Gads he's gorgeous!

[frankykeno]

I think musking is what it's called but I think that's more like liquid not feces. I dunno? Somebody who knows these snakes please help poor Melissa with Crash's personal hygiene "issues" LOL

Hmmm isn't Crash your son's snake? You really do need your own snake Melissa...perhaps a...hmmm...nice yearling Ball Python!

*evil evil laugh*


~~Jo~~

[melissafred]

Musking sounds right, now that you mention it. It's a mixture of liquid and poop. Not to be gross, but it looks like what you find in the diaper of an infant who's exclusively breast fed and has a loose stool. I've learned to watch the cloaca when I'm handling him. If he opens it up, there's a good chance he's going to let a little go. In all fairness to Crash, his isn't as foul-smelling as that of some of colubrids I've heard of.

Re. the Ball. Paul's a patient and giving man. However, we were lucky to get the first snake. I'm not EVEN going to try to get another one (as much as I'd like to have him). In all fairness, our house is about full. The guinea pig is in the living room, the fish are in the entry, the dog bowls are in the kitchen, the snake is in Greg's room, and the Shih Tzu's crate is in our room. Our Lab/Collie mix has the run of the place. I'll just have to visit the Ball when I go to the shop.

Melissa