F/T mouse fell apart

[Bogertophis]

...I will definitely use the water method and give that a shot....

And after you thaw in cold water, & then put in warm water, by "briefly" I mean just a couple minutes, literally.
For more warmth, use the blow-dryer & offer quickly, before it can cool off.

[Zincubus]

Yeah .. I let them thaw naturally in the snake room to get the snake juices going
Then a quick blast with a Hairdryer and offer instantly whilst still warm .


I stopped soaking in water when I noticed my two Albino Royals showed no interest in them - I presumed I'd been washing the smell away ...

It only really matters if they're dead fussy feeders I guess


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[Bogertophis]

As far as soaking in water "washing the scent away", that can be true for some snakes and can be mitigated in one of two ways:

Put rodent in small zip lock baggy and get the air out before you thaw in water.
Use tweezers or tongs to pinch the nose of rodent (hard!) once it's thawed to help release scent & help the snake target the head.

While I don't dry-warm any rodents with a blow-dryer, I'm pretty sure that's going to release a lot more scent anyway.

Most snakes learn to accept rodents thawed in water just fine, but it can be a change from whatever they're used to. Many snakes even prefer rodents
thawed in water: desert & rescued snakes sure don't turn them down, and my TX longnose snake (a lizard feeder by design) has been eating "washed"
mice for 16 years now...he hesitates some on fresh-killed.

[Acedink]

Yeah, I read somewhere that if the mouse/rat got wet, the smell was gone. So I've put them in a ziplock when I put in the water. And I think he's interested in them until he smells it (they've been rotted). But when I got him, and I was trying to figure everything out, he didn't eat for like 7 weeks (scared the crap out of me). Since he started eating 5-6 weeks ago, I haven't handled him except to clean tank.

I held him last night for the first time to watch some tv. Since he started eating, I didn't want to jinx anything. But I love this board because no matter what troubles I'm having, someone on here has either had them before, or knows how to cure it!

Thanks again.

[Bogertophis]

Frozen rodents typically pick up moisture just from the freezing process, and for snakes not used to eating f/t, they may hesitate no matter how you
thaw, but with a little help, they'll figure it out. The main thing is not to let them spoil by incorrect thawing- our snakes have a keen sense of smell &
that's asking them to eat garbage. Having seen so many posts where ppl are thawing incorrectly and so many posts where "snakes refuse to eat
f/t", I can't help thinking there's a correlation.

Rarely, some frozen rodents have been handled improperly* even before you got them (*allowed to thaw, then refrozen with evident spoilage), so if
your snake refuses, use your own nose to see if it smells nasty....he's probably right.

[dboeren]

I use water to thaw/warm my feeders and never had a problem with snakes refusing them. I do dry them off with a paper towel before offering them, maybe that helps with the scent.

[Bogertophis]

I use water to thaw/warm my feeders and never had a problem with snakes refusing them. I do dry them off with a paper towel before offering them, maybe that helps with the scent.

I blot mine on paper towels too, after I pull them out of the water...they're damp, not really dry. I don't have any really picky snakes (no BPs) currently, so sometimes
they're fed fresh-killed too, and none of them care between fresh or f/t. I sure can't promise with a BP though, they seem to get "stuck" on "one thing" for meals?

[dakski]

Yeah, I read somewhere that if the mouse/rat got wet, the smell was gone. So I've put them in a ziplock when I put in the water. And I think he's interested in them until he smells it (they've been rotted). But when I got him, and I was trying to figure everything out, he didn't eat for like 7 weeks (scared the crap out of me). Since he started eating 5-6 weeks ago, I haven't handled him except to clean tank.

I held him last night for the first time to watch some tv. Since he started eating, I didn't want to jinx anything. But I love this board because no matter what troubles I'm having, someone on here has either had them before, or knows how to cure it!

Thanks again.

Good you are not handling much and good you now know how to defrost and warm prey properly.

However, would still be helpful for all involved to know your tank size, temps, humidity, hide situation, his weight, what exactly you are feeding, etc.

There's a chance that something else is off and that would contribute to him being reluctant to taking F/T. Generally, the quicker you can switch a young BP, the better. If you don't want him eating live, that information would be helpful to us to see if there are other reasons why he might refuse when you offer F/T.

[Acedink]

Good you are not handling much and good you now know how to defrost and warm prey properly.

However, would still be helpful for all involved to know your tank size, temps, humidity, hide situation, his weight, what exactly you are feeding, etc.

There's a chance that something else is off and that would contribute to him being reluctant to taking F/T. Generally, the quicker you can switch a young BP, the better. If you don't want him eating live, that information would be helpful to us to see if there are other reasons why he might refuse when you offer F/T.

Hes about 80-85 grams and in a 10 gallon screen top. Temps on hot side 90-94 and warm is 81-84. A hide on both sides. Frozen mice are from feeder source, at Repticon.

[dakski]

Hes about 80-85 grams and in a 10 gallon screen top. Temps on hot side 90-94 and warm is 81-84. A hide on both sides. Frozen mice are from feeder source, at Repticon.

Hot side should be no more than 90F. Tops. Try to aim for 88-89F on the ground on the hot spot taken with a temp gun. Make sure you get a good temp reading from under the hide, it can warmer in there.

Ambient about 84F is fine, and 81F cool spot is fine. It's hard to regulate in a tank that small. It will be much easier when he grows and you put him in a bigger tank, preferably a proper enclosed tank like a Boaphile, or Animal Plastics, etc. Much easier to maintain heat and humidity in.

Also, I think we went over, but to be clear, your temps and heating elements are all regulated with a thermostat(s), correct? That's a must.

When are you offering food again? I imagine if you get the hot side temps dialed in better, and defrost the mouse properly, he will eat.

Keep us in the loop.