Don't leave prey items on paper towels...it takes very little moisture for a paper towel to stick to the rodent, & then be ingested by the snake. That can result in
a health issue (serious blockage) as snakes cannot digest paper towels. It's best they don't swallow any substrate: even though a little may not hurt, & probably
happens in the wild, it's easy to avoid with our pets by putting prey on something that functions safely as a "plate", such as a paper plate, a plastic food container
lid, even a piece of cardboard.
Mice & rats smell & presumably taste quite different. Some snakes automatically like both, but others take some persuading to switch from one to the other. That's
likely what your problem was.
Some snakes need more than a week of settling in before they'll feed also. Do you know when she ate last, Shadowy? She might even be going into a shed.
(I assume you know not to handle a new snake until it's feeding reliably -preferably 3 times- at normal intervals.) Just be patient & try not to worry.
And by the way...
Originally Posted by Luvyna
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I feel so much better. My next idea was going to offer her live prey.