Feeding Questions!

[Quarks]

Hi all,

My BP is settling in pretty nicely so far- I don't think there's quite enough temp gradient in the tank, which I'm working on, but it's been 77-85 degrees with a hotspot of 88 over the UTH for the last 5 days or so so we're getting there. Humidity has been 55-65%, and he had a great shed about two and a half weeks ago according to the owner I adopted him from.

I attempted to feed him a FT rat tonight and there was lots of interest: strike pose, tongue flicking, tracking, but then he started investigating the tongs and the rat close up and decided not to take it. I'm figuring this is probably a combination of him still adjusting to the new environment and also the mouse probably cooling off pretty quick since I couldn't find a hair dryer. (I used warm water method but I don't think it ever really got hot enough. I dunked the mouse back in warm water a couple times but no go.)

I was attempting to feed in the tank and I gently lifted his hide off him before bringing the rat in with the tongs, since he was balled up very tightly asleep inside the hide. Should I have left the hide on him and just moved the rat around in front of the entrance?

I left the rat in the enclosure in a tupperware and am going to try and warm it up in hot water about 30/40 min and attempt one more time (he's balled up in his other hide currently) before throwing it out. My plan if he doesn't take it is to put a bigger cloth over the cage and leave him alone for another week before trying again with a hair dryer.

Any advice or things I should do differently/watch out for?

I could also use some advice on getting more of a gradient in the enclosure. Ambient room temp is about 75, the coolest side of the enclosure is reading about 79/80, and the warm side currently reading 84. (hotspot over UTH is 88) We're getting an AC but ambient room temp will probably remain 75+ for the rest of the summer. Should I turn off the CHE and just let him use the UTH? He was sitting on the cool side most of the time before I had the CHE installed anyways... <-- not such a big deal when temp is 75 but when temps are between 75 and 80 I'm not so sure I should have the CHE on in there,- I think it's just going to raise the temp up past 80 no matter what.

[Quarks]

Update: he wasn't interested in the rat after 45 min either so I threw it out - is it OK if it stays in the cage longer than an hour or should it be thrown away asap after getting thawed?

[Lord Sorril]

Should I have left the hide on him and just moved the rat around in front of the entrance?

Yes

Assuming you have successfully fed previously....A lot of factors come into play with ball python food refusal. Here is a few:
The snake is not hungry.
The snake is going into shed.
The snake has not finished digesting its previous meal.
The snake does not want to switch from mice to rats (i.e. the snake does not like the scent)
The snake is stressed (e.g. change to its environment)
The snake does not like the time of day it is being fed.
The snake is fasting for winter
The snake is fasting for breeding

Back in the days where I only had a few snakes: I would thaw/heat/offer and if I received a refusal I would put the rodent back in the fridge. I would try again 2 days later, but, only offer for like 15 seconds and then toss the rodent outside in a visible spot (for the crows). I tried thawing/refreezing...that was gross...

[Quarks]

I haven't fed successfully before, this was my first try!

OK, sounds like I should leave the hide alone next time.I'll see what happens next week!

[Moose84]

I haven't fed successfully before, this was my first try!

OK, sounds like I should leave the hide alone next time.I'll see what happens next week!

What was the snake feeding on before? Live? Or FT?

What was the snakes enclosure before?

[fadingdaylight]

Another trick, take a hair dryer, on high, and blast the rats head for about 15 seconds, then offer immediately. This will get the temp up over 100, and seems to trigger a better strike reaction. If I don't get mine warm enough, my BP does the same thing. "Sniff, sniff, hmm... ", but if it's hot, it gets struck as soon as it is in range. Another great thing is that the hair dryer carues the smell of the rat to the snake ahead of time. Mine always comes out of the hide and gets into the strike pose when the hair dryer clicks on now.

[Quarks]

What was the snake feeding on before? Live? Or FT?

What was the snakes enclosure before?

The snake was feeding on FT! I'm not sure what his enclosure with the previous owner was.. I'm guessing a tub? He's in a tank now, and I thought he might be insecure so I've covered it partially up with a cloth for more privacy.

[Quarks]

Another trick, take a hair dryer, on high, and blast the rats head for about 15 seconds, then offer immediately. This will get the temp up over 100, and seems to trigger a better strike reaction. If I don't get mine warm enough, my BP does the same thing. "Sniff, sniff, hmm... ", but if it's hot, it gets struck as soon as it is in range. Another great thing is that the hair dryer carues the smell of the rat to the snake ahead of time. Mine always comes out of the hide and gets into the strike pose when the hair dryer clicks on now.

Sounds good, I'm definitely going to be doing this next week on my second try! I'm pretty sure that rat from earlier didn't get above like.. 80. Ha sounds like your snake has been conditioned to the equivalent of the can-opener.

We were looking for a way to heat it up on Sat and my partner suggested the toaster oven lol -besides the unsanitary aspects of that I don't really want my food smelling like dead rats haha

[Bogertophis]

Most BPs want to ambush their prey from a safe vantage point (their hide), so when they're hungry, they often "stay in" but peek out at night, waiting.
Yup, you blew it by taking away his "cover", poor ! Live & learn, better luck next time. And don't COOK the prey, just thaw & blow-dry the head right
before offering & quickly before it cools off. If he seems interested but is still too shy to take it, leave the prey near his "doorway" (of the hide he's in), and
turn out the lights & leave him be. It may disappear sometime later...& resist the temptation to peek as you may again blow it at just the wrong moment.
Just wait until morning to look...& don't forget to toss it then if it's still there...it will be getting "ripe".

[Godzilla78]

Yea, I don’t know how I could feed so many different ball python thawed rats without a hairdryer! It works quickly, get the rat hot and feed in the dark.