BP still wont eat f/t

[Thomas S]

is a frozen mouse supposed to look like a live mouse? some of these mice i pull out of the box, are NOWHERE near what a live mouse looks like, im starting to understand why she wont eat frozen, im doing the hair dryer thing but the dam mouse looks like a wet noodle, and i cant blast it anymore than 10-15 seconds? starting to get frustrated again, snake loves live but a regular adult mouse is nowhere the size of a meal she needs, and im scared as hell to drop a young adult rat in there with her, should i do a double live mice feed?

[dakski]

How old and how big (weight in grams if possible)? How long have you had her again? She's pretty established, correct?

Where are you getting your F/T rodents and how are you defrosting them? Both of those things matter a lot.

How long between feedings are you going?


See below for F/T defrosting and offering instructions.

This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag. I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.

[Snow Balls]

is a frozen mouse supposed to look like a live mouse? some of these mice i pull out of the box, are NOWHERE near what a live mouse looks like, im starting to understand why she wont eat frozen, im doing the hair dryer thing but the dam mouse looks like a wet noodle, and i cant blast it anymore than 10-15 seconds? starting to get frustrated again, snake loves live but a regular adult mouse is nowhere the size of a meal she needs, and im scared as hell to drop a young adult rat in there with her, should i do a double live mice feed?

If she’s on adult mice and you want to feed her rats instead she should be having a rat pup or weaned rat. Not a young adult rat. Another way you could try to heat the prey up is under a heat lamp, I let my rats thaw out in the fridge over night then stick them under a heat lamp until they’re up to temp and offer. The only problem with that is the rats could explode but I’ve heard that also can happen when you thaw in water too


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[tempo36]

If she’s on adult mice and you want to feed her rats instead she should be having a rat pup or weaned rat. Not a young adult rat. Another way you could try to heat the prey up is under a heat lamp, I let my rats thaw out in the fridge over night then stick them under a heat lamp until they’re up to temp and offer. The only problem with that is the rats could explode but I’ve heard that also can happen when you thaw in water too


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The only way a rat should be exploding is if you microwave it. So I wouldn't worry about it happening with a heat lamp, heat pad, or hot water. None of those things are going to get a rat hot enough where something boils and causes expanding gas inside the body to "blow it up".

[Snow Balls]

The only way a rat should be exploding is if you microwave it. So I wouldn't worry about it happening with a heat lamp, heat pad, or hot water. None of those things are going to get a rat hot enough where something boils and causes expanding gas inside the body to "blow it up".

Not exploding during the thawing process. Exploding as in the snake exploding said rat


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[Spicey]

Eh, I had a mouse "explode" when I fed it to my KSB. He mostly cleaned it up himself. I quit feeding from that source after that, since it looked like their mice had been stabbed rather than gassed (they all had wounds in their abdomens, which is how it broke open). Never had it happen since, and I thaw in water.

[Bogertophis]

Eh, I had a mouse "explode" when I fed it to my KSB. He mostly cleaned it up himself. I quit feeding from that source after that, since it looked like their mice had been stabbed rather than gassed (they all had wounds in their abdomens, which is how it broke open). Never had it happen since, and I thaw in water.

Oh, that's awful! Glad you changed sources!

[Spicey]

I know, right? 🤢

[Bogertophis]

I know, right? ��

Sickening sure, but terribly cruel too. I would think about reporting the source- just don't let A/R activists get wind of it- such sources are outliers, for sure.

[303_enfield]

Dry it with a towel before hitting it with the hairdryer. A weaned rat is the same size as a jumbo mouse. If you gas your own or snap trap them it's safer then live. Live is safe "if" the prey isn't hungry an you don't leave it (prey) in over 30-45 minutes.

Size chart:
Ball Python Feeding Guidelines (ball-pythons.net)

Time to find some backyard prey breeds in your AO.

Good luck!