First time owner, please advise *long post*

[dakski]

I'll let others chime in on whether to offer live food for now. However, if done right, you might get lucky with Frozen Thawed (F/T) if that's what you want to feed long term and your BP is hungry. I have steps (below) on properly defrosting and offering prey. As suggested, I wouldn't try the rodent and instead would offer wet to help your BP hydrate.



This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents for BP's and other pythons (who have heat pits). If offering to most other snakes (who do not have heat pits - boas, corn/rat snakes, etc.) you can usually skip the warming part.

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 (1 for each). 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 +/-. Less if smaller prey and longer if bigger prey (however longer does not hurt smaller prey).

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 - Large rats, for example).

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 on tongs. Wiggle gently to make it appear alive.

[PrincessBunny]

Thank you so much!
I researched into some frozen mice and I think I’m going to go with Perfect Prey for the future. For now I did go to petco to get a frozen one and I got a live feeder from a pet shop. Idk if I did something wrong or if she could smell the live one but I did not have luck upon first try. I offered the feeder and she came out almost right away.
I stayed until the mouse was dead and then left the room, right now she is inside her hide so I’m assuming she is eating. Vet appointment is upcoming Friday so I’ll update again then.
For now, I’m happy she took a meal, I’ll attempt to feed her Sundays from
now on and hopefully I can persuade her to move to frozen soon 💕

I appreciate all the help I’ve gotten, I think me and this little girl will be OK

[PrincessBunny]

Oh also, I wanted to ask. I don’t know if this is a good idea but I started leaving my clothes near the enclosure so she can get used to my smell without my interaction, I am hoping this makes her feel less afraid and/or stressed when I go to change the water bowl. I couldn’t find anything about this but I do know they have a good sense of smell so I thought I may give it a shot. Any thoughts?
I don’t intend for her to recognize me or anything just to help reassure her I am not a threat

[Bogertophis]

Oh also, I wanted to ask. I don’t know if this is a good idea but I started leaving my clothes near the enclosure so she can get used to my smell without my interaction, I am hoping this makes her feel less afraid and/or stressed when I go to change the water bowl. I couldn’t find anything about this but I do know they have a good sense of smell so I thought I may give it a shot. Any thoughts?
I don’t intend for her to recognize me or anything just to help reassure her I am not a threat

It won't hurt anything, though I'm not sure it will help either, since your scent is in the air anyway. I mean snakes have a very good sense of smell & you're living under the same roof, right? But your intentions are on the right track.

[PrincessBunny]

Yeah, I am just leaving my room just for her for now so I dont bother her with my walking around and whatnot. I wanted to slowly transition until Im sleeping there again but I guess I feel better now and I may be able to do it without that. Thank you again☺️

[Bogertophis]

Yeah, I am just leaving my room just for her for now so I dont bother her with my walking around and whatnot. I wanted to slowly transition until Im sleeping there again but I guess I feel better now and I may be able to do it without that. Thank you again☺️

I wouldn't worry about sleeping in there- in fact, your quiet presence will help her accept you're not a threat. I'd avoid a lot of daytime activity, or else cover her enclosure or block her view, but otherwise, don't worry about it.

[Zincubus]

Thank you so much!
I researched into some frozen mice and I think I’m going to go with Perfect Prey for the future. For now I did go to petco to get a frozen one and I got a live feeder from a pet shop. Idk if I did something wrong or if she could smell the live one but I did not have luck upon first try. I offered the feeder and she came out almost right away.
I stayed until the mouse was dead and then left the room, right now she is inside her hide so I’m assuming she is eating. Vet appointment is upcoming Friday so I’ll update again then.
For now, I’m happy she took a meal, I’ll attempt to feed her Sundays from
now on and hopefully I can persuade her to move to frozen soon

I appreciate all the help I’ve gotten, I think me and this little girl will be OK

Yes it all sounds very hopeful !!

The above posts all give loads of great suggestions/ advice so I’ll just concentrate something you mentioned... the hairdryer bit ..

With some of these fussy feeders it’s not as simple as giving the mouse a quick blast with a hairdryer there’s far more to it for some ..

I’ve read cases where they’ve lifted off their hide to try and feed them which won’t work with many .

My method is to thaw the mouse near the snake viv , wait until it’s dark / dim light ... wait until the snake is well settled under a hide , open the glass door , using tongs give the mouse a good blast with a hairdryer ( plugged in near the viv ) then immediately dangle the mouse in front of the hide entrance .

If there’s no strike simply reheat with the hairdryer and again dangle it instantly whilst it’s still warm ... in the odd case you may have to repeat the process 5 or 6 times but in my experience it rarely fails .. . Follow the method closely and it works 90%+ of the time I’d say.



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[PrincessBunny]

Hello, I finally took my baby to the vet and as it turns out: she is a he💕
Even if I don’t really care I was a little relieved since females are bigger and he is way way too small, so the situation would have been so much worse. The vet said that even if they had sexed her wrong previously (as was the case) and it was a male he was too tiny and malnourished.
No surprises here he had been severely neglected, he is not only stunted in growth but is lethargic and has several scars along his body.

I took a poop sample with me and they sent them in for testing, I should have the results in the next few days.
For now the vet recommended I provide vitamins with his food, I will start the process of switching to frozen after he eats once more to ensure he is accepting food regularly. I have a table with the weighs and sizes I will provide him, we will start small and work our way up.

Vet said that is likely he will never grow up to full size but she is hopeful we will get him healthy and thriving. His insurance also was approved today so we will be prepared for any scenario 💕

Among all the bad, the vet did say that he was curious and had the will to live, he wants to behave like a normal snake he just can’t due to his poor conditions but he just needs help and we will provide it.

They say no news is good news so I will continue to care for him and hopefully you won’t have to hear from us in a while except as a regular user with questions that come along the way and no longer as the precarious situation we were in.

I will post pictures of the big enclosure before I move him to ensure everything is set and proper, for now good-bye and thank you 💕

[Zincubus]

Well you are obviously a kind heart and I’m sure the story will end well !!!



Well done you !
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[Bogertophis]

I agree ^ ^ ^ He's very lucky you came along & took him in- you're doing a great job with him. He may eventually surprise you & grow to full-size- remember that many snakes in the wild live many years with adversity too- it just may take longer for him to grow. But there's nothing wrong with snakes that are on the small side anyway- Humans are not all "football players" either.