Weird Experience

[EthanMG]

Hey, haven’t posted on here in a while but I had a weird occurrence that I need help with. So I’ve had my BP for 2.5 years now and he’s never once missed a meal except for last week. It was weird bc he was circling cage like he was hungry (which isn’t common) and when I tried to feed he showed a lot of interest but just wouldn’t strike. I waited a week (today) and today when I went go check on the rat I left out to thaw the ziplock bag was filled with blood. I have never seen this, but not wanting to waste another rat, I took rat out, rinsed off blood, but then I noticed there was a good sized hole on his neck and there was no blood left in him. I’m also concerned because this rat is from a new package and I hope the rest don’t have this same hole. Anyway, I attempted to feed and he took it! But I still have questions: has anyone ever experienced these holes or blood pools from their rats? Is it okay I fed him bloodless rat? If the rest have holes in them is there anything I can do to where he can still eat them? Anything else I should know? Rats were from big cheese rodents. Thanks for any help!


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[EthanMG]

Update: I just checked (about 15 minutes later) and he didn’t eat it. He dropped it I guess and is just circling around it. Not hot anymore.

Update 20 minutes in : he ended up finding and eating it.


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[Bogertophis]

That sounds like they might have used an uncommon (& inhumane) method of killing the rats? Or else the rats were allowed to fight each other? I can't think of any good reason for feeders to have holes in their necks. And no, I've never heard anyone say they've gotten rodents that way before. The loss of blood is a loss of some of the nutrition, but it won't hurt to feed it anyway- though personally I'd find a different supplier & also let them know why. I wonder what they'll say about it if you ask?

[EthanMG]

That sounds like they might have used an uncommon (& inhumane) method of killing the rats? Or else the rats were allowed to fight each other? I can't think of any good reason for feeders to have holes in their necks. And no, I've never heard anyone say they've gotten rodents that way before. The loss of blood is a loss of some of the nutrition, but it won't hurt to feed it anyway- though personally I'd find a different supplier & also let them know why. I wonder what they'll say about it if you ask?

Yeah I know, when I feed again I’ll update this saying if another one from his pack it had a hole or not. If it does I’m going to try to contact them. Thank you.


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[Lord Sorril]

I took rat out, rinsed off blood, but then I noticed there was a good sized hole on his neck and there was no blood left in him.

I've seen this before: Rat has a tumor. Tumor freezes and breaks while crystallized...feeder looks fine, but, makes a mess when it thaws. You were lucky it was in the bag...

[EthanMG]

I've seen this before: Rat has a tumor. Tumor freezes and breaks while crystallized...feeder looks fine, but, makes a mess when it thaws. You were lucky it was in the bag...

Oh wow I didn’t think of that! I hope that’s what it is. I just found it weird it was right when I got him out of the new bag. Hope the others don’t have tumors too if that’s what it is.


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[plateOfFlan]

Snakes know when something's up - I got feeders from the local pet store that seemed to be ok quality, but my male refused to even look at them for an entire month. I put in an order with Layne Labs and he slammed the first one offered off the tongs and ripped them clean out of my hand. He was hungry, but the other ones just seemed too suspicious or smelled wrong. I tend to trust when they seem turned off and take the feeder away rather than worry about them reluctantly eating something they maybe shouldn't.

[Bogertophis]

Snakes know when something's up - I got feeders from the local pet store that seemed to be ok quality, but my male refused to even look at them for an entire month. I put in an order with Layne Labs and he slammed the first one offered off the tongs and ripped them clean out of my hand. He was hungry, but the other ones just seemed too suspicious or smelled wrong. I tend to trust when they seem turned off and take the feeder away rather than worry about them reluctantly eating something they maybe shouldn't.

Snakes have a very good sense of smell when it comes to detecting spoilage or the scent of the wrong prey item (including when you thaw rats & mice together but they only like one or the other) or some other abnormal smell that doesn't belong on their prey. Sometimes it can be that the feeders were fed very differently- for example, some feed dog chow, but better sources like Layne Labs only feed professional rodent chow. Dog chow can make the feeders smell vastly different to the snakes consuming them- if that's what they're used to, they may not care, while other snakes will object.

In this case, the OP's snake did eat after thinking about it. BPs are notorious for wanting their meals to have life-like warmth too.