strike but not munching the mouse !

[Alt-tab]

Hi there,
I've re-arranged the BP's home to make him more comfortable and he seems to be responding to the better humidity level/temp/temp gradient .. so last night I tried to feed him a little mouse using the large tweezers ... bp watched the mouse as i gentle moved it about and then he struck but dropped the mouse - so I tried again, same result .. I was just disappointed not to see him eat his first meal but he looks happy and healthy so I'm not too concerned ... anyhoo .. my question is : how long should I leave it before trying again ? thanks in advance

ps
my diy vivarium is coming along nicely - just waiting on some orders from local pet store to complete the build - am taking a few pics and will post when done

[kavmon]

i'd give him a week to settle in. double check everything, all the temps, pay attention to the cool side temps at night too! make sure there are tight fitting secure hides. check out the caresheet on this site.

vaughn

[Alt-tab]

thanks for the reply - BP hasn't eaten at all in 3 weeks that I have him, so when there is no schedule per say what is a good rule of thumb for feeding if he struck last night but no eating - when should I have a go again ? I've put him in the quietest, warmest room in the house ... cool side 80+/- a degree warm side a little over 90 ... humidity between 55/60 all the time ... lights on timers so light cycle is consistent ... just sit and wait I guess now - patience is a virtue as my Mum would say !!

[aubrey]

I had the same problem with my BP, struck at the mouse several times and wouldnt eat it and was hissing. I've been told that it was simply stressed. In the end I left the mouse (f/t) in the hide with the snake and a couple of hours later it had gone. That worked for me, it may work for you, but do whatever you're comfortable with. From what I've learned 3 weeks without food is not too much cause for concern, but its a relief when they do have a full belly!
Aubrey.

[frankykeno]

Assuming that you are feeding f/t using tongs I would also check that the prey is warm enough and of the right size to interest this snake. Sometimes a quick blast on the head and belly of a thawed and properly warmed prey item will give it enough of a heat signature for the snake to key into. You may want to try leaving the nice warm f/t prey with the snake and leaving them alone. Some snakes just won't eat with anyone close by and the f/t certainly can't hurt it left there for a couple of hours or so.

We did find with one of our snakes that we had to feed as much from a distance as possible (fully extended arm sort of thing). We were sort of hanging over her offering prey and that put her off as I'm sure we were coming across like a predator to her.

If you haven't done so already, I'd suggest calling whoever you bought the snake from and asking them to describe exactly what they fed it, exactly how they fed and then copying them. If you need to change the feeding routine you can do so at a later point once the snake's been eating for you consistently for a few months.

[Blu Mongoose]

My one snake only eats if I leave the prey item at the entrance to the hide, turn out the lights and leave the room for at least an hour. I say at least an hour because a couple times I came in when he was surveying the prey. He was so put off by me coming back into the room that he refused to go back to it. He has always been this way since I acquired him. It has worked great though. I must always feed him last so the prey item will still be warm when I leave the room.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Hi there,
I've re-arranged the BP's home to make him more comfortable and he seems to be responding to the better humidity level/temp/temp gradient .. so last night I tried to feed him a little mouse using the large tweezers ... bp watched the mouse as i gentle moved it about and then he struck but dropped the mouse - so I tried again, same result .. I was just disappointed not to see him eat his first meal but he looks happy and healthy so I'm not too concerned ... anyhoo .. my question is : how long should I leave it before trying again ? thanks in advance

ps
my diy vivarium is coming along nicely - just waiting on some orders from local pet store to complete the build - am taking a few pics and will post when done

You need to try feeding again in a week time

If all is well temp, humidity, hides, enclosure size, it probably had to do with the prey

Has your BP ever ate F/T mouse before? If not and he is use to live I would suggest you feed live next time and for the next 3 meals before trying to switch.

If your BP is used to F/T maybe the prey was not warm enough, F/T once thawed need to be warmed up.

Some BP are also shy feeder only feeding when it’s dark and when alone.

What you can do next time you feed F/T is to leave the prey overnight and check in the morning if it is gone.

[Schlyne]

Sometimes they get a little confused when it comes to f/t. I've had a young ball give up on the mouse before because he kept trying to swallow it from the middle. You didn't say anything about size, but the mouse may also be too big.