Strange feeding habits

[DutchHerp]

Hey,

I got a new BP, said to be hatched in October '08, bred by Marc Bailey. He said that he was feeding on live mice.

So a week after I get him, I offer a f/t adult mouse. After two minutes of looking at it, he strikes and constricts.

Another week later, he does not seem to be interested, but starts eating within 15 mins of me leaving the mouse in front of his hide (w/o constricting).

Four days later, I offer food, but he's not interested at all.

Today, two days after I last offered food, he's out and about so I decide to offer him another mouse. Does not seem interested, but oh yes, he starts eating it within 5 minutes of me leaving the mouse in front of his hide.

I told myself that if he misses two consecutive feedings, he's going into a smaller tub and I'll put that inside his cage.

The questions:

-Should he be striking his food and have a better feeding response?
-If I put him in a tub, there's no room for both his small RBI hides AND his water bowl. Should I a) put one hide in or b) get a smaller water bowl with both hides?

OH, his cage right now is 24x18x15 (yes, I know this might be the cause, but he has perfect fitting hides nonetheless), and hot temps ~93, cool temps 82-85, ambient ~80. Poops normally.

[Slim]

A couple of things, Dutch. If he's eating without constricting, at least he's eating, right? It's better than the alternative. You know I feed only F/T at this time since all my guys will take it, and every once in a while, one of them will just ease over and eat it with out striking...then the next week they'll hit it like a dump truck. As long as they're eating, I try not to stress out about it too much.

Also, before you make the change to the tub, you could try crumpling up some big balls of newspaper and putting them in the cage. Might give the snake a feeling of being in a smaller enclosure. That way you can still have all the cage furniture you need in there.

[DutchHerp]

A couple of things, Dutch. If he's eating without constricting, at least he's eating, right? It's better than the alternative. You know I feed only F/T at this time since all my guys will take it, and every once in a while, one of them will just ease over and eat it with out striking...then the next week they'll hit it like a dump truck. As long as they're eating, I try not to stress out about it too much.

Also, before you make the change to the tub, you could try crumpling up some big balls of newspaper and putting them in the cage. Might give the snake a feeling of being in a smaller enclosure. That way you can still have all the cage furniture you need in there.

Yeah Slim, that's what I thought too, but the snake was obviously constricting a month ago as it was still eating live.

The switch to tub will be temporary, until he's big enough for the actual cage.

I'll try the newspaper as well, but I also have extra sphagnum moss.

Like I said, two consecutive feedings missed and he's going in the tub.

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Hey,

I got a new BP, said to be hatched in October '08, bred by Marc Bailey. He said that he was feeding on live mice.

So a week after I get him, I offer a f/t adult mouse. After two minutes of looking at it, he strikes and constricts.

Another week later, he does not seem to be interested, but starts eating within 15 mins of me leaving the mouse in front of his hide (w/o constricting).

Four days later, I offer food, but he's not interested at all.

Today, two days after I last offered food, he's out and about so I decide to offer him another mouse. Does not seem interested, but oh yes, he starts eating it within 5 minutes of me leaving the mouse in front of his hide.

I told myself that if he misses two consecutive feedings, he's going into a smaller tub and I'll put that inside his cage.

The questions:

-Should he be striking his food and have a better feeding response?
-If I put him in a tub, there's no room for both his small RBI hides AND his water bowl. Should I a) put one hide in or b) get a smaller water bowl with both hides?

OH, his cage right now is 24x18x15 (yes, I know this might be the cause, but he has perfect fitting hides nonetheless), and hot temps ~93, cool temps 82-85, ambient ~80. Poops normally.

Nothing wrong with him eating without constricting, so long as he's eating there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Maybe he's smart enough to know that the animal is already dead, why waste the energy to constrict?

JonV

[Slim]

Is this your Normal guy or your Bino?

I understand about the tub, but keep in mind that switching to a tub is also another change to the environment that he'll have to get used to...know what I'm sayin' Bro?

[DutchHerp]

Is this your Normal guy or your Bino?

I understand about the tub, but keep in mind that switching to a tub is also another change to the environment that he'll have to get used to...know what I'm sayin' Bro?

It's my bino.

Yeah, I realize the tub thing. That's why I only want to do it after two missed feedings and I won't switch him back for another year then or so.

But I'll see how it goes, thanks guys.

[CruelHerbie]

I've had fed F/T a few times and one of my normals doesn't strike or constrict, he just swallows it. I don't think theres a problem there bud.

[nixer]

why waste energy striking and constricting when you can just eat away. some snakes that are just fed f/t does this and some dont and i have seen some do it one week and back to the regular way the week after. heck ive seen one try it with a live rodent once that was interesting

[DutchHerp]

why waste energy striking and constricting when you can just eat away. some snakes that are just fed f/t does this and some dont and i have seen some do it one week and back to the regular way the week after. heck ive seen one try it with a live rodent once that was interesting

The main problem was that the snake didn't even seem interested, and only started feeding when the mouse was in its enclosure without me offering it to him.