Boa striking, but not eating

[Megg]

I got my 2014 nic on the 8th of October, and I've tried feeding him twice. The first time I tried a F/T adult mouse. He struck repeatedly, but never wrapped, and there was a lot of hissing. I thought maybe he didn't feel secure enough in his tub, so I moved him into a 15 quart and blacked out the sides and top. He's got a 90 degree hot spot, ambient temps in the high 70's, paper towels and a water bowl. He just shed about a week and a half ago (all in one piece) so humidity is obviously good. I've only handled twice- once when I first got him, and once for cleaning. Otherwise he's been left alone.
I tried feeding him a F/T hopper after about a week in the new setup, and it was the same thing. Defensive strikes and hissing. The breeder had him on live, so I'm wondering if I should try live, or if that would make it worse? Am I doing something wrong? Any tips or advice is welcome.

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

I would go ahead and try live, just to make sure he eats I'm his new home and settles in. There is plenty of time to switch them over to f/t, sounds like he is young, they usually catch on pretty quickly.

I would love to see him if you have any pictures!

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[bcr229]

I would also try live. Get the smallest hopper you can or even a large fuzzy - something that can't hurt your snake. Don't try to watch him, offer the feeder, or anything like that. Just slip the feeder into a corner, close up the tub, walk away, and check on him after a few hours.

[Megg]

Thanks, I'll definitely try live! I don't have very many pictures of him since I haven't been handling, but here's the pictures from the breeders website.

[JoshSloane]

Agree with what everyone has said, go live. CA boas can sometimes be a bit more finicky than the Colombians when it comes to feeding as babies.