I brought my new ball python, Fafnir, home last week. He ate his first thawed mouse on Thursday (he was eating live before) but I had to leave the dead mouse in his hide for almost 24 hours.

Now I'm trying to get him to eat from tongs. I got him to the point where he continously strikes at the mouse, but he dosn't 'finish it off'. After two hours of this he started hissing and curling up, so I left the mouse in his cage and gave up for the night.

Is it normal for some BPs to eat mice left in the tank? Am I doing something wrong?