Thank you Ziggy. We are trying to ease him into being handled, but he gets so stressed out, and has struck a couple times (he's so tiny, it's not even a pin prick). It's not the striking that bothers us; I just don't want him to get so nervous and scared he won't come out of his hide, or worse, will stop eating. He's such an entertaining little guy, very curious and agile. He gets into some interesting positions to get a certain view out of his "cage". But after attempting to hold him, he doesn't come out for the rest of the day. I hope he will chill out eventually and learn to trust us. I really don't like to see him so stressed. Poor little guy.
As far as the feeding question, thank you so much. I feel very relieved. I read somewhere that hatchling rat snakes stick around their clutch for a while and exist off of their yolk for longer than other snakes. I don't know if that's true. Anyway, I was concerned maybe we got him too young. But then, he wasn't with his clutch when he was "captured". He was wound around a padlock in back of a restaurant, basking in the hot Florida sun. I was concerned that he would never strike and constrict. I imagine he will be on pinkies for a while, but, you're right, we do need to start him on f/t to get him used to it.
Do you have a rat snake? They seem to be interactive and curious animals. When I am standing there watching him, he comes right up to the glass and looks at me, very directly. It's so funny. One time his little head went up and down, as if he were checking me out from head to toe (or as far down as his vantage point will allow) He's a trip!