Feeding question

[Amp625]

Hey everyone i have had my ball python for a while and i love him. I feed him every saturday, i feed him a adult mouse which is about 10-15% of his body weight and he a great eater, never missed a meal. However when i open his tank up and dangle the mouse over him he has trouble finding it sometimes and just look through the glass. I try to stay out of his field of view. Anyway it takes him a while. Would it be better to move him o a cardboard box for feeding time?

[JLC]

Moving him could cause him to feel nervous and therefore not want to eat. This isn't a hard-and-fast rule...folks have had success at using a separate feeding area, but all in all, I personally find it an unnecessary complication.

Is there a reason why you can't just place the mouse inside the snake's enclosure and then back off? He can then take his time to find it and you don't have to worry about distracting him.

EDIT for one more thought: You can also try pre-scenting the room. Keep the mouse in an enclosure nearby (if it's live) or just lay a thawed or pre-killed mouse on top of his enclosure for about 20 minutes. (You may need to rewarm a thawed mouse just a bit after this period). This trick is VERY good at waking a snake up and getting them into serious hunt-mode which usually leads to a much faster strike when the prey is offered.

[mpkeelee]

you need to heat up the prey more so it gives off more heat for your snake to "see". also how are you holding the prey, fingers or tongs? if its ur fingers he may be getting confused between the two. you dont need to move ur snake to a different enclosure to feed. i did it at first cuz i was told that and it doesnt do anything but make it more difficult for all involved.

[Amp625]

Before evryone told me to dangle it in his cage with tongs so it can simulate a live mouse and he can strike it. However this way seems fine to me

[Amp625]

i use tongs

[mpkeelee]

i should have asked already but u r feeding f/t right and not live? if ur feeding f/t then try to get the mouse a lil bit hotter next feeding and drop it in and walk away. give it a while and sneak back in and check, it will most likely be gone

[Amp625]

yes i am feedim F/t , thanks everyone

[JLC]

There's all different ways of presenting prey. Some snakes need a little dangle or "zombie dance"....some prefer to just have it set in their enclosure and a little privacy to hunt on their own. Don't be afraid to try different approaches to find what works best for your little guy.

[Amp625]

thanks so much