My snake won't strike?

[Superdan]

Hey guys

I have been feeding Ruby out of her viv since I had her and for the last 4 weeks have been feeding her on XL mice. Since then she has refused to strike when I present it to her and I dont know why? After placing the mouse in her viv, she then eats it! Is she getting lazy; always being fed on FT? I am also planning to move her on to weener/small rats next week and am worried that if she's not striking, will she still eat a FT the way she has been and still make the change over or shall I try a live? she is 400g.

Thanks
your help is most welcome

[JLC]

While it's not the most common thing to see, it's not all that unusual for a ball python to realize it does not have to expend the energy to strike and coil pre-killed prey. So long as she's eating, that's what is most important. Nothing wrong with them being a bit lazy about it. Given that she IS a bit lazy about it, I would NOT switch to live prey unless you have some super-compelling reason to do so. She may or may not recognize the difference after growing so used to eating without striking and the risk of injury increases some. It would probably be ok...they're very instinctual creatures, after all. But I wouldn't personally take the chance. I'd just be glad I had a happily eating snake on f/t.

[Superdan]

cheers I did think that, i just didnt know whether a snake in captivity after always fed on f/t would lose the will to strike? and thats what i look forward to most each week!

[Egapal]

cheers I did think that, i just didnt know whether a snake in captivity after always fed on f/t would lose the will to strike? and thats what i look forward to most each week!

I certainly understand that you look forward to the strike. I have a picky eater at home. I will get back to back feedings for a while and then a month or two of refusals. When you snake hasn't eaten in 2 months you will be elated to see even a lazy feed. I couldn't agree with Judy (JLC) more. If your snake is eating don't change a thing.

[Superdan]

she always did strike and so what im doing now is new and i wondered if the sight of a bigger mouse put infront of her was daunting for her?

[Egapal]

she always did strike and so what im doing now is new and i wondered if the sight of a bigger mouse put infront of her was daunting for her?

If she eats then the bigger mouse is not stressing her. Remember that constricting prey is a lot of work. Your snake is literally squeezing the prey with all of its strength. For your snake its a life or death struggle. If it doesn't give everything it has then the mouse might get away or worse bite in defense. In the wild a bite can lead to death. If your snake knows that the mouse is dead then it doesn't have to exert all that effort. When you watch your snake strike, coil and then eat you see something cool, nature at work. For your snake its something different. Your snake is risking its life every time it goes for another meal. Its dangerous to come out of hiding, its dangerous to kill a mouse, it then has to find a safe place to digest lugging around a mouse in its belly without getting eaten by something bigger.

[pinkeye714]

Same thing happened to me. My girl stopped eating so i just froze her rat. I checked on her a couple times. noticed when she gets hungry she roams her cage like crazy but she was staying in her hide more then anything. Then i realized she was shedding! ^_^