how do you to stun a rat?

[deathfromabove]

ok so today im going to feed my bp a rat for the first time, do i just flick him to stun him like a mouse or do i hit it with something since its obviously a bigger skull?

[Simple Man]

In my experience this can just make the rat more aggressive/scared/dangerous. I feed every single snake live and have no issues at all. Just monitor the feeding and have something on hand in case you need to put it in the rats mouth. I've never had to do that but I'm prepared for it with some feeding tongs.

Regards,

B

[dr del]

You don't.

[Redneck_Crow]

I feed them f/t or feed them live. Personally I don't see that thunking a rat on a table is stunning them, or any more merciful than letting the snake kill them. It's injuring the rat, and any degree or length of incapacitation is unpredictable. I've seen stunned rats bounce back with a vengance.

[Royal Hijinx]

Yeah it is very unpredictable. I would carefully feed live, then try f/t next time.

[deathfromabove]

Yeah it is very unpredictable. I would carefully feed live, then try f/t next time.

ive tried f/t mice but he wont take it idk what it is, maybe the scent is off idk

[Redneck_Crow]

ive tried f/t mice but he wont take it idk what it is, maybe the scent is off idk

Some of them are just difficult. 5 of mine will eat rat or mouse, f/t or live, and any size they are physically capable of swallowing. Then there is the mojave. The rat must be of a particular size which is ridiculously undersized for her, and they must be live.

She will occasionally accept 2 small live mice in lieu of her undersized rat, but that is as far as she will move in the direction of being reasonable. I'd like to kick her butt, if I could find it.

[deathfromabove]

Some of them are just difficult. 5 of mine will eat rat or mouse, f/t or live, and any size they are physically capable of swallowing. Then there is the mojave. The rat must be of a particular size which is ridiculously undersized for her, and they must be live.

She will occasionally accept 2 small live mice in lieu of her undersized rat, but that is as far as she will move in the direction of being reasonable. I'd like to kick her butt, if I could find it.

lol yeah like in the wild they dont have a choice of food size, or type of animal, but from what ive read on here it almost seems like they understand that they have a choice of what they want to eat. lol snake psychology.....

[Redneck_Crow]

Yup, and the wild has a way of weeding the picky eaters out.

A picky eater is a prime candidate for the snake Darwin awards.

[zeion97]

I feed them f/t or feed them live. Personally I don't see that thunking a rat on a table is stunning them, or any more merciful than letting the snake kill them. It's injuring the rat, and any degree or length of incapacitation is unpredictable. I've seen stunned rats bounce back with a vengance.

I'm going to agree with that, like most people say monitor them. I only stunn for ONE snake. My Burmese.. It will ONLY Hunt... -__-; which is annoying to say the least. He eats good, he just like to follow them into a corer near the water bowl and drown them. I personally don't like stunning the rats, nor do I think it's good, because 3/5 times (rough math from MY feedings, the rats get MORE aggression)

and if you can, then get them switch over to F/T for larger foods. that's just my opinion though. I think it's safer..