On Average Half My Snakes Won't Eat....WTF?

[sharkrocket]

This is hotelvoodoo's manslave by the way

Isabelle just ate a mouse that I jiggled a little then dropped next to the door of her hide in her tub. She was completely inside her tub at that time.

I think letting the mice do their final few minutes of defrost near the enclosures helped.

The rest of the snakes all have a mouse inside their cages. Corena is cuddling hers like a bedtime teddy bear, but not trying to eat it at all. The others seem to be oblivious. I will just leave them like that til morning and hope to see no sign of mice in the cages!

Thanks for the help so far everyone.

[dr del]

Hi,

So, if I understand this correctly, are you all saying that leaving the thawed frozen mouse in their enclosure, the snake will approach it and kill it, even after the mouse has become room temperature again?(even if it was heated higher with a hair dryer, that temp level won't last long)

Will the snakes eat the mouse if I leave it in there, not wiggling or anything? i.e. do they hunt by smell even if it's not a heated mouse?

I still offer from tongs - but I keep it at least 4-6 inches away from the snake when I offer it and let them come to it. Going too close can make them go into defense mode instead of feeding mode.

But some will indeed eat a cooled down mouse from the floor if it is left in over night.

Pre-scenting makes the most difference of anything I have seen.

I can normally open any tub in the house and reach in and stroke the snakes with no problems.

But when I have food defrosting I open them wearing motorbike gauntlets from full arms reach and still have to dodge on occasion.


dr del

[Annarose15]

Hi,



I still offer from tongs - but I keep it at least 4-6 inches away from the snake when I offer it and let them come to it. Going too close can make them go into defense mode instead of feeding mode.

But some will indeed eat a cooled down mouse from the floor if it is left in over night.

Pre-scenting makes the most difference of anything I have seen.

I can normally open any tub in the house and reach in and stroke the snakes with no problems.

But when I have food defrosting I open them wearing motorbike gauntlets from full arms reach and still have to dodge on occasion.


dr del

I love this mental image! To the OP - most of mine won't take prey that is just left in the tub overnight. If yours don't, go back to tongs for those individuals, but keep prescenting the room and offering in their "home" tubs.

[hotelvoodoo]

Update:

Actually, the replies to this post have been EXTREMELY helpful. I can say that today 8 of 10 ate and out of the two that didn't one still has an RI and the other is still adjusting and very skittish.

I tricked Isabelle into eating in her tub. She "kills" it right outside of her hide and drags it in!

I fed Titus and Corena live hoppers, a little bit more mature than the last try with live and kept a very close eye on them. Both of them took the live! And Corena, MY WORST FEEDER, I even tricked into eating a F/T after the live. WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! Maybe the curse is over for a little while!

[dr del]

Glad to hear things went so well.