Whoopsies....now I am in trouble

[OmNomNom]

I keep trying to convince Shen to eat f/t food, I've got him on p/k rat pups with no problem but the drive is killing me. So I'm trying to "fake him out" with a live mouse dangled next to the f/t rat pup. Or at the very least get him hungry and/or confused enough to eat the f/t. Only problem is....I dropped the f/t rat pup before I could zombie dance it or anything.....now he's hovering over it, lying on it, adjusting his jaw in some sort of reptilian yoga exercise....but won't go for it. And there's no way in heck I'm going to reach in there and grab it right now. Hahaha.

Interestingly though, he scented immediately on the live mouse. Even though they were right next to each other he could discern which was which and was trying to strike at the live. I may have to re-think this plan.....if I can ever get the rat pup back out. Ahahaha....I haven't been bit yet, it doesn't hurt, right? RIGHT?!?!

[John1982]

Maybe you're not getting the rat warm enough - them heat pits ain't just for show.

[OmNomNom]

Or something I guess! I hit it with a hairdryer before I tried dangling it, but there's something I'm not getting right.

But yeeeee, that was dicey, ahahahah....I was trying to lead him to the other side of the tank with the mouse while trying to reach in with my other hand and grab the rat pup. It was like trying to fake out a heat-seeking missile! I still don't know how I walked away from that with my skin intact...hahahaha. Still wouldn't go for the f/t rat pup....I ended up CD'ing the mouse and letting him have it, and left the rat pup over the hot spot in the hopes that maybe he'll go for it like he does for "seconds" p/k mice.

....this little guy, I'm telling you.

*sighhhhh*

[RestlessRobie]

I would make sure the rat is heated to about 100F and just try the zombie dance and leave it in the enclosure and walk away. My most stuborn live feeder had an attitude as if me watching him eat a frozen was not cool. So I let him miss a couple meals then left it in the enclosure and walked away. Came back in 10-15 min and he was playing with it. Throwing it around and then he ate it so give that a try

[Kinra]

Are you trying to hand feed him? If you are I wouldn't recommend that. It sounds like he's a small guy right now and your hand might be scaring him (and you could get bit). I use a pair a tongs when I feed and it makes it easier if I drop the rat because I can usually still pick it up without any problems. The only ones I can hand feed are the ones that eat the larger rats because I can hold the tail. I would try to following:

1.) Get a set of tongs, I don't even use reptile hemostats I just use a cheep pair of tongs from walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...Tongs/15750047)
2.) Let the rat sit until it reaches room temp
3.) Blast it with a hair dryer or put it in a bag and then put the bag in super hot water
4.) Almost immediately after heating offer it up (you can grip it with the tongs behind the head and do the zombie dance if you want

Almost everything I own is currently eating f/t and most of them I barely get it in their tubs before they strike so I don't bother with the zombie dance usually. I only have 1 who isn't eating f/t and I humor her because it's not that far out of the way to get a live rat pup.

If he still won't take the rat, try f/t mice first or p/k rat pups. It might be that he prefers mice to rats or it could be too much of a change for him at once.

[OmNomNom]

Are you trying to hand feed him? If you are I wouldn't recommend that. It sounds like he's a small guy right now and your hand might be scaring him (and you could get bit). I use a pair a tongs when I feed and it makes it easier if I drop the rat because I can usually still pick it up without any problems. The only ones I can hand feed are the ones that eat the larger rats because I can hold the tail. I would try to following:

1.) Get a set of tongs, I don't even use reptile hemostats I just use a cheep pair of tongs from walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...Tongs/15750047)
2.) Let the rat sit until it reaches room temp
3.) Blast it with a hair dryer or put it in a bag and then put the bag in super hot water
4.) Almost immediately after heating offer it up (you can grip it with the tongs behind the head and do the zombie dance if you want

Almost everything I own is currently eating f/t and most of them I barely get it in their tubs before they strike so I don't bother with the zombie dance usually. I only have 1 who isn't eating f/t and I humor her because it's not that far out of the way to get a live rat pup.

If he still won't take the rat, try f/t mice first or p/k rat pups. It might be that he prefers mice to rats or it could be too much of a change for him at once.

Oh good heavens there's no way I would try to hand feed him the way he goes after his food! Hahaha. I have some long tongs I use, but even with those reaching into the cage was a little dicey, he can rise up and strike well past the top of his tank, and it's a 40 gal breeder! Especially when he's hungry.

I've given him p/k rat pups and he takes them with abandon, so I don't think it's mouse/rat problem. Given how easily he could distinguish between the live mouse and the p/k rat pup even after thawed in the mouse cage and warmed up with a hair dryer I think there's something else he's triggering on that I'm missing. Hrrrrmmmm......

[AdamF]

There really should be no issue with him missing the food by so much, that he gets your hand, which he wants no part of. Follow the advice of the poster who wrote about leaving him alone.

Also you do the "piggy back trick". I have a male who for the longest time went of F/T rats. I did not want to spend 6.99 on live rats, so I'd buy mouse, and have F/T rat ready to go.

Once he had the mouse about 75% down, I would gently hold him with as little disturbance as possible, and put the head of the FT rat inside his jaws as he was finishing the mouse. His swallowing reflex allowed him to take the rat as well, as if it was one prey item. This allowed me to keep him healthy during his 9 month finicky period.

The key is, be gentle, and move him as little as possible during the process. I have not had one regurge, and he is now back on FT rats.

Of course, the safest time to handle any snake is when they have prey items in their jaws. 35 years ago when I worked in zoo reptile house this is how we could administer any care/tests to venomous species and or big nasty guys.

[frenchy]

There really should be no issue with him missing the food by so much, that he gets your hand, which he wants no part of. Follow the advice of the poster who wrote about leaving him alone.

Also you do the "piggy back trick". I have a male who for the longest time went of F/T rats. I did not want to spend 6.99 on live rats, so I'd buy mouse, and have F/T rat ready to go.

Once he had the mouse about 75% down, I would gently hold him with as little disturbance as possible, and put the head of the FT rat inside his jaws as he was finishing the mouse. His swallowing reflex allowed him to take the rat as well, as if it was one prey item. This allowed me to keep him healthy during his 9 month finicky period.

The key is, be gentle, and move him as little as possible during the process. I have not had one regurge, and he is now back on FT rats.

Of course, the safest time to handle any snake is when they have prey items in their jaws. 35 years ago when I worked in zoo reptile house this is how we could administer any care/tests to venomous species and or big nasty guys.

This works like a charm just had a big girl i bought who was "slamming" rats before i hot her but come to find out she was a 2009 mouser at barely 1000 grams 2 month later she on rats completly and has gained 400 grams using that piggy back trick

[OmNomNom]

I've never tried that before, ideally I'd like to get him on F/T because the trip to get live mice is about as bad as the one to get live rat pups! At least I can keep the live mice in my basement and they're only going to get bigger and fatter for him. Do they start accepting f/t after piggy-backing like that or is that just something you have to keep doing?

[oskyle1567]

Article from pro exotics site http://proexotics.com/FAQ2.html#2
"

A "primer" gets your reptile in the mood, raring to go, and as responsive as can be.

You can prime your snake by feeding two meals in one sitting. Go with feeders that are 50-60% of the regular weekly size, one mouse, and one rat. Feed your mouse meal first (you are feeding thawed, right?!?), and then pay attention. A smaller prey item should be consumed pretty quickly (that's the "prime"), and that is when you pounce. Immediately after the snake has swallowed the first item (allow for that full "get in the stomach" stretch), offer the rat to your snake. Snakes are instinctive feeders, and it is hard for the animal to shut off the triggered feeding response. Your animal should snap up the second item (the rat) with gusto. Anyone that has handled their snake too soon after feeding (sometimes an hour or two!) will be familiar with this instinctive strike. Your hand doesn't smell like food, but dagnabbit, that snake is ready to go, and any old target will do! Make that target your thawed rat, and you are good to go.

Follow the two in one primer plan for three or four weeks. For the fifth week, offer a full sized, high quality thawed rat, and watch your previously mouse addicted animal snap it up without a second thought. The slightly different smell, or flavor, of the thawed rat will be old news to your animal by now, switch made, problem solved."