did i traumatize my bp?!

[Kelvin Rivera]

So I realize that i've made a beginner mistake with my BP, but I have a feeding question. A month or so ago I purchased 2 normal siblings that were eating live mouse hoppers but seemed big enough to handle mice, which they have been eating for the last 5 or so feedings. The breeder recommended I get them on rats as soon as possible, so my plan was that once they were established on eating with me, I would transition them to rat pups and then work on getting them to eat f/t rats, since i've read a lot on here on how BPs can be such picky eaters...so i wanted to go a very slow and steady route. Well I finally found a petshop about 30 minutes away that breeds rats and today I went and picked up two rat babies that were the approximate size of an adult mouse...maybe longer? (I don't have a scale to weigh the snakes/prey...but they were just about the same size as the widest part of the snakes body. I guess they were weanlings? their eyes were closed but on rare occasion would open). Feeding the female first...she struck immediately, killed and swallowed the rat pup with no problem at all (sans trying to eat it butt first before finally finding the head). The male on the other hand (which is extremely aggressive comparing the two...he will sometimes strike at the glass if he sees you etc) i expected to take it easier than his sister...but the opposite happened! He stresses a little when I watch him, so after watching for 5 mins or so...i left the room, thinking to check back in 30 minutes...and seeing how easily the female ate it...i wasn't too worried about him getting hurt at all. When i came back...the rat pup was sleeping on the warm side of his viv, he had pooped in the tank and he was trying to get out of it. this pup literally scared the poop out of my most aggressive snake! So after freaking out about what to do...i decided that i would pk the rat pup and offer it to him. So I brown paper bagged/blunt hit the rat (i don't have dry ice, so i think this is the next most humane way?) and I left it back in his viv. When i put it in, he seemed to show interest, but after an hour of leaving the pup in...he is hiding on the warm side, and the pup is still there. I plan on leaving it in there overnight...and in the morning tossing it in the freezer to offer to the female in a few days. Any suggestions on what I should do with him? Should I ignore this weeks feedings? Is it possible he may be a mouser? When I say he is aggressive...he will strike defensively at everything. when i handle him, he will try to strike at my other hand as i clean out his viv and put hides back together. He seems to be getting less aggressive as the last 2/3 times i've done 5 minutes of handling, his hissing is minimal...and today when i handled him (first getting him out, then the rat pup out) he didn't hiss or strike at all. I have both snakes in separate 10 gallon tanks with lids, both have their own UTH, attached to a hydrofarm set at 95 degrees. with the aspen on top, the warm side usually reads around 90 degrees using a temp gun, but the probes are on the bottom of the tank, under the aspen above the UTH. The ambient temp of the room is always 80-85 with usually 50-55% humidity (they are in a basement office room with a closed door so it's always dark, unless i go inside, when I turn on the light). Previous to this...he has taken every live mouse feeding relentlessly...and shed and all with no problems. Did i traumatize my snake? lol

[4Ballz]

short story anywhere?

[Mike41793]

Coulda just been intimidated by the rat bc he's used to mice. I wouldnt worry too much!

[Andrew21]

short story anywhere?

Well, that was rude.

[Mike41793]

Well, that was rude.

dude dont hate. Not everyone had Sesame Street to teach them when they were little!

[tmooney0220]

i wouldnt worry. id just try again next week.

[Andrew21]

dude dont hate. Not everyone had Sesame Street to teach them when they were little!

Haha, Honestly, I'd probably watch it today if it ever came on! That and winnie the pooh!

[Annarose15]

i wouldnt worry. id just try again next week.

x2 I actually have had BPs refuse and then poo that night, so that could have something to do with him refusing. Just offer a rat at the next regular feeding time. Oh, and get a scale from Walmart. They are really too cheap to justify not having one, and that way you don't have to guess at what an appropriate prey size is for your snakes.

[4Ballz]

lol, for a first time post, it was a big one. I am shocked actually. Only one person really gave some input, and no one else really gave their two cents, but only to mine. the OP hasn't even come back to thank the person. Everyone can relax on my comment, as it was a "holy hecK" moment. The OP pretty much answered their own question as well....

[Spookitie]

If anything they should be commended. Most new people receive a couple dozen "more info plz" replies ha