You could also try showinghim the food then leave it on the cage floor. I have a bp, a Guyanna red-tailed boa, and a whole clutch of jungle carpet pythons that are afraid of both f/t on tongs and live rodents but will eat them f/t and left on the floor of the cage. The jcps all took their first meals that way and have never changed. It makes it easy to feed them.