kills but refuses to eat

[jlong1989]

my genetic stripe pastel killed a weanling rat today but refused to swallow it. Is it normal for them to refuse to feed? He weighs 120g.

Thanks for the response this is my first snake so I might be overly worried lol

[sho220]

It's not normal, but it's not unheard of either. I've had a few who did that in the past. I just chalked it up to a refusal and tried them again next time.

Could the rat have been too big?

[jlong1989]

I was thinking of that too. Maybe I'll try a hopper or something. The store I got him from told me they were feeding him weanlings and he ate them but I don't know how true that is...

[Borgy76]

Did you leave it in over night?

[CORBIN911]

You may have looked at him too soon or had him scared while watching him. So he didnt eat it.

If you watch my pied girl shell just cradle the rat and watch me, but come morning its gone.

[Aryia]

Doesn't rat weanling sound a little too big for a 120g? Maybe they meant mouse weanlings?

[thegamejr]

i feed my 170g girl rat pups and those are a mouth full for her

[jlong1989]

I feed again a weanling rat. Thats what the guy told me it was and he ate it. This time I dropped the rat in and watch still he struck. Then left the room and dimmed the lights and 20 mins later the rat was gone. Thanks everyone.

[vangarret2000]

It is normal. Sometimes they will kill the item but not eat it. It's not common but not abnormal either. Frustrating when it happens.

[kc261]

I believe most instances when the BP strikes & kills but does not eat are security issues. Snakes are very vulnerable when they are swallowing their food, so if they don't feel safe, they may just decide not to eat.

OP, glad you got him to eat the second time. I think turning out the lights & leaving the room was just the right thing to do. Helps them feel more secure.

Do be careful with the size of the rat, though. According to rodentpro, weaned rats go up to 45 grams. Eating such a big meal would probably cause a regurge (assuming he got it down...but they can get some really BIG meals down), and that can be dangerous. Different pet stores may have slightly different qualifications for what they call a weanling rat, though. It's entirely possible that what this store calls a weanling rat is a fine size for your snake. A good general rule to follow to avoid the question of what the different rat size names mean at different locations is to feed prey items that have about the same girth as the girth of your snake at its widest part.