UGHH, New it would happen some time

[chong_python]

I new it would happen, every one tellin stories about their ball's and how they can go with out eating etc. etc
well i went to the pet store and purchased a fresh killed Juvi rat, like i have been doing for countless weeks it was smaller than usual tho, they only had HUGE rats there so i settled for a small one.
got it home and i usually do the little rat dnace and he goes at it if it were alive, but the last few weeks he hasnt been doing that, so i just leave it in his tank and when i wake up the next morning it is gone.
Any way today was different, he wouldnt take it with the rat dance then when i went out for a while and came back he had what seem to be half eaten, Half (top end) was all slimey and the other half wasnt touched, so i guess he regurgeatated(sp) it. so should i leave it in the tank over ngiht and hope he will eat it, or take him out and wait for a few days?
Any suggestions???
CHONG

[Wizill]

perhaps youre stressing your snake out with too much handling. consider the circumstances, has anything around its enclosure changed?

[Brandon.O]

does the pet store kill the mice (or rat) for you, mine doesnt

[gen]

Usually only reptile stores will kill the mice for you.

[chong_python]

no, nothing has changed, and i dont over exceed handeling him, should i leave the half slimy rat in there in hope he will eat it?,
and yes the reptile store does kill it for me, its a local store with very knowlageable people, check them out at
www.rainforestpets.ca

[gen]

I would not leave it in there. Remove it and wait a week until the next feeding.

[led4urhead]

I would not leave it in there. Remove it and wait a week until the next feeding.

I agree. He just might not have been hungry. Bp's are notoriously picky eaters.

[chong_python]

do you guys think i should purchase a live prey item next time?
because he really doest seem intrested in freshly killed anymore.....?
as much as i hate to say it.... live seems to be the better buy

[JLC]

I would not resort to live feedings unless he goes for SO long without eating that he begins to lose weight. (For a bp, that would be months!) Just maintain your routine. I would check to see if there's any reason he started to eat the rat and then spat it back up. An non-hungry snake won't usually bother putting his mouth on prey that he doesn't want. Damien (I think it was him!) recently discovered that his snake went off food for a couple weeks because he had a sore in his mouth...probably due to a lost tooth getting infected.

[JubJub]

OH MY GOD, ZOMBIE RATS. Be careful they might eat your brains...hehe.