Feeding size

[Mike41793]

A small rat is 50-80 grams. If anyone is paying small prices for 125g rats, let me know who you're buying from haha.

An XL retired breeder mouse would be close to 50g. Or a pregnant female maybe. A small rat could be about that size if you find a smaller small rat. So yes, it'd be OK to feed one to that snake as long as you get the right size. If you're worried about the rat being too feisty for the snake cuz of its size, you just pre kill it. Hold a pencil, ruler or butter knife behind its head and push down. Yank hard of the base of the tail. Boom, simply pre killed.

[Reed12321]

So she ate what appeared to be a pregnant mouse, but it was a rough feeding in terms of getting scratched and bit in the process. That was about 5 days ago. I can tell she's hungry because when she is hungry, she roams all over the tank trying to get out. I'm assuming she's looking for food when she starts doing this. Today I put a live mouse in there that was about the same size as the pregnant one, and she didn't have any interest in it. After 15 minutes, I put it back in the cage, and decided to try thawing out a rat. I put a rat in the tank and left it for a few hours, and nothing happened. I'm going to try to get a live rat pup from a pet store to see if she'll eat it, but I'm nervous that since the last time she ate was so violent, that she'll be hesitant to eat.

[DVirginiana]

I use those but last time I used feeding tongs with a live feeder, it bit me pretty badly


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How were you using the tongs? If you do it correctly (for putting the tongs in the feeder's mouth so it can't bite the snake) there should be pretty much no way you could be bitten.

[Reed12321]

How were you using the tongs? If you do it correctly (for putting the tongs in the feeder's mouth so it can't bite the snake) there should be pretty much no way you could be bitten.

Apparently I was doing it wrong. I was holding the feeder like I would hold a F/T (by the tail) How do you use tongs to feed live?

[AlexisFitzy]

Apparently I was doing it wrong. I was holding the feeder like I would hold a F/T (by the tail) How do you use tongs to feed live?

You don't... you just place the feeder in the snakes enclosure and let the snake do its thing. You want the feeder to be calm when placed in the snakes enclosure, holding it by the tail is not good for the feeder and will put your snake at risk for getting a bite.

Edit: And put yourself at risk for a bite too Lol. Rat bites are not fun.

[Reed12321]

You don't... you just place the feeder in the snakes enclosure and let the snake do its thing. You want the feeder to be calm when placed in the snakes enclosure, holding it by the tail is not good for the feeder and will put your snake at risk for getting a bite.

Okay then I am doing it right. The instance where my snake was bitten was because when the snake struck at the mouse, it caught the tail. I wasn't holding he rodent by tongs at all. It was just roaming around the tank and the snake just struck and missed the body. She didnt let go of the tail and that's what caused her to get bit. She wasn't even coiled around the mouse when she was bit. I might be able to post a video of what happened

[Reed12321]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FE0oS9IbH8

[michaelt]

If my snake would have just grabbed the tail I would have grabbed the mouse to make sure it wouldnt bite her.. Not just watch it happen.. When I did feed live the adult mice I was getting were 30 grams and male now that I'm on ft there 18-22 when I weigh them frozen.. It's not hard to get them to switch.. My 300g one that always took live his whole life switched right over no missed feedings at all

[Reed12321]

Yeah this is the first time this has ever happened to me. I know better to intervene next time. I've been trying to get her to switch to f/t but when she was a hatchling, she ate live from the breeder. After I got her home, she ate 1 f/t and went on a feeding hiatus for 3 weeks until I got her a live mouse to eat.


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[EL-Ziggy]

I know there are some snakes that will only eat live but I do believe the majority of them can be converted to f/t. It takes a lot of patience sometimes but if the snake isn't losing a lot of weight you just have to wait them out. Eventually they'll get hungry and eat what's available. Once they take f/t I would never offer live prey again unless absolutely necessary. You have a very nice BP. I'm sure you don't want him to get injured, or worse, by his food.