First rat: Will it ALWAYS be this hard?!

[Spoons]

Well shoot, I could have sworn I read on here that what I did was a more common method! I thought it was sort of once they ate one rat, regardless of how you managed it, they'd more readily eat more rats. (Well, I'm still hoping that's the case.)

Well, I guess next time I'll change it up. I can't get anything smaller than small rats anywhere near me, I would have to order them (which is why I haven't yet, I'm waiting till he's consistently on small rats so I can order a bulk supply.) Though, he's so close to eating small rats I suppose I could order some and throw in a bag of rat pups as well. It'll have to wait till I get paid.

Next time I will leave the mouse totally out of the equation. I jumped the gun, I think, I was expecting it to be super hard so I inadvertantly made it super hard. This rat was nice and big, probably the biggest thing he's eaten to date, so maybe I will skip his next feeding and try with a rat again in two weeks.

[norwegn113]

Here's the deal. Most of the time if the snake immediately strikes and coils a food object it will eat it...eventually! That however is the keyword. "Eventually" I have 14 different snakes and they all feed with different intensities. Eating is a very stressful time for a snake. It MUST feel 100% secure in its surroundings. During the time it is eating it is completely vulnerable to attack because it's only means of defense is not possible during feeding. What the snake is doing is killing the prey to make sure it doesn't go anywhere, then it may hesitate and possibly wander the cage to check for "threats" before it begins to consume. When you go into the tank and "reset" the rat you are confusing and stressing your animal. After it strikes and coils it thinks it's dead. When you interfere the snakes thinks the rat is not dead because it moved plus the snake believes it is now in competition for it food with you because you keep taking it away. Your curious presence maybe the reason your snake may be taking so long to eat. My suggestion is prepare and offer your prey just as you have before then after your snake strikes and coils simply turn the lights out and leave the room or if that's not possible , cover the tank and try not to cause alot of vibration in the room. By the morning most times the rat will be gone . No muss, no fuss. I tend to feed at night when the house is less active and quiet ( I know snakes can't hear but they sense vibrations). Good luck.

[Spoons]

Here's the deal. Most of the time if the snake immediately strikes and coils a food object it will eat it...eventually! That however is the keyword. "Eventually" I have 14 different snakes and they all feed with different intensities. Eating is a very stressful time for a snake. It MUST feel 100% secure in its surroundings. During the time it is eating it is completely vulnerable to attack because it's only means of defense is not possible during feeding. What the snake is doing is killing the prey to make sure it doesn't go anywhere, then it may hesitate and possibly wander the cage to check for "threats" before it begins to consume. When you go into the tank and "reset" the rat you are confusing and stressing your animal. After it strikes and coils it thinks it's dead. When you interfere the snakes thinks the rat is not dead because it moved plus the snake believes it is now in competition for it food with you because you keep taking it away. Your curious presence maybe the reason your snake may be taking so long to eat. My suggestion is prepare and offer your prey just as you have before then after your snake strikes and coils simply turn the lights out and leave the room or if that's not possible , cover the tank and try not to cause alot of vibration in the room. By the morning most times the rat will be gone . No muss, no fuss. I tend to feed at night when the house is less active and quiet ( I know snakes can't hear but they sense vibrations). Good luck.

Thanks for the input! I will try leaving it next time. In my experience, if Argus does not eat it immediately he won't at all, and will just leave it there for me to find later, even if left overnight. Then I just wake up to a cold mouse! He seemingly doesn't mind activity while he eats (my roommates always want to watch, or I'll clean his water dish, or what have you - he doesn't mind). However, I'm willing to give it another try next time around with the rat! He's in my bedroom so it's easy enough to keep it quiet, I'll just come out and hang out in the living room. I'll feed in the evening so it's nice and dark and all that jazz, and the house is naturally quiet anyways

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Sounds like an episode of the walking dead

It does not have to be that hard, all it takes is old mice bedding (no need for guts and brain) and a willing snake, switching can take time and they do not all switch to rats.

Not stressing the animal prior to feeding also helps, weighing the snakes, taking it out of the enclosure can lead to enough stress for the animal to refuse food especially when offered a new prey.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Oh yes, and don't forget to leave it in there even over-night if you have to! When my BPs do eat, that's what it usually takes.

[Spoons]

UPDATE: I fed today. I waited a full two weeks - 14 days. Usually he is fed every 5 days, mostly because the mice I had were a bit small to be doing every 7. So instead of the 5 he is used to, he went nearly 3X as long. I could tell he was getting hungry about a week in, he would be roaming his cage all over the place. If I went to dig in the dresser (that he is on top of) he'd come out and wait for food. hunting every day. I weighed him a few times to make sure the extra length wasn't going to drop his weight (it didn't) and because he associates weighing with food - it is the only time he is ever weighed - he waited poised outside his hide, head in strike position, before poking around the screen top where I warm the mice up.

Today I weighed him (I thought about not doing so, but I like to get a same day weight and he's used to it at this point). He was so expectant he didn't even go back into his hide when I put him away at first. Popped a rat into some hot water and took a shower while it thawed. Came back and tossed it under his heat bulb to warm it up, and he came right out, tongue flicking like crazy. Offered rat. Struck and coiled pretty viciously after a few moments of hesitation.

HE ATE IT. Yes! Success! I have no idea if he'd have been this easy had I done this last time or if he took it more readily because he's already eaten one but I don't care, I don't think I'll have any more problems. This means I can order a bulk supply of rats and NOT pay my kidneys!

On a side note, I had to go to petco to get a rat, as the local place is closed today (I paid 5.50 for that thing!!!) I popped open the boxes of medium and small rats to check the sizes. An employee asked if I needed help, to which I said nope, just checking to see if I should get a small or a medium. One of the employees nearby helpfully informed me that a snake like my BP should get a mouse no bigger than the size of his head. The other employee helpfully added "I thought it was no bigger than the space between the eyes?" (which is the cricket size rule for lizards). I don't know how the lady could say that, as she said her friend's BP gets medium rats - she has to have seen his head before?! Needless to say I just smiled, nodded, said mine was on small rats but thanks for the tip and left. Yeesh!