Trouble Feeder

[maausen]

Thank you all for the very helpful replies. I will follow that action plan from here out.

I only feed in enclosure when I do feed, but if I offer live would you guys recommend a separate container for ease of intervention if needed during the wrap? And should I go small rat per usual?

[JodanOrNoDan]

No, keep him in his enclosure. When I am trying to get an animal back on feed I will usually try something a little smaller than normal. There is no real rational behind it it just works for me. When I have breeding girls that I am trying to get back on food after laying I always offer a live small instead of the normal medium. I originally started doing this because I get live smalls relatively cheap. It seemed to work so I kept doing it.

[hollowlaughter]

Welcome to winter brumation aka "my male has decided to stop eating an I get to play guess how many rats I throw away". It is annoying because you get to waste rodents trying to figure out just when it starts. This is one reason I am getting rid of the glass tank. Tired of winter fasts simply because the house gets cold and having to fight to keep conditions ideal. I am also seriously thinking of getting another reptile again that is a garbage disposal so when this inevitably happens I have something to dump refused meals to again.

Same, since mine's hit that 800g and is starting the skipping weeks/fasting schtick again, probably compounded by the fact we're seeing temps like 30F overnight and snow this week.

Just need to find something that'll take his rats that is legal to own in town, landlord has said hard no to anything like a ferret due to past bad experiences with them musking up her apartments, lol.

So yeah, you're not alone OP. If he doesn't take what I dangled at him tonight and left in under the lamp for him he's not getting a meal until the 24th of November or so. Means my rat stockpile will last longer I guess. Might be able to make it til the first 2018 con for my next stockup at this rate.

[maausen]

No, keep him in his enclosure. When I am trying to get an animal back on feed I will usually try something a little smaller than normal. There is no real rational behind it it just works for me. When I have breeding girls that I am trying to get back on food after laying I always offer a live small instead of the normal medium. I originally started doing this because I get live smalls relatively cheap. It seemed to work so I kept doing it.

How do you go about feeding live inside an enclosure? I’ve got some decorations and whatnot and the two reptile basics hides. It’s just supposed to run around? I’m just trying to figure it out because I want to be able to intervene if needed.

[Newbie39]

How do you go about feeding live inside an enclosure? I’ve got some decorations and whatnot and the two reptile basics hides. It’s just supposed to run around? I’m just trying to figure it out because I want to be able to intervene if needed.

I have some fake plants and stuff. She takes the rat under the plants and eats it. They figure it out. May have to fix stuff after as some of the decorations may get shifted a bit. No biggie.

[maausen]

I have some fake plants and stuff. She takes the rat under the plants and eats it. They figure it out. May have to fix stuff after as some of the decorations may get shifted a bit. No biggie.

Gotcha. This might be a dumb question, but what if the rodent runs into the hide?

[Newbie39]

Gotcha. This might be a dumb question, but what if the rodent runs into the hide?

Ah. Just noticed you mentioned you feed live. I feed f/t.


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[Godzilla78]

Just put the rodent in there and wait. Usually within minutes or even seconds, I hear a THUMP, as the snake strikes and constricts the poor little rat! If the snake doesn;t attack the rat within 5 minutes, it is not hungry, or is stressed out for some reason.

Feeding live is SO EASY it is feeding pre-killed that is difficult for many snakes.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Just put the rodent in there and wait. Usually within minutes or even seconds, I hear a THUMP, as the snake strikes and constricts the poor little rat! If the snake doesn;t attack the rat within 5 minutes, it is not hungry, or is stressed out for some reason.

Feeding live is SO EASY it is feeding pre-killed that is difficult for many snakes.

This is generally correct but it really depends on the animal. My most extreme example is a male I have that is too tame. He will only eat FT rats. Runs from live. Has never eaten live.

I do not recommend the following but it is a qwerk of this particular animal and it took me a long time to figure it out because it is so abnormal and against everything we are taught. This boy does not strike. He will only eat if I hand feed him and hold the rat so that it touches his nose. He just casually takes it into his mouth then wraps it. Strange animal. No other animal I have has ever acted like this. I keep waiting for him to get riled up one day and tag me but it has been years and I have never seen this guy get excited once.

[Prognathodon]

This boy does not strike. He will only eat if I hand feed him and hold the rat so that it touches his nose. He just casually takes it into his mouth then wraps it. Strange animal. No other animal I have has ever acted like this. I keep waiting for him to get riled up one day and tag me but it has been years and I have never seen this guy get excited once.

My spotted python is like your boy, except that sometimes she will strike when I offer prey to her in her enclosure. But if she doesn’t after one offer I get her out and we do the silly-snek hand-feeding routine.



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