Ball Python Scared of F/T but not live?

[reptilian_cycho]

I have a little 90g male royal that will snatch a live small adult mouse up within 0.5 seconds of it being in his feeding tub with him. BUT whenever I try F/T, he'll show interest, start sniffing with his tongue, then turns around and slithers away like he doesn't want to be anywhere near it. Also if I touch it to his mouth, hoping he'll get the natural reaction to snatch, he'll quickly retract his head under his body and then skrt off. I let the F/T thaw out right next to his tub then use a hairdryer to heat it up.

I should also mention that he did skip his last feeding because he was in shed. Now he's constantly moving day and night because he's hungry. Also I should mention that after letting the mouse thaw just in a bowl with no water (air defrost) and BEFORE using the hairdryer, I went to see if he would take it at room temperature.... He DID lunge at it! But misses, then wouldn't try again. So obviously he's hungry, is willing to eat it, but is being stubborn about it.

[Bogertophis]

Keep working with him, don't give up (don't cave & give him live). Live appeals to more of his senses (warmth, scent, movement) & the trick is to make
f/t as similar as possible: hairdryer for heat, pinch (damage) the nose w/ tongs to release more scent, & use tongs to slightly move rodent past but never
towards the snake...prey doesn't typically "volunteer" and many snakes freak out a little if their f/t meal appears to want to be eaten...it's not their natural
behavior. Your snake is not "scared of" f/t, he's just not yet convinced it's dinner. Your challenge is to convince him.

[dakski]

I have a little 90g male royal that will snatch a live small adult mouse up within 0.5 seconds of it being in his feeding tub with him. BUT whenever I try F/T, he'll show interest, start sniffing with his tongue, then turns around and slithers away like he doesn't want to be anywhere near it. Also if I touch it to his mouth, hoping he'll get the natural reaction to snatch, he'll quickly retract his head under his body and then skrt off. I let the F/T thaw out right next to his tub then use a hairdryer to heat it up.

I should also mention that he did skip his last feeding because he was in shed. Now he's constantly moving day and night because he's hungry. Also I should mention that after letting the mouse thaw just in a bowl with no water (air defrost) and BEFORE using the hairdryer, I went to see if he would take it at room temperature.... He DID lunge at it! But misses, then wouldn't try again. So obviously he's hungry, is willing to eat it, but is being stubborn about it.

1. See below for proper method to defrost F/T prey.

2. Are you feeding the same prey item liver and F/T? Same size, etc?

3. Never touch anything to a BP's head/mouth. Instant turn off and instant scared.

4. How are you offering the F/T prey? Gently shaking on a tongs, just hanging it there, etc? Have you tried leaving it overnight to see if he will take it?

5. How often are you offering food? Do not offer more than every 5 days or even a week. Offering too much can stress him out.

6. How often are you handling him. NO handling until he's taken 3 consecutive F/T meals for you, except to quickly clean tank, etc. In general, I do not handle my BP the day of, often the day before, and for two days after feeding. They stress easily. Stressed snake means no eating.

7. Finally, what are your temps, humidity levels, type and size of enclosure, etc.?

Please let us know about the above and who you make out after properly defrosting a rodent.

Good luck!



This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.

[Bogertophis]

...
2. Are you feeding the same prey item liver and F/T? Same size, etc?....

Agree, except don't feed "liver". (or "live")

[Zincubus]

1. See below for proper method to defrost F/T prey.

2. Are you feeding the same prey item liver and F/T? Same size, etc?

3. Never touch anything to a BP's head/mouth. Instant turn off and instant scared.

4. How are you offering the F/T prey? Gently shaking on a tongs, just hanging it there, etc? Have you tried leaving it overnight to see if he will take it?

5. How often are you offering food? Do not offer more than every 5 days or even a week. Offering too much can stress him out.

6. How often are you handling him. NO handling until he's taken 3 consecutive F/T meals for you, except to quickly clean tank, etc. In general, I do not handle my BP the day of, often the day before, and for two days after feeding. They stress easily. Stressed snake means no eating.

7. Finally, what are your temps, humidity levels, type and size of enclosure, etc.?

Please let us know about the above and who you make out after properly defrosting a rodent.

Good luck!



This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.

As above plus ONLY try in the evening as they're nocturnal .

Try in low light / dim light ..

When the mouse/rat is WARM offer INSTANTLY ....

Maybe sure your snake is well settled under a hide and then wiggle the warm mouse /rat in the hide entrance .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[dakski]

As above plus ONLY try in the evening as they're nocturnal .

Try in low light / dim light ..

When the mouse/rat is WARM offer INSTANTLY ....

Maybe sure your snake is well settled under a hide and then wiggle the warm mouse /rat in the hide entrance .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Really good point on feeding when they are in hunt mode. Evening/nighttime, and in the dark!

Also, let the snake, once aware of the prey item, come to it, no bopping on the head!

[Craiga 01453]

Good advice above. One important thing is like to add:

Ditch the feeding tub. Feeding in a separate tub is old school and proven counter productive over time. There just isn't any benefit at all to using seperate feeding tubs.

Feeding in a separate tub will...
A) ...increase the chance of a refusal. Moving the snake stresses the snake. Stressed snakes don't eat.
B) ...increase the chance of regurgitation. Moving the snake after it has eaten can stress the snake, potentially leading the snake to regurge it's meal.
C) ...increase YOUR chances of being bitten. Snakes often remain in feed mode for hours after eating, increseing your chances of being tagged.

I've always fed inside my snakes enclosures. I've never had an impaction issue. I've never been tagged or even struck at within the enclosure.