Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
Might reconsider your thawing method, as leaving it at room temp. to thaw causes spoilage which the snake CAN smell & may then reject it. Ball pythons are not carrion
feeders. Thaw until soft in cold water, then warm the prey by immersing briefly in very warm water (not hot, you're not trying to cook it!) and/or use the hair-dryer method to add life-like heat that your BP needs to strike. BPs rely on their heat sensing pits. If he's too shy to strike, wait until evening to prepare his prey, preferably when he's in ambush-hunting mode (peeking out of his hide, waiting for a clueless rodent to skip past him).
Something that is frozen solid isn't going to spoil in anyway in 2 hours. I carefully monitor the feeder after 2 hrs. exact. And since it is currently mice I am feeding that is usually just the right amount of time, but with small rats it might take a little more time. Once the belly is real soft I then immediately start heating with the hair dryer or heat lamp.

I agree with you somewhat for instance I don't think you should leave a f/t feeder in all night like some suggest or do. But I haven't had any problem of refusals using my 2 hrs thaw over the enclosure method. Bacteria doesn't really start in food (that has reached room temp) until after 2 hrs. But these are starting out solid frozen at the beginning of the 2 hrs. True, water is a faster method but for me ours is easier to do. And that 2 hrs of letting the snake sniff it really does help. IMO Using this method with my latest snake I haven't had any refusals or regurgitation's and I have had this particular snake almost a year now.