Unexpected problem with feeding....advice?

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for your advice! She’s only had one rat pup before. I have tried to go by size and the feeder store doesn’t always have rats small enough for her size. If they have a rat pup next time I’ll try that!

I might try the chain feeding idea. Is the idea that after a few chain feedings, she will be used to f/t and take it in the future? I’m not sure why she is leaving the prekilled meal in the first place, so I wasn’t sure if offering f/t would be too different for her.

Yes, the idea is that the smell/taste of the f/t rodent becomes acceptable, once having eaten it a few times. BPs can be difficult to switch, & they don't all subscribe to the same norms, which is why it helps for you to have options to try. There are also those who insist to just keep trying without changing the prey offered until they get hungry enough to save themselves from starving, but I don't like to do that because "some" under-fed snakes get weaker & feel poorly so their appetite gets worse...they go into a "downward spiral" because they never feel well enough to eat.

It's frustrating for sure when you cannot always get the size & type of rodent you need for your snake. (it's how I got into breeding my own, but it's a lot more work & makes little sense if you only have one or a few snakes)

The other thing with offering f/t (or fresh-killed) rodents is HOW you offer them matters greatly...especially with picky snakes like BPs, but with others too, and if raising hatchlings. Using tongs & wiggling the prey a little "to make it look alive" can backfire if there's too much motion, or if the rodent appears to approach the snake. Snakes prefer to do the pouncing! In the wild, rodents don't turn themselves in to be eaten, so it freaks a snake out if they seem to do that. BPs rely on their heat-sensing pits, so getting the f/t rodent to the right temp. so they strike is often all they need, but some snakes hold on so long that the rodent cools off & then they leave it un-eaten.

When just buying rodents based on size, keep in mind that some snakes get fixated on one or the other (rats or mice). BPs are known to be picky eaters, so
that's why most ppl stick to just one thing, & since most BPs are started off on mouse hoppers, they prefer mice but then as they grow larger, most keepers
want them eating rats so that one item is big enough for a meal. Adult mice are too small, & many BPs will only eat ONE rodent per feeding, whether or not
it's too small...BPs are just picky & they "make their own rules"!