warm rat or a 100.2 degree rat sented hand?

[jessie_k_pythons]

This is what happens when you feed a warm live rat when your running a fever. LOL



Well at least that is what I think. I really dont see how he could have miss took my hand for a rat if I wasnt running one. I dont blame him. If I saw a warm rat and an even bigger hot rat smelling object right next to that shrimpy looking rat I would take the big hot rat lol.

Pete got me a "Gofor Grabber" on line this morning and as soon as it gets here I'm going to use it from now on

I learned my lession, and I wont let this happen again. but I still wanted to share it with you all.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Just curious, where was your hand when he gotcha?

[jessie_k_pythons]

wraped around the rats tail

[rabernet]

You hold the rats' tail until your snake strikes? I just drop the rat or mouse in the opposite end of the enclosure and the snake takes care of the rest. Maybe I'm mis-understanding you?

[jessie_k_pythons]

I have to do that with Baby. he wont go to the rat, and the rat has to be above him for him to take it. I just drop and watch with the rest. He is what I would call my problem child. he is very picky about his food. it has to be a light colored rat, it has to be above his body, and it must be facing him. it also has to be alive. He refuses P/K and F/T, even if the rat is K/O he wont touch it.

EDIT: I have tryed every trick in the book to get him to take F/T or P/K but nothing works on him. I really dont stress about it any more. I just do what he likes.

[frankykeno]

I'm amazed he hasn't been bitten himself by a live struggling rat dangling from your hand. Sorry he nailed you.

[jessie_k_pythons]

So far he hasnt... It would be much better on my mind if I was able to P/K or at least KO the rat but nope he wont have that. I keep the rat well out of the way from bitting him. But I worry each time. I wish that some day genetic gurues would make a toothless feeder rat. That would give me piece of mind.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Well at least that is what I think. I really dont see how he could have miss took my hand for a rat if I wasnt running one.

It has nothing to do with a fever .... the "infrared" view that ball pythons have of the world would make it hard for them to distinguish between two large heat sources close together ... your snake was just striking at what he thought was the best possible strike point ... that's why most people generally consider feeding pythons while holding the prey item in your hand not too smart ... hence the saying "stupid feeding error".

-adam

[jessie_k_pythons]

Well This shouldnt happen again due to me getting the tongs. but like I saidif he wasnt so darned bloody picky about his feedings this would have never happened. We all learn from our mistakes. and I learned from mine and bought tongs.

[Laooda]

Ouch! ... Do the gophers look like giant tweezers? I have a pair of the Zoo Meds.. Are they diffrent?