Switched to f/t in the first try! But...

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Oh yeah! Check that out! This is my still unnamed rescue who was eating live for the last two years.

I used the pre-scenting trick and warmed up the mouse with a hair drier over his tank and he went NUTS. He was all like 'MOUSE! I SMELL MOUSE WHERESTHEMOUSE?!'

...But he was so excited that now he's trying to eat it butt-first! XD;; (AND he accidently dunked it in his water dish.) Oh dear. I hope he can eat it! He's really trying his hardest! (Crap he keeps starting over but at the wrong end... should I help him and turn the mouse around?!)

I love how he still wrapped it up SO much despite it being dead... Means it's a really fresh mouse I guess! (I got mice from Big Cheese Rodent Factory. Very nice product!)

Since this guy's small I'll try another in around 5 days or so. But I'm so happy he's such an enthusiastic eater! (If he can figure out how to eat it!)

[the_Ryno]

The first time I fed my Snake a F/T that had been eating live since it was born, it ate it butt first. There is no harm in to from what I was told here.

[Mr. Constrictor]

leave the mouse alone. you trying to help will only get you taged. ive seen mine eat but first many times. dont worry about it hes fine. good luck with the rescue and congrats on the first try with f/t.

[ViciousBliss]

my snake has tried to eat booty first a few times but ended up correcting himself and getting it head first. fixes himself up every time!

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Thanks all! Yeah I didn't think I should do anything, but I'm just nervous that he won't eat I guess. :B

[Mr. Constrictor]

most of the time if they kill it or think that they have killed (f/t or p/k) the'll eat it. some times the'll get spooked and retreat into there hide and leave the mouse. ive seen some of mine do this but come back out a few min later and drag the mouse in the hide with them.

[Sonya610]

Thats great that he is eating right away! Mine takes a while to figure out where to start eating too, today it was at least 10 minutes before he figured out he should start at the head. I was worried he would give up and slink off, but he didn't.

It is cute watching him pause, smell the mouse all over for a minute or so while trying to figure out why the swallowing thing isn't working, and then restart.

[Ivyna J Spyder]

He got it down! He's so fat around the middle now, hehe. All worried for nothing.

In a few days I definitely need to finally clean out his tank. I got lots of nice hides (he really never had any good ones before!) and fake plants for ground cover. Though he's apparently comfortable with what he has, so maybe it's not really necessary to change it. Hmm...

[TanyaL]

You got a butt-muncher...as my vet calls them.

Foster was fed live before we got her but took the f/t with no problem from the start. The first one she took back-end first. This last time we fed her she took it back-end first but after getting her jaws around the f/t she released it and took it head first. It took her longer to get it down butt first but she managed still the same.

Others have said that they prefer to get the prey wet so that it easier for their bp to get it down the hatch. Maybe your bp had a plan with dipping it in the water!

[Ivyna J Spyder]

He's been acting odd since he ate, wondering if this was normal...


He's been hiding in the cave on the warm side of the tank. I currently still have all sides and top of the tank covered for the time being. In time I'll slowly open up the front only. (It's just in my bedroom so I'm the only one he'll really ever see. Low traffic.)

But now a lot of times when I peek into the tank by pulling back the corner of the paper, no matter how quietly, he rears up and stares and looks really tense. It reminds me of how he acted when he smelled the mouse at first.

Is he just feeling really defensive and 'on edge' since he's full and maybe can't move as fast? Is it because he can't see all of me so he doesn't know what it is? (He was fine with me before...)