Quote Originally Posted by carlthuringer View Post
Thanks for all the good advice!

I think I will try feeding him in the cage. I'm using the newspaper-chunk recycled substrate, so I hope it won't be a problem if he gets a bit in him when eating... or maybe I'll put the mouse on a little chunk of cardboard?

I noticed a trend of heating strategies; so it is important to warm the mouse? I wasn't sure if BPs had a sophisticated heat sense like venomous snakes often do, so I was more concerned with getting it warmed up in general.

When I place the mouse in his enclosure, should it be in the hot spot, in the middle, to one side or maybe I ought to just experiment...

Seems to me that the hot spot might be too hot.
That row of openings right above the mouth and below the eyes on the snake's face.....those are heat pits. They ARE heat sensitive when it comes to hunting. They use smell and heat to find their prey.

Also, it's critical that the snake not eat a partially frozen mouse, or even one that is thawed but still really chilled in the middle. Frozen or really cold meat can make them very sick.

I don't think it matters where in the enclosure you place the prey item. But if you find a spot that seems to work best, then use it. If the "hot spot" is "too hot" for any reason, then it's too hot for your snake as well. How are you heating and how are you measuring the temps?