Incompetent snake

[FlippinBirdies]

I needed this thread! My 4 month bredli still hasnt fed independently and is the same apart from the striking. She refuses to strike food! We've tried rats and mice and neither will entice her. She lost body mass so we've force fed twice. She kept both force feeds down thankfully. Shes a nut and strikes at anything near her enclosure or my hand when I get close enough. I thought she may have been stressed so left her alone in the dark for a while and got the heat up to 36 to make sure it wasnt a low temp issue during winter.
Im going to try again today and see how she goes

 

[Rox.n.Lix]

ok, I'm gonna be rude and hijack this thread. my 4 year old coastal, i have never had an issue with, seems to have forgotten over winter what a friggin rat looks like. he is hunting all over the place, and getting red in the belly from the smell of the rat, but keeps passing right over it. I have NEVER had a problem with him before (i've had him for 2 years), i have tried to warm the rat up with some warm water. i didnt have him last winter as i was overseas, and so i have been waiting for good obvious feeding cues before wasting (another) rat trying to feed him.
if i just leave the rat in there, how long would you suggest leaving it before writing it off and chucking it out?
like i said i have never had trouble before so not sure about all this "scenting" stuff. the rat is already bleeding from its nose, so not sure i need to cut its head open or anything....

any quick advice much appreciated. he last ate in May, and i attempted a feed about a month ago, but he wasnt interested, so i left it for a while more.

 

[Colin]

these might be a bit small for the food items your feeding but I use these for feeding hatchies up to around a year old.. hold the food item with the forceps and offer head first. If they take the head first they usually swallow the head first. I'd also bump the temps up a degree or two to see if that helps with his food responsiveness.

Pennington stainless steel forceps (cost around $10)
View attachment 211892

 

[Rox.n.Lix]

Colin, was that for me? Or Fantazmic? I just tried with long tongs, and he struck at me, not the rat . made me drop the bloody rat and get rat blood all over the carpet. even when i was wiggling it in fron tof his face he stopped for sec, but then moved right along. I am leaving the rat in there for the day. i wont be back til tonight, which was why i wanted to ask how long is acceptable to leave the thawed, warmed rat out for him to eat. i know i wouldnt eat meat that was sitting at room temp for 12 hours......

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

these might be a bit small for the food items your feeding but I use these for feeding hatchies up to around a year old.. hold the food item with the forceps and offer head first. If they take the head first they usually swallow the head first. I'd also bump the temps up a degree or two to see if that helps with his food responsiveness.

Pennington stainless steel forceps (cost around $10)
View attachment 211892

Colin, where do you get these ones? I have tweezers for my hatchy, but i find that they keep snapping the tails off the fuzzies...

 

[FusionMorelia]

usually feeding butt 1st is an indication the food item is too small and u need to up size

Nato

 

[Colin]

Colin, was that for me? Or Fantazmic? I just tried with long tongs, and he struck at me, not the rat . made me drop the bloody rat and get rat blood all over the carpet. even when i was wiggling it in fron tof his face he stopped for sec, but then moved right along. I am leaving the rat in there for the day. i wont be back til tonight, which was why i wanted to ask how long is acceptable to leave the thawed, warmed rat out for him to eat. i know i wouldnt eat meat that was sitting at room temp for 12 hours......

I only read the first post so it was to Fantazmic..

Colin, where do you get these ones? I have tweezers for my hatchy, but i find that they keep snapping the tails off the fuzzies...

If you google Pennington Stainless Steel Forceps Im sure you can buy them online. These forceps are actually a piercing tool but perfect for feeding hatchies

If the tweezers are snapping the tails off I assume you are holding the rodent with the tweezers by the tail? Thats why I use the penningtons with those triangle grip sections. I never use them for holding rodents by the tail and use them for holding the rodents body with the head of the rodent offered close to the snakes mouth for a sure hit.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Too easy. have a couple of friends with tattoo shops so will get them to order them for me!!

 

[Fantazmic]

Hi Guys

Well after redeeming himself he is doing it again !!!!!

Something I am going to try with him is a mouse first and as he gets to the tail i am going to put the head of the rat in his mouth and see what happens. One of my juvies is a bit fussy sometimes and this is what i do with her...she recognises mice as food so i give her a fussy muse first and then follow up with a fuzzy rat...and it is like she gets in the mood and she snatches the rat even with her mouth full of mouse !! So I am going to try him like that....

Thanks Colin but I dont think he is cold....his enclosure is lovely and warm and he has a towel he can curl up inside to keep warm.......and he is hunting like MAD !! So its not lack of appetite...its something to do with smell or something......

anyway I'll let you know if it works

 

[Fantazmic]

The weather has warmed up and he is eating again.......195 gram rat last week and this week a 140 gram one !! If he keeps this up over the summer he will certainly make up the size he lost being so picky as a baby.....Took a few gos to get him to eat the rat tonight but I could tell he wanted it so I persevered.....I have also upped his temp on his reptiradiator just slightly..maybe he just needs is a bit warmer.....

and another 120 gram one today.........my goodness what difference temperature and time of year make...at this rate he will catch Elvira !!!! Yipeeee