Live to frozen

[Trevor Flink]

I was looking around the forms and I didn't see any ways to transfer a boa from live to frozen/thawed. So any suggestions?

[jay's reptiles]

i would split the head/heat the head up really well. Than do the zombie dance with rat/mouse and if that does not work than leave it in there over night.

[chairman]

I think that the easiest answer is, "patience." Snakes won't typically starve themselves.

I'd skip a feeding prior to trying f/t so the snake is a little more hungry than normal. Then warm up the mouse and hold it in front of the snake using tongs of some variety. I have snakes that prefer that I touch the mouse's nose to theirs; I have snakes that just want to watch the mouse wiggle a little; I have snakes that want me to slowly back the mouse away from them; I have snakes that just want the mouse left in the cage overnight so they can grab it at their leisure. Just try a couple different approaches and see what seems to attract a feeding response.

I wouldn't start off by splitting the mouse's skull, "braining" is usually only necessary for picky eaters. Try different methods of presenting the mouse first and if they don't work then you can try some other strategies.

[Jim Smith]

If you're actually feeding live, you can try transitioning by offering freshly killed a couple of feedings. Once they accept the freshly killed, do a bait-and-switch to a warmed F/T prey item. First is get him excited ready to feed with the smell of a freshly killed prey item, and at the last minute swap it with a warmed F/T prey item. I had a hondo that went through a very fussy stage of only wanting stunned/live prey. It took me about three or four feedings to finally switch him to F/T. He eats like a champ now. Worked for me. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Trevor Flink]

I have fed my hog island boa 1 live because she was looking really skinny from the time we got her. Those 5 minuets were pain to hear the pinkie squeaking. I will think about the suggestions and pick one. Thanks for the ideas.

[Tsubaki]

heating up the thawed food helps a lot, I had to heat it up for my burmese python for nearly a year and now he'll eat anything. :D

[Trevor Flink]

Yea I heat it up in warm water for 30 mins after I defrost it. She showed no interest but ate live in under 7 seconds of it being in striking distance. Just have to switch her over and she should be feeding on fuzzies but the pet store only had live pinkies. So I need to get a f/t fuzzie into her next week. Prob gonna pick up a cheep hair dryer.

[toddnbecka]

Pythons have heat sensing pits around their mouths, boas don't, so the temp of the f/t isn't critical. Main thing is to get it warm enough to give off a good scent. If warming it up a bit doesn't do it try dropping it briefly into really hot (heat to boiling in the microwave) water.

[dannybgoode]

Pythons have heat sensing pits around their mouths, boas don't, so the temp of the f/t isn't critical. Main thing is to get it warm enough to give off a good scent. If warming it up a bit doesn't do it try dropping it briefly into really hot (heat to boiling in the microwave) water.

The key is briefly. Last time I tried this I ended up with properly broiled rat!

[akane]

I just put the rodent in plastic (if it isn't) in the hottest water that comes out of my sink and it ends up a bit warmer than my skin. Have you tried it and had him refuse killed rodents? Maybe he won't care as much as you think. I wiggle it around by the tail and drag it a bit when mine doesn't immediately take it. Actually touching the snake can cause a defensive response that triggers them into grabbing it. I also read, but never had to try, splitting the head open or to smear it with fresh blood.

[Trevor Flink]

I just put the rodent in plastic (if it isn't) in the hottest water that comes out of my sink and it ends up a bit warmer than my skin. Have you tried it and had him refuse killed rodents? Maybe he won't care as much as you think. I wiggle it around by the tail and drag it a bit when mine doesn't immediately take it. Actually touching the snake can cause a defensive response that triggers them into grabbing it. I also read, but never had to try, splitting the head open or to smear it with fresh blood. I have tried frozen thawed.

[toddnbecka]

I was told that the dip in boiling water will heat up the fat under the surface of the skin, which is supposed to make the scent more attractive than simply thawing and warming.