Feeding question (Jeff)

[Derrick]

My male has been eating sporadicly lately and I've come to the conclusion that he does like the bigger rats for some reason. I offered him 2 rats last night first was about 110g and he didnt touch it after 6 hrs. the second was about 50g and it wa gone in a 1/2 hr. Maybe they are a little big but the female never had a problem with them and he has eaten them as well.

My question is should I feed him some of the jumbo mice I have and fatten him up and the try the big rats again or put in an order for some smaller rats and make him wait(i dont have any smaller ones left)? Is there much of a problem swithching them back and forth once they have a taste for rats?

[gonesnakee]

Almost all my Pythons (except the young Womas) won't eat anything that isn't handed to them so to speak. Anything just left is left. They can be very picky in temps too. A smaller Rat heats up easier than a large one & snakes are usually less intimidated by smaller prey, irreguardless mine won't eat their supper cold : ) It could be as simple as warming it way up & then wham. I've seen peoples snakes be super finicky with cool food & they warm them right up hot (after asking advice) & wham strike & coil. Could be that simple. My big female has to be conned to eat a warm one but just nails a hot one. Remember those heat sensing pits. As far as a taste for rats goes its easy to get them to eat mice usually, but they "get the taste" for mice & then sometimes don't want to eat rats again DOH! My big male eats rabbits & I have had adults that are scared of Rats. Also the weather factor it's fall in Fort Mc eh! LOL Pythons can be finicky in fall & winter months. Anyhow so if he needs a meal I'd say give him a good dose of mice once if he'll eat them, but remember start feeding him a few "mouse meals" & you maybe forced to "starve him out" to get him to eat rats again, Mark

[Jeff_Favelle]

Yeah, just what Mark said. Males especially. All my female adults are soooo ravenous, its not even funny. I would never worry about them getting hooked, because all they need to do is lay a clutch of eggs, and then they'd eat rat-flavoured socks!

But males can be picky. They will get hooked on mice, and while I don't really care about it or have trouble doing it, some people don't like having to switch them. So really, the choice is yours. Carpets do eat biggie items as a general rule, but every snake is an individual and its up to the keeper to play by each snake's own set of rules. That's part of the fun.

Carpets are the worst for eating things without a strike/constrict. Some do, but most don't. Colubrids are the best. I casn feed a milksnake rack of 40 snakes in like 5 minutes. Just toss it in on the cool side and that's it. Gonzo by morning. Boas the same thing. But not Carpets. Kinda cool though, because then you get to see them strike and constrict which is fascinating.

[Tim_Cranwill]

I have a nice, healthy adult female IJ that is stuck on mice. I've tried her with live and "hot' f/t rats and she will sometimes stike and constrict them but then drop it in a "WTF?!?!?" sort of way! lol

However, she will eat mice left in over night. There have been several times during late-night feedings when I am too tired to "feed" her her 4th, 5th and 6th jumbo mouse and almost without fail she takes them by morning.

Now, if she would only take that attitude with RATS! :D lol

[Jeff_Favelle]

Breed her, take her off the eggs, then offer a rat 5-8 days later. She'll take it.

[Derrick]

thanks guy. I really didnt think it was to big as the small guy he ate instead you would even know he ate it unless you picked him up. I have noticed that they feed better when you get them to strike and coil but the last 2 times he did that i went back an hour later an he was in his hide and the rat was left. I guess I'll just have to persevere. I just hate wasting rats.

Thx again guys

[Jeff_Favelle]

You have Hogs man! No need to waste rats!!

Also, if the female is a garbage can, feed the male first. Whatever he doesn't take, feed to the female. There's ALWAYS ways around not throwing out rats. Always.

[Derrick]

lol thats usually the plan Jeff but last time the hog was in shed and not intrested and the missus had eaten acouple of days previous and this time it was the same senerio except reversed. I just need more snakes:)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ha ha more snakes is ALWAYS the answer!!!

[gonesnakee]

I'm sure theres people here that could help with the "more snakes" issue Heh Heh Mark

[Jeff_Favelle]

I know of two right off hand Isbell.........heh heh..........;)