BP wont eat frozen :(

[DeesBalls]

my ball python, Eleanore, will not eat frozen rat, i have tried over 5 times to get her to eat this damn thing but wont! i really don't like feeding live but thats all she will eat, is this okay? i mean i know its cruel and mean, but i mean snakes gotta eat. oh yea, i went bout 2-2.5 months with out feeding her to try and make her eat frozen so i don't know what to do....

i guess what i'm talking about is do any of you guys feed live? i watch a lot of videos and stuff on you-tube and everyone says how bad live feeding is, i just don't want to be considered a "bad" or "inhumane" person. what do you guys think i should do?

[Will0W783]

Some snakes just will continue to refuse f/t. How often are you attempting to feed Eleanore? How old is she? Getting a BP to switch over to f/t can be a frustrating, long process. I have found the only way is to get them very very hungry before, by skipping a scheduled feeding. And sometimes you need to work them up to it- first by stunning a prey animal, then by killing it and giving it freshly killed to the snake, then by trying f/t. Also make sure the frozen is very warm when you offer it. You want it to feel like a live rodent to your hands, so it should be quite warm.

[infernalis]

Here is a trick that works well. Place the rat in a zip lock bag and set the bag into a bowl of hot water.

Heat the rat up to around 100 degrees, then offer it by dangling the rat off a pair of long feeding tongs.

Our BP goes nuts over heated up food.

Room temperature is not warm enough, and I have seen freaks on you tube feed the prey while it is still frozen solid, so PLEASE don't take lessons from youtube.

Too many freaks who do not belong having pets making videos......

[emseeKAY]

that would be a nice feeling to digest a frozen rat... some people shouldnt own animals

[infernalis]

I saw a guy call them "ratcickles" on youtube once.

[emseeKAY]

woooooww... unfortunately they most likely find this funny... its sad how someone could do that to their animal.

[DeesBalls]

she is less than a yr old. i would estimate 7 months or so not sure at all, and about 2.5 foot. she usually eats 1 small rat or 3 mice. ( she struggeled with a rat and i switched down to a few mice ) she hasnt ate in about 2 months but i think im going to try a few more things then i will prolly keep doing live. i hate it with a passion but its life i guess.

hope no one on here will hate me for feeding live lol

[citysnakes]

nothing wrong with feeding live as long as youre responsible and humane about it. theres no need to stun the prey before offering it just make sure youre there to supervise the kill and everything should go well.

[DeesBalls]

oh yea! i do supervise... i feed in my tank and i always watching for her swallowing things other than the mouse/rat. i usually pick a few coco bark chips off the mouse and i always watch for the mouse/rat to bit the snake. 1 time i had to use my tongs and hold the mouses mouth shut... i felt horrible!! but i didnt want my snake to get hurt.

[mykee]

I feed 35 or so live rats per week.
Do you hate me? I could not care less.
a third or so of my snakes will not eat f/t rats.
If you own a snake that will only eat live, and you really have a problem with it, maybe a hamster would be a better pet for you.

[DeesBalls]

i hate hampsters....

i dont hate you...

i really dont mind feeding live i just care what people think of me and if i am a good snake keeper.....

wow.. 35 a week, thats 140 roughly a month.... how many snakes/reptiles do you have??

[Hillsberry]

People on youtube can be sick. If you think its funny to watch a poor animal get killed then theirs something wrong with you. I saw some guy on youtube catch two squirrels from his backyard just so that he could feed them to his Burm. He was laughing when the poor squirrel was screaming. One could hurt the snake and its just wrong. But really if feeding live is the only thing your snake will eat then just do it. Try to make it as fast as possible. But if your snakes will eat F/t keep them on F/t.

[infernalis]

hope no one on here will hate me for feeding live lol

No one will hate you for feeding live, we are all keepers of "Carnivorous ambush predators" as pets.

Do you hate me? I could not care less.

Actually I love attitudes like that...I am who I am, like it, walk away or get hurt!

[DeesBalls]

lol i agree

[mykee]

I have roughly 115 breeder bp's, upwards of 350 total during hatchling season.
I also breed my own feeders as many bp owners who have a decent sized collection do.
As for my attitude; I own snakes, and snakes eat rats.
Some of my snakes only eat live rats.
I treat my feeders with the utmost respect and care while they are in my care.
My conscience is clear.
You do what you need to do to sleep a full nights sleep at night.

[DeesBalls]

thats awesome!!! i wish i could have a collection like that, and also would love to breed. im glad i made this post because it makes me feel better about feeding live. i have your attitude now, "i own snakes, snakes eat rats" simple...

i will keep feeding her live, its not a big deal.

[Aaron_S]

I have roughly 115 breeder bp's, upwards of 350 total during hatchling season.
I also breed my own feeders as many bp owners who have a decent sized collection do.
As for my attitude; I own snakes, and snakes eat rats.
Some of my snakes only eat live rats.
I treat my feeders with the utmost respect and care while they are in my care.
My conscience is clear.
You do what you need to do to sleep a full nights sleep at night.

I've only got 103 to go before I've caught up :D

[infernalis]

I treat my feeders with the utmost respect and care while they are in my care. .

Same here, my "feeder" colonies are pampered, I really enjoy my mice and rats, but in the end, when it's feeding time, the reptiles win.

I also feed off all sick, deformed, runts or otherwise less than perfect rodents.

Why prolong the inevitable, if a mouse is born abnormal, feed it off rather than let it suffer.

When I catch a buck raping little hoppers, I introduce them to the python or chomper as soon as I catch it happening, If I catch an adult braining pinks, same thing.

They all get the best feed I can afford, little plastic tunnel hides, fresh water and clean cages.

Since Garter snakes are my "thing" there are times when I have hundreds of them.

I help out some breeder friends too, so sometimes I have several hundred that are not even mine here.

[shaunyboy]

as everyones pretty much said mate if live is all your snake will eat then it has to be fed.theres a big difference between you and the idiots on you tube.you are doing it out of necessity,they are doing it because of a warped set of morals.if you really want to try getting it on frozen thawed you could try different types of food items.you could also try scenting a rat with chick blood or yolk sack.theres a few things you could try but at least for now your snakes eating.
cheers shaun

[bighog85]

You could try gerbils too. They are a natural prey item for balls in the wild. Luckily mine eat f/t rats but I know people who have switched to gerbils and they will take them.

[infernalis]

You could try gerbils too. They are a natural prey item for balls in the wild. Luckily mine eat f/t rats but I know people who have switched to gerbils and they will take them.

The downside to that is (happens often) you get a snake that only wants gerbils.

[illcyat420]

my boa is the same way....just isn't comfortable eating in fromt of anybody:D

[mykee]

There are no gerbils in Ghana, Togo, or Benin.

[infernalis]

There are no gerbils in Ghana, Togo, or Benin.

You are very correct!

What causes all the confusion is the Jerboa. Sounds almost like gerbil, but not even the same critter at all.

From what I have been told, these are the primary rodent diet of the pythons from those regions.

It lives in deserts and salt marshes throughout Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

http://www.whatjamiefound.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/four-toes-jerboa.jpg

[Will0W783]

Aww, jerboas are soo cute!

[kayleegrace]

I have a ball and I have tried numerous ways feeding him f/t but he is not going to take it. He is veryvery picky even about live. Sometimes you just have to let them choose.

[bighog85]

The downside to that is (happens often) you get a snake that only wants gerbils.

Exactly, it's a risk you take. I would say if it eats live, then feed it live and just watch carefully. Good luck!

[Aaron_S]

That thing looks like a rabbit/gerbil/hamster offspring....

[infernalis]

Kinky!................

[shaunyboy]

That thing looks like a rabbit/gerbil/hamster offspring....

i was thinking kangaroo x hare,its a cute wee dude though.bet he'd take a bit to catch,looks like he can go a bit,he's all legs...!!
cheers shaun

[infernalis]

i was thinking kangaroo x hare,its a cute wee dude though.bet he'd take a bit to catch,looks like he can go a bit,he's all legs...!!
cheers shaun

Royals are the slowest snake I have known...until...feeding time, then they are lighting quick. I would love to see one grab a jerboa in flight.

http://katebowenpowwow.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/jerboajump.jpg

this one is midair

http://www.mammalwatching.com/Palearctic/Images/Tunisia/lesser%20jerboa.jpg

http://www.arkive.org/media/9F/9F782797-BE76-4824-A218-44A17441C594/Presentation.Large/photo.jpg

[DeesBalls]

Exactly, it's a risk you take. I would say if it eats live, then feed it live and just watch carefully. Good luck!

thats what im doing... hes eating live and loving it