Adult Carpet takes down Jumbo Rat [Archive]

Max713

03-15-11, 06:26 PM

Picture Heavy!!!

Scarlett took down a size-able meal today.
She is on a frozen thawed diet, but when I went to pick up my frozen large/jumbo order, the breeder threw in a live large/jumbo as he had one left over from the days sales. I thought no problem, got home and gave the rat a good thump on the head. It appeared dead or at least unconscious... or so I thought, as soon as Scarlett struck, the rat jumped to life and gave her a good bite on the neck... :(
Lesson learned, if I ever get a live one again, I'm goin Mel Gibson Braveheart status on it!
After she was done feeding, I cleaned up the bite with some q-tips and rubbing alcohol. If anyone has any further suggestions let me know, I plan to keep an eye on it and clean it daily.

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Max713

03-15-11, 06:27 PM

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Lankyrob

03-15-11, 06:28 PM

Thats why my guys will never get anything but f/t. Hope it cleans up well for you/her.

Great pics by the way!!

Max713

03-15-11, 06:28 PM

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Max713

03-15-11, 06:31 PM

Thats why my guys will never get anything but f/t. Hope it cleans up well for you/her.

Great pics by the way!!
I know I feel terrible :(
Like I said, she is on a F/T diet, but I got a freebie jumbo and thought my knock on the head was good enough... hell I I swung it by it's tail on caught it's head on the side of an oak dresser!

Any suggestions how to care for it other than cleaning it up daily with some diluted alcohol?

Lankyrob

03-15-11, 06:32 PM

Iwant to say Neosporin?? Dont take my word this time of night tho, my brain is drug scrambled this close to bed time, am sure otheres will give a better answer.

Sapphyr

03-15-11, 06:45 PM

Max713

03-15-11, 06:54 PM

Wack-a-rat! Haha
I'm not squeamish about killing small animals in any way, I just didn't think I needed to wail on a rat that hard...

Sapphyr

03-15-11, 06:59 PM

marvelfreak

03-15-11, 07:10 PM

Iwant to say Neosporin?? Dont take my word this time of night tho, my brain is drug scrambled this close to bed time, am sure otheres will give a better answer.
Your right Rob.

NennaMeerkat

03-15-11, 07:54 PM

Oh man I do love feeding pictures. I mean the faces the snake can't help but make is hilarious. Not to mention seeing the power a snake has to manage to swallow such a big prey item with no hands. At least the constriction holds them still, but it is still an amazing feat.

I hope that one day I can get a few pictures of my hognose eating since they don't constrict at all and still manage to eat ungainly items. Like I said simply amazingly cool. Then thinking about the really really big snakes taking out antelopes, pigs, gators, and what not its just WOW!

Sorry for the ramble, but I do love your pictures.

percey39

03-15-11, 08:01 PM

I would stick to F/T and i personally would upsize your prey items as your snake could easily handle a rabbit. Also this will reduce the amount of feeding you will have to give your guy.
I hope it heals quick and easy for you and your snake.

Max713

03-15-11, 08:02 PM

Thank you, I love watching her! It took her about 15 minutes from start til finish, wish it took an hour! haha

Max713

03-15-11, 08:03 PM

percey39

03-15-11, 08:06 PM

I plan on sticking to F/T.
Rabbits, really?

Well over here a xxxl rat is 750 grams which is similar to a small to medium adult rabbit. Your snake will be healthier as there will far less fat on the rabbit compared to the obese rat mate. I have fed carpets rabbits plenty of times and all take them down very easily.

NennaMeerkat

03-15-11, 08:15 PM

Thank you, I love watching her! It took her about 15 minutes from start til finish, wish it took an hour! haha

I know people don't like to do it but feeding him multiple food items would make it last longer and you even get to see it from start to finish twice.

vendettaseve

03-15-11, 08:28 PM

Well he is a big boy. I assume with larger prey, comes a larger beat down. I was contemplating buying live rabbits and killing them for my ferrets(it's cheaper to just buy chicken for them), and I figured that, since rabbits are larger, I'd either have to give a few good swings to the wall or just one -strong- swing. A swing so strong you'd probably hear the loud 'THWUMP!' throughout the house.

"What was that?!"

"Uh... Nothing! I fell." LOL

Im picturing rabbit shaped holes in your wall lol :)

I dont really like killing mice, I tend to want to pet them. if I had to tho I think Id use the head/tail pull as mentioned above.

Hope your snake has a quick recovery and Im glad its doing well :)

Max713

03-15-11, 08:35 PM

I'd say that's a full belly :)
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NennaMeerkat

03-15-11, 08:39 PM

Aww I love the bulges they have after they eat. They look all fatty XD And I would have to say it is a nice bluge :) BTW how old is your Carpet?? And is that about as big as the get or...?

percey39

03-15-11, 08:43 PM

Max713

03-15-11, 08:45 PM

She does look fat and happy!

I was told she is 5 years old, but I only recently got her.
Average female coastal carpets are around 8-10', she is 6.5' at the moment, I'd be very happy if she stopped at 8', although 10' won't be a problem.

Max713

03-15-11, 08:48 PM

There is a thread that i started, its called "angry but full scrubby" That will give you an idea of what prey size a carpet can handle. The bulge is easily 4 times the head. Mate im not being rude but i can see a lump in your snakes gut, but its not that big.

That lump in your "angry but full scrubby" thread is absolutely massive...

Maybe I should try some larger prey items...

NennaMeerkat

03-15-11, 08:49 PM

I hope I am not changing the subject to much but I keep wanting to know about the different snakes people keep...if I am annoying or drawing away from the subject let me know.

How are they temperamental wise? And are they a dry environment snake or a humid one?

A little more on subject

I want to say that some lumps I have seen here on the forum and other pics of people's snakes makes me concerned. I have seen pics of snakes split open because of to large food items eaten. I would be terrified if that happened to mine. So I stick with the rule I have always been told that no bigger (or a little bigger) than the width of their body. Even if that means feeding more than one food item. Its just better safe than sorry for me.

Max713

03-15-11, 08:55 PM

I hope I am not changing the subject to much but I keep wanting to know about the different snakes people keep...if I am annoying or drawing away from the subject let me know.

How are they temperamental wise? And are they a dry environment snake or a humid one?
It's fine :)

As hatchlings/juveniles, they have a tenancy to be very nippy, but usually calm down quickly with handling. As adults, they tend to be as well mannered as a ball, just 10x the handful! Scarlett NEVER sits still when out of her enclosure, she wants to know what everything is, and climbs everything in sight.
Scarlett has never bitten anyone as an adult, not even the inexperienced Petco employee that grabbed her firmly by the neck when she asked if she could pet her... not even today when I had to hold her down to clean her fresh bite wound. She is an absolute sweet heart, and from what I've heard most adult carpets are.

Carpets come from a humid environment, but any successful breeder will tell you ~50% humidity is perfect for day to day life, with a higher 60-70% during shedding.

I would also be concerned with giving her too large of a prey item, not to mention I have 7 frozen large rats in my freezer that will be feed before any change is considered :)

totheend

03-15-11, 09:36 PM

No idea on how to treat it but man it sounds like you had a field day trying to kill the fella! Should you ever get another live for whatever reason, I've seen this method used on mice. Not sure if it'd work for a jumbo rat, but if you attempt it, be sure to pull the tail one way, the head the other in one quick, strong motion to dislocate the spine and have a relatively painless death.

I've also heard of people placing the live prey item in a pillow case and slinging it against the wall. It's horrible, but I find this method to be funny. Whack-a-rat! :D

For the record, though, I don't support glue traps.

Cervical dislocation works great on mice and small rats, but not to be used on larger rats.

Glue traps suck! I live in the country and get unwanted mice (unless they are in the freezer, they are not allowed in my house!). So a few nights ago my boyfriend put a glue trap down. Around midnight I heard the mouse. So I went and got the trap..all happy to have caught one..then realized the mouse was alive.........LOL. So I had to do the dirty work. Not the traps for me. I want the trap to do ALL the work.

blindfireak40

03-15-11, 09:42 PM

I want the trap to do ALL the work.

"Just get like 5 Corn Snakes and let them wander around"

Who all's heard that one from one of the poor souls in our lives who don't get the whole snake thing? lol

Back on topic, I agree with Nenna, from where I am right now, I am WAAAAY to worrisome to try feeding something as relatively large as that rabbit that's in your Scrubby, Percey...I'll have to bite the bullet soon though, 'Celli's ready to move up to fuzzies. /Gulp.

NennaMeerkat

03-15-11, 09:50 PM

Thanks for all the info Max :) Seems like a cool snake to have. Though I do prefer calmer snakes that do like to chill on you, around you, and the like. Guess that is why I enjoy hognose so much. They generally are laxed and don't mind just chilling in your lap or on your hands.

And yeah I would be wanting to rid my freezer of any rats before moving to something else...maybe a bunny would be okay, or a younger rabbit than that. Would have to look at different sizes feeder rabbits come in.

percey39

03-15-11, 10:08 PM

That lump in your "angry but full scrubby" thread is absolutely massive...

Maybe I should try some larger prey items...

Yeah its only a yearling so its long, but does not have the head size. Scrubbies are just another carpet, so im sure when your freezer is empty you will be right to go a rabbit that is larger than the rats you are feeding. Especially considering rabbits do have a lot less fat and are a higher protein meat. Your snake will love them and you will see the growth rate climb.

Also snakes know when a prey item it too big, they will not go to eat anything they know they can not handle. I have seen a few pics of wild snakes splitting but this is due to being attacked by another predator.

Max713

03-15-11, 10:26 PM

"Just get like 5 Corn Snakes and let them wander around"

Who all's heard that one from one of the poor souls in our lives who don't get the whole snake thing? lol

If only it worked like that! I'd have a house full of free roaming snakes haha.

Thanks for all the info Max :) Seems like a cool snake to have. Though I do prefer calmer snakes that do like to chill on you, around you, and the like. Guess that is why I enjoy hognose so much. They generally are laxed and don't mind just chilling in your lap or on your hands.

And yeah I would be wanting to rid my freezer of any rats before moving to something else...maybe a bunny would be okay, or a younger rabbit than that. Would have to look at different sizes feeder rabbits come in.
Absolutely :)
Like I said, I only recently got Scarlett, she may slow down as she gets to know me better, but at the moment she is so active! I can't say I dislike it, I love my active girl!
Maybe talk to some owners who have had their snakes for years at a time to get a better idea how they act after years of constant interaction with the same individual?

I may try some rabbits in the future, but as you said, there is many weeks of rats to come first.

Yeah its only a yearling so its long, but does not have the head size. Scrubbies are just another carpet, so im sure when your freezer is empty you will be right to go a rabbit that is larger than the rats you are feeding. Especially considering rabbits do have a lot less fat and are a higher protein meat. Your snake will love them and you will see the growth rate climb.

Also snakes know when a prey item it too big, they will not go to eat anything they know they can not handle. I have seen a few pics of wild snakes splitting but this is due to being attacked by another predator.
Are Scrubs a Carpet sub-species? Although a "mean" one ;)
I think I will try some larger prey as I run out of rats, although it will be a sloooow increase in prey size over time.
I'm aware snakes have general knowledge of their feeding ability, although I have seen pictures of captive snakes who have perished from attempting to take prey to large... I'm a bit of a worrier when it comes to the safety of my animals, although I have nothing against experimenting with a better food source for them :)

percey39

03-15-11, 10:35 PM

Yeah mate the scientific name for the Aussie scrubby is Morelia Kinghorni, so they are a carpet species. I have found they can settle well but also have a couple that try to kill me on a regular basis.

I understand your concerns with feeding large items, but it will increase their growth from my experience, save you money as you will only feed monthly, they will be more active for a longer period of time compared to feeding fortnightly.

candyraver69

03-16-11, 04:24 AM

EEK I picked the wrong thread to read LOL, too many gory details for me!

Hope Scarlett is okay and heals up nice. I hate how slowly snakes heal. It takes so many sheds for even a minor scratch to go away :(

Max713

03-16-11, 08:50 PM

Haha, not for the squeemish.

Cranky girl! Made the mistake of attempting to check on her wound today, cranky she was! Didn't actually strike, but bumped me with her nose pretty good. All the warning I needed to leave her alone.
Question to you larger snake owners: How long do you usually leave your snake alone after feeding? I've been told around 3 days... I wouldn't have messed with her normally, but I really wanted to check on her wound.

infernalis

03-16-11, 10:56 PM

I live in the country and get unwanted mice (unless they are in the freezer, they are not allowed in my house!)..

You live in the country and don't have a cat?

Where I live, a cat is mandatory unless you like mice in the house.

On topic, wow! what an amazing sequence of photos!

Max713

03-16-11, 11:05 PM

Thanks infernalis! Like I said in my other thread, she's quite photogenic :)

totheend

03-16-11, 11:11 PM

You live in the country and don't have a cat?

Where I live, a cat is mandatory unless you like mice in the house.

On topic, wow! what an amazing sequence of photos!

You are sooo very right!! I need a cat and almost got one this winter....but I have a jack russell that kills everything, including cats. She would kill the mice but she isn't out at night when they are and she has problems on take off (she can't get traction on hardwood). I was just really afraid for any cat that would be so unlucky to live here....

Sapphyr

03-17-11, 02:06 AM

Haha, Candy, I have a feeling you're going to be walking into a fair number of unwanted gore around here. xD Snakes gotta eat, prey has to be killed somehow(if it's live). c:

Edit: Though, I certainly wouldn't call this gore. In my opinion, gore is like... blood dripping all over the place, guts spilled out, severely wounded, etc. I'm guessing that's more of extreme gore? Maybe I'm just too used to 'gore' in general, so used to it that I call extreme gore just regular gore.

Lankyrob

03-17-11, 05:32 AM

I leave all my snakes for a MINIMUM of 48 hours but more often 72 hours before handling after food.

Max713

03-17-11, 02:02 PM

Well I woke her up again today to try and get a look at her neck, much less grumpy today.
The wound looks great, completely sealed, looks very minor but I did put some neosporine(sp?) on it. The lump is slowly shrinking, but still quite noticeable.

Jendee

03-17-11, 04:30 PM

"Also snakes know when a prey item it too big, they will not go to eat anything they know they can not handle. I have seen a few pics of wild snakes splitting but this is due to being attacked by another predator."

I would be more concerned with a regurge, if a prey item is too big for your snake to lay comfortably for days after feeding the snake will regurge it. losing vital stomach acids which could lead to a serious problem, its just not worth it trying to up your snakes growth rate, over feeding is not a safe or responsible thing to do. In gthe wild you may see a animal take on something really big but they have the whole survival thing going "who knows the next time an opportunity is gonna come up" to me peoplle who want to over feed their snakes always have a motive..its not for their snakes best interest, its always something like they want there snake to grow faster/bigger, they think they are saving money, want to breed ect ect. and they are putting there animal at risk for their own reasons, its sad!

I agree you should move to rabbits because an xxxl rat is an over weight rat but find a rabbit the equal size of the rats you are already feeding him :) your doing good!!

Mine get left for 24 hrs, although I have so many handling isnt an everyday thing..I do have my favorites lol
I think the fuller there belly is the longer you should leave them. all my snakes have a slight bump which is down to normal in 24 hours. So picking them up at that point wouldn't be uncomfortable. If the animal has a sizable lump that last for more the 24 hrs Id say id be a bit cranky and wouldn't want to be handled lol plus again I wouldnt want to risk a regurge, regurges can start a battle that you just don't want to get into lol

percey39

03-17-11, 07:08 PM

"Also snakes know when a prey item it too big, they will not go to eat anything they know they can not handle. I have seen a few pics of wild snakes splitting but this is due to being attacked by another predator."

I would be more concerned with a regurge, if a prey item is too big for your snake to lay comfortably for days after feeding the snake will regurge it. losing vital stomach acids which could lead to a serious problem, its just not worth it trying to up your snakes growth rate, over feeding is not a safe or responsible thing to do. In gthe wild you may see a animal take on something really big but they have the whole survival thing going "who knows the next time an opportunity is gonna come up" to me peoplle who want to over feed their snakes always have a motive..its not for their snakes best interest, its always something like they want there snake to grow faster/bigger, they think they are saving money, want to breed ect ect. and they are putting there animal at risk for their own reasons, its sad!

I agree you should move to rabbits because an xxxl rat is an over weight rat but find a rabbit the equal size of the rats you are already feeding him :) your doing good!!

I Was never suggesting to power feed that is pointless to even contemplate when you see the size of his animal, the time has well and truelly passed to power feed a 6' animal lol. All i was sayin was that the extra protein from the lean meat rabbits would cause a growth spurt. The fat content in larger mice and rats is incredibly, they are basically like us eating nothing but KFC ( imagine your heart if you only ever ate fatty foods ). With the up sizing of food there would be no problem with going a size up in rabbits next time you make an order mate. Only go up by 100-150 grams at the most, most of that weight will be bones in the rabbit any way.

Also you will find regurging of food is often caused by conditions being wrong or over handling/annoying the snake and not letting it just bask/digest. As i have said before i try and feed all my animals decent sized prey items and prey items that are low in fats. This to me serves more purpose than over feeding with small fatty meals and causing long term health issues. All captive animals are well and truelly over weight!

shaunyboy

03-19-11, 06:29 PM

I Was never suggesting to power feed that is pointless to even contemplate when you see the size of his animal, the time has well and truelly passed to power feed a 6' animal lol. All i was sayin was that the extra protein from the lean meat rabbits would cause a growth spurt. The fat content in larger mice and rats is incredibly, they are basically like us eating nothing but KFC ( imagine your heart if you only ever ate fatty foods ). With the up sizing of food there would be no problem with going a size up in rabbits next time you make an order mate. Only go up by 100-150 grams at the most, most of that weight will be bones in the rabbit any way.

Also you will find regurging of food is often caused by conditions being wrong or over handling/annoying the snake and not letting it just bask/digest. As i have said before i try and feed all my animals decent sized prey items and prey items that are low in fats. This to me serves more purpose than over feeding with small fatty meals and causing long term health issues. All captive animals are well and truelly over weight!

^^^^^
couldn't agree more mate

i feed my adults every 21 to 30 days i try and vary their diet with the odd bird,rabbit and i'm trying to get squirrel at the moment

i feed 3 or 4 times their girth also

i've had carpets refuse to eat a meal that on hindsight i feel was too large.they would strike constrict for long legnths of time then abandon it.

you could offer up to 5 or 6 times and get the same result

i have found this out over the last 8 months where i have been experimenting with various food sizes

i feel larger prey items over longer periods between feeding benifit morelia better than other methods

the above has been my personal experiences when working with morelia

to the op
thats a very nice looking coastal you have there i'm glad the wound is healing

cheers shaun