Boaz killing but not eating.

[Pareeeee]

Hello again. Back in April Boaz finally ate twice. Since then, he has decided to just kill the mice and then leave them.

This past Saturday I offered him a mouse. Before I even opened the cage he was going nuts trying to get at the mouse. I opened the door and he tried to come out to get it from me (which made me think he might actually bite me by accident). Anyway, I put the mouse in the cage, he attacked and coiled.

Later that night before I went to bed I checked in on him to find him laying beside the dead mouse, as if 'sleeping'.

I know they like to be alone while eating but I will not leave him alone with a live mouse, it's much too dangerous.

I'm thinking (from watching a previous feeding) that he has a hard time getting at the mouse's head because he usually kills them in awkward places. He either buries them in the substrate from nudging them so much or they are wedged in some corner...etc.

Should I attention feeding him again in a separate tub despite his obvious fear of them?

[Terranaut]

Where abouts in Ontario are you?
You feed live?

[SnakeyJay]

Just feed f/t mice and you'll be fine... Sooo much less hassle:D

[shaunyboy]

Just feed f/t mice and you'll be fine... Sooo much less hassle:D

sometimes a live feeder will cross over onto frozen thawed without issue,but.....

most times it requires a bit of work,usually fresh killed first ,hen onto frozen thawed

i would try the boa with fresh killed next time

what are your hot end temps ?

if its to cold a snake can't digest prey,so won't eat

let us know how you get on

cheers shaun

[Pareeeee]

he has absolutely NO interest in dead mice now since I started feeding live. He actually acts as if he is afraid of the dead mouse and makes sure he avoids it by moving as far as physically possible to the other end of the cage until I remove it. (He even did this before the live mice were ever offered to him) He is a very particular snake.. o_o Does he sound normal or is he a little OCD? Can snakes have OCD, lol!

It is not cold. I actually noticed that his cool side temp was too high (80F) because of the heat wave we've been having. I had had a higher wattage bulb there because our apartment is very cold in the winter.

Anyway, I put a lower wattage bulb over his cool side which will stay for the summer.

SO, normally his hot side stays at a constant of about 85F (heat mat) cool side 75F (low watt incandescent bulb)

[Pareeeee]

Just feed f/t mice and you'll be fine... Sooo much less hassle:D

Easy for you to say, lol. I think Boaz has decided that dead mice are 'yucky'.
He was on f/t before his 6 month fast. The only way to get him back on food was to give him live. He still will have nothing to do with dead mice so I've been offering him live. Still considering breeding mice actually.

[Pareeeee]

He ate! The feeding tub worked. Guess that problem's solved. I just hope putting him back in his enclosure didn't bother him too much. I tried to do it quickly and gently so as not to stress him.