Feeding advice for yellow rat

[Mikoh4792]

How do you feed the prey item? Do you thaw it out to room temp? Or do you let it warm up in water?

I've noticed my jungle carpet female takes food a lot better when it's warmed up...and her feeding response is stronger at night.

edit: What do you use to read temps? What heat source are you using?

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

How do you feed the prey item? Do you thaw it out to room temp? Or do you let it warm up in water?

I've noticed my jungle carpet female takes food a lot better when it's warmed up...and her feeding response is stronger at night.

edit: What do you use to read temps? What heat source are you using?

I would like to point out that pythons have heat pits. I do not believe colubrids do as well.

I haven't checked their face in awhile since I don't own any...correct me if I'm wrong?

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I would like to point out that pythons have heat pits. I do not believe colubrids do as well.

I haven't checked their face in awhile since I don't own any...correct me if I'm wrong?

Ah slipped my mind! Thanks for correcting me.

If you want to know for sure, you can always look at pics online. Here is a face pic from google images.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Ah slipped my mind! Thanks for correcting me.

If you want to know for sure, you can always look at pics online. Here is a face pic from google images.

Thanks. I would say heating it up could work that it might bring out the scent more...no clue if that's any kind of scientific reason or just random thoughts.

Literally too lazy to check for google It never really occured to me either.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Thanks. I would say heating it up could work that it might bring out the scent more...no clue if that's any kind of scientific reason or just random thoughts.

I've always been under that assumption... but who knows lol.

[philbyi-guy]

What is the harm in taking it out of the living room? Because it is not eating and the fact that you are handling it so soon I have little doubt that it is stressed, and I would suggest trying the suggestions that have been posted. If it doesn't work you can at least shut up the people that you are trying so hard to prove wrong. If you want them to listen, provide tangible proof. I'm sorry if it appears as though I am still fixating on one issue, but I do not feel it is being investigated enough. If you disagree, like I said, prove the others wrong. Do what they said and see what happens. I can promise you there is nothing wrong with that.

[poomwah]

Originally Posted by philbyi-guy

What is the harm in taking it out of the living room? Because it is not eating and the fact that you are handling it so soon I have little doubt that it is stressed, and I would suggest trying the suggestions that have been posted. If it doesn't work you can at least shut up the people that you are trying so hard to prove wrong. If you want them to listen, provide tangible proof. I'm sorry if it appears as though I am still fixating on one issue, but I do not feel it is being investigated enough. If you disagree, like I said, prove the others wrong. Do what they said and see what happens. I can promise you there is nothing wrong with that.

Handling it so soon ? Aaron says you can feed them 48 hours after shipping.
It's not going to hurt anything other than moving her to another tank which I just don't want to do when there's no reason for it, and I'm not handling her because she ate recently.

[poomwah]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Thanks. I would say heating it up could work that it might bring out the scent more...no clue if that's any kind of scientific reason or just random thoughts.

Literally too lazy to check for google It never really occured to me either.

It does make sense though, like a very small version of how dinner smells stronger when its cooking.

I've got a pine that likes warm water thawed, a bull snake that ironically likes to let them sit for a while, one corn that likes them warm, one that doesn't care, and a rat that would eat while I was holding him.

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I would like to point out that pythons have heat pits. I do not believe colubrids do as well.

I haven't checked their face in awhile since I don't own any...correct me if I'm wrong?

My animals usually give their food a flick or two with their tongue before eating it. I assume that their tongue is capable of sensing temperature in the same way that human's tongue is. And for the sake of argument, my gray rat snake does seem to prefer his food to be warm, rather than simply thawed and room temp. The corns don't care.