My New Retic WILL NOT EAT! Someone help me out here! - Page 2

MDT · 04-16-15, 07:41 PM

why risk the safety of your animal and feed live. there are too many resources for frozen out there. live prey is a bad accident waiting to happen. you've invested a lot into your retic, why chance it getting injured?

none of my carpets or retics get live food...i would venture that most others do the same.

Sublimeballs · 04-16-15, 09:58 PM

Give him time. He'll eat when he's ready. Millertime89 is right on the hide size. Post a pic of the caging for us to help more. How are you controlling/ monitoring heat and humidity?

I have to comment on something as no one else has. Tigers are a mainland( unless crossed to dwarf). Mainland is just a term used for the nominate form of the species; M. R. Reticulatus. It seems to me someone got you to trade a morph for a normal. Nothing wrong with normals. I keep only locale retics personally, no morphs yet.

**millertime89** · 04-16-15, 11:03 PM

If he'll take f/t, I would feed f/t. The larger the prey item the more dangerous it can be. A fuzzy rat won't bite, a jumbo could easily kill a snake. I only feed live if I absolutely have to.

Albert Clark · 04-17-15, 11:53 AM

Also, how is the 100 watt bulb seated on the enclosure? If it's on the screen top and above your uth it just may be too hot. How is the uth being regulated? Maybe you have to tweak your husbandry, While the retic gets acclimated to the new crib. Lol.

**millertime89** · 04-17-15, 02:10 PM

Here's something else to consider. While a large rat can scratch and bite what happens when you have to feed even larger prey? Have you seen the kind of damage a large rabbit can do with their teeth and the claws on their back feet? What happens when you can't find rabbits big enough and have to resort to pigs or goats or chickens? They can all cause some serious damage... Live just isn't worth the risk if it can be avoided and it's just plain stupid for giants that will readily take f/t.

KyleKennedy · 04-17-15, 08:20 PM

@Albert Clark - I am a HVAC technician so I use my temperate gun to check the temps in the cage daily. I keep the day heat lamp on during the day time (around 92 degrees last time I checked) and at night I use an infared heat lamp that stays around 90 degrees and on cool end around 80 or so. So the snake is warm 24/7. The lamp is sitting on the top of the hot end of cage. I just switch the bulb every night.

@millertime89- I get what you're saying but I prefer to feed live. It is just a preference. I love watching snakes hunt and eventually kill their prey. I always supervise live feedings with a stun gun in hand just in case the prey goes after the snake, and I can easily kill the prey if need be. But I wouldn't mind doing f/t because I have seen and heard horror stories of the prey doing serious harm to the snake.

@sublimeballs- I know. I honestly love the mainlands' color patterns more than tigers. That's why I traded.

MDT · 04-17-15, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleKennedy

I love watching snakes hunt and eventually kill their prey. I always supervise live feedings with a stun gun in hand just in case .

Um....what? What kind of stun gun are you talking about? How would you "intervene with a stun gun" if your retic has a rat in it's coils, and the rat is chewing the hell out of your snake?

This doesn't sound like a plan.

KyleKennedy · 04-18-15, 12:17 AM

@MDT - It's a flashlight that doubles into a tazer. Very light weight and perfect for pre-killing feeders.

SnoopySnake · 04-18-15, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleKennedy

I always supervise live feedings with a stun gun in hand just in case the prey goes after the snake, and I can easily kill the prey if need be.

Umm will this not shock the snake in the process since the prey would likely be wrapped in its coils..?

KyleKennedy · 04-18-15, 10:38 AM

@SnoopySnake- I only use the tazer if the prey is biting the snake and the snake doesn't appear interested in eating. Once the snake has the prey in it's coil, it's pretty much game over for the prey, and no need to use the tazer then. I know prey can still bite while in the coils, but it doesn't cause alot of damage, considering the prey is dead in less than 30 seconds. I know some of you will disagree with me. That's fine. But I've been feeding live for awhile and never had any issues of prey inflicting serious harm once in the coils.

dave himself · 04-18-15, 12:52 PM

Don't mean to sound like an idiot mate but how long have you been feeding live rabbits this size with no injuries to your snakes

Just something to make you think about mate

Ballchris · 04-19-15, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave himself

Don't mean to sound like an idiot mate but how long have you been feeding live rabbits this size with no injuries to your snakes

Just something to make you think about mate

MY GOD THATS A BIG A** BUNNY!!!!!
srry continue with the tread.

fishingfool · 04-19-15, 08:13 AM

If he takes both i say give him f/t till he gets that killing streak back I'm also a live kinda guy its more.interesting that being said don't leave a live anamal with your snake unattended

**millertime89** · 04-19-15, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleKennedy

@SnoopySnake- I only use the tazer if the prey is biting the snake and the snake doesn't appear interested in eating. Once the snake has the prey in it's coil, it's pretty much game over for the prey, and no need to use the tazer then. I know prey can still bite while in the coils, but it doesn't cause alot of damage, considering the prey is dead in less than 30 seconds. I know some of you will disagree with me. That's fine. But I've been feeding live for awhile and never had any issues of prey inflicting serious harm once in the coils.

You don't realize how wrong you are... As Dave showed you, rabbits can be huge and can certainly damage or kill your snake even while in the coils. It's happened before. Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it hasn't happened period. Furthermore, snakes are ambush predators, they can appear not interested and spin around and strike without any indication. I had a vile tempered burm that ate like this. If you're reaching in to stun the prey, you're liable to get bit as well, have you seen what happens when you get bit by a large constrictor? It's not pretty... You're been foolish, especially since your snake can take a prey item that can't fight back and you want to feed it live just because you enjoy watching it hunt.

If you want to watch something hunt, get trained in falconry and get a hawk. It's awesome. Don't endanger your snake.

MDT · 04-19-15, 08:33 PM

So...at the expense of being called a meanie again (as in another thread)...Kyle, you gotta ask yourself, are you really wanting assistance or simply validation? If it's the former, then I think the overwhelming response would be, don't feed live...it's simply not worth the risk. You have limited your snake simply by captivity. Hunting/killing in the wild is not the same as in captivity. It just isn't. Your responsibility to the safety and well being of your pet overrides your desire to "watch a kill".

If you are wanting validation of your husbandry, you likely won't get that...especially with a freaking taser poised to off a rat that gets jiggy with your snake.

So, I truly hope you don't take this the wrong way....I've been keeping snakes for well over 30 yrs...I'm still learning and modifying what I do and how I do it with regard to husbandry tips and pointers. I really think that for the long term well being of your snake, you should reconsider your feeding options.