Black rat snake feeding experience

[RAD House]

That is useful information Andy, thanks for the advice. I was out of ideas so this is really helpful.

[Andy_G]

Something else that I just noticed after re-reading this thread that you asked about and nobody has supplied you with an answer yet...

In regards to your snake spitting out the prey item while feeding if disturbed, it is completely normal and this is observed in most species, mostly with nervous/stressed/young individuals. They get startled and want to dash, which is much easier to do when your mouth isn't full!

I had a male black pine snake that would keep his rat constricted while trying to eat my face as I walk by his cage after feeding him while I was feeding/cleaning the others...but he would always finish what he started after I was gone and was otherwise extremely calm.

[RAD House]

Yeah that makes sense. I am thinking about some sort of cover I could place over the glass front during feeding.

[RAD House]

I have thought about the cage size issue quite a bit, and she spends most of her time sitting in the branches all but out in the open so I don't think security is an issue. I have very infrequently been known to wrong though, at least in other people's minds.

[mysticmoon]

Sounds like you're doing everything right. He's probably just being stubborn.

But just to be sure... what kind of bedding are you using? Pine and cedar are poisonous to snakes, and sand can cause impaction. You probably already know this, but it was the only thing I could think of.

Hang in there, he will eat when he gets hungry enough.

[Albert Clark]

Just out of curiosity is she cbb or wc? Is there some other appropriate sized prey that you could try? Or alternatively, live rodent prey just to get her started? The other prey I was thinking of was fowl. That would mean getting f/t day old chicks then having to do a dissection. I don't know if that is something you would consider. One other thing is that having her in a shallow tub with water that only covers the ventral scales will help with dehydration. The cloaca is a physiological sponge that can absorb generous amounts of fluid. Unless you can say that you do observe her drinking water. Just a couple of thoughts.

[RAD House]

Originally Posted by mysticmoon

Sounds like you're doing everything right. He's probably just being stubborn.

But just to be sure... what kind of bedding are you using? Pine and cedar are poisonous to snakes, and sand can cause impaction. You probably already know this, but it was the only thing I could think of.

Hang in there, he will eat when he gets hungry enough.

She is and has always has been on Aspen bedding. Impaction does not seem to be an issue as when she does eat she seems to poop just fine.

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Just out of curiosity is she cbb or wc? Is there some other appropriate sized prey that you could try? Or alternatively, live rodent prey just to get her started? The other prey I was thinking of was fowl. That would mean getting f/t day old chicks then having to do a dissection. I don't know if that is something you would consider. One other thing is that having her in a shallow tub with water that only covers the ventral scales will help with dehydration. The cloaca is a physiological sponge that can absorb generous amounts of fluid. Unless you can say that you do observe her drinking water. Just a couple of thoughts.

She is CBB as far as I know. I am reluctant to switch her to other prey, as I can get her to eat. If for whatever reason she does go off feed again for an extended amount of time than maybe alternative prey items are in order. She has gotten several baths in the past few months, between the iodine treatment and the a little stuck shed on the tip of her tail. I have seen her drink but very infrequently. I also do not see any of the signs of dehydration.

Just to clear up something I clearly did not in my original post is that although a little under weight, I have managed to get her back to a healthy weight with our little two step.