Trouble switching to frozen

SuperSleuth · 06-18-14, 10:24 AM

The brb girl my husband picked up off of Craigslist is crazy food aggressive. She'll eat live hopper mice with no problem but you have to leave her alone or she will strike at anyone/anything that moves. This makes me uncomfortable because I don't want her to get bitten, but I also don't want her hurting herself smashing her face into a wall. She's happy to 'try' frozen but I have the same problem. She'd rather bite my hand (even with long tongs) or strike at the wall. I've tried teasing her with a f/t and she goes into feeding mode but she won't take the mouse. She strikes at it defensively or strikes me. I've tried just leaving the f/t in there and she ignores it, even if I leave it overnight. I know it's not a big deal right now because they are hopper mice but I need to switch her to frozen eventually and I'm tired of getting bitten. She's docile when I pull her out to handle her, it's only when she smells food that she becomes a demon baby. I'm feeding her every 7-10 days.

**millertime89** · 06-18-14, 11:07 AM

Try fuzzy rats. They will crawl around a little bit (rather than be very active like hopper mice). IMO it's better to make the switch to rats first. Sometimes it just takes some time and sometimes they never switch. I've got two that I can't get on f/t.

Snakesitter · 06-18-14, 01:56 PM

Some snakes are harder than others to wean to f/t. Wear a glove on the hand holding the tongs if it helps, but keep at it. Hunger can be a valuable tool: as snakes will not starve even after a month, don't break down and give her live right away. If she refuses your f/t offer, let her go hungry that week. Repeat again, and a third time, and see if she gets the idea that f/t is what she will be offered.

BTW, I totally sympathize with her: I get just as excited with food when it's pizza. ;-)

Good luck!

Cmwells90 · 06-18-14, 03:08 PM

It can be a pain switching to F/T, but I would echo what snakesitter says. As long as she holds a good weight and is still healthy, make her switch. Snakes will eat dead food if it's the only thing available. My boa still makes me move the rat around so she can hunt it all over her cage, otherwise she'll just stare at it, but once it moves she's on it!