Thanks Rob. EDBs are my favorite rattlesnakes with horridus coming in a close second. This EDB has eaten live hopper mice only twice in its life. It's eaten frozen-thawed exclusively since I've had it. I heat the frozen rodents too but do so by putting them in a Zip-Lock and placing the bag in sunlight. It takes a while but they soon get toasty. If they get too hot, though, their guts explode. I let them cool until they feel slightly warm to the touch then feed.

Until recently, if a thawed mouse had even a hint of rat scent on it, this EDB would rattle and run from it like it was Godzilla. I put a dark hide box in the cage and eased the head of a thawed rat into the entrance which triggered a strong bite from the snake. I left the rat at the entrance and it was gone a few minutes later. I used to keep this species in the early 1990s and never had one refuse fresh killed rodents of any kind so this one's behavior had me a little puzzled. Like you said, they're a finicky bunch!

Regards,
Wasil

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