Like the others said - go with a bigger prey items. I prefer to feed rats exclusively and if this is your ultimate goal also then stick with fuzzy rats.



You shouldn't need to assist or force feed your ball anymore. Like they said this is last resort for starving balls only. Since he has taken one meal without assistance you should be able to completely stop the force feedings. Give him plenty of "alone time" (only handle him about once a week at this point and even then for only a short 10-15 duration). Don't worry about attempting to "tame" him at this point. Instead, your focus should be on getting him used to his new home and on a decent feeding schedule. You can attempt to get him to be "handle-able" more when he is settled in more.



As far as being worried about his swallowing a live pinky rat... don't worry about it. Every year I have more than one hatchling that does the same thing. At the pinky stage rats don't have teeth and any nails they may be developing are still very small and weak. Chances are the pinky suffocated before it had a chance to do any real damage. Pinkys don't move much and that is probably why it was consumed before it was actually dead. I wouldn't worry about your snake doing the same thing with a larger prey item - he won't have as much difficulty feeling the heart and lungs stop on a larger prey item as he would with a pinky.

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