Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My two balls ate live for the breeder I got them from. I want to feed them F/T, but should I feed live instead until they get even more acclimated to their new enclosures?

What I do is:

Let the new arrivals settle in for a week to 10 days.

Offer a pre-killed "whatever the breeder was feeding" off of tongs.

Pre-killed often will illicit a better feeding response than f/t.

Be patient. Don't try to "force" the issue. If it doesn't seem interested, try again in another week. Don't handle the snake until it eats.

Most young snakes will switch over readily to pre-killed, then to f/t.

Good luck.

Chris
Coils Select Serpents
www.coilsserpents.com

I would say the same as above, let the snake settle into a secure cage(ie. low light, good heat, good hides)

But I would say to go ahead and offer the F/T first. You would be suprised how easy some switch. If it refuses 3 F/T strait then I would try fresh killed. It is very important to have a snake that feels secure and a F/T that is very warm. The F/T should feel as warm or even warmer than a live rodent.

I have F/T eaters that sometimes refuse a second rodent after they have eaten a first. I just put it back in a baggie and leaves it in hot tap water for another 5 min to warm it back up and POW they take it like they haven't eaten in weeks.

I think most people who have a problem with F/T are due to those two reasons, either an unsecure snake or meals that are room temp.

If you ask me I wouldnt do what they said. I would first let it settle in for a week. Then I would feed it live for a few weeks to make sure its settled in and then try the switch. Some times it is easier to go from live to fresh killed to frozen thawed then from live to frozen thawed.