Reptile & Amphibian Forums

she has been soaking in her waterbowl for the past few days and is approaching her shed period (belly is getting pink). Should I even bother trying to feed her or do you think she will reject the food? I'm asking because she only eats live rats and don't want to deal with a rejected rat if that's what will happen. Anyone had experience with this?

Thanks,

Chris

Mine will often eat while in the blue. Of course I have many so if the one in blue refuses, I simply give it to another waiting mouth.

In your situation, I'd just skip a week. Will not harm you BRB in any way to miss a meal. They can litterally go for MONTHS without food although not recommended.

And get her off of LIVE rats, at least get her to take stunned ones. Safer for your BRB!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Yeah, I just don't want to have to stun every rat I get. I did that a few times and she still wouldn't go for the thawed rats. I've beeen getting her real young rats and closely monitoring the exchange. She has no problem whatsover (knock on wood). Her strike is incredibly fast and powerful. I never get used to it!

thanks for the reply

...then I'm sure she would take to fresh killed. If not then just try exposing a little blood(if it isn't already) of the fresh killed.

It's, in my experience, easier to get them to jump from fresh killed to F/T then it is from live/stunned to F/T.

Just an idea though.

Sean.

when your brb's are in blue and they that they poop a lot quicker (like right after they shed) as opposed to not being in shed. All of my snakes eat regardless of when I offer food to them but most of them like Frank mentioned don't usually poop while in the blue since most likely their eye sight is at its worse and they can't defend themselves as opposed to right after shedding as they may feel invincible. So I guess my ? is do you find that they have that stored poop from the earlier meal and feeding while in the blue just makes for a bigger stool and get all the nutrients from the rodent-does that make sense to you cuz you know I have a way with wordslol
Bob

$hit if I know!!!! LOL

All I can really say is I put it in warm and solid at one end and it comes out warm and not so solid at the other some time later.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Bob,
..I wonder if this could be an evolutionary adaptation so that they do not make a smelly mess which might attract predators when they are less able to defend themselves because of the cloudy eyes? I do however have a different idea about why they often pass a stool with or right after the shed. I think that the movement and especially the musclular contractions that help them shed cause corresponding muscular contractions in the intestines which moves the stool along towards the cloaca.
Jeff

>>when your brb's are in blue and they that they poop a lot quicker (like right after they shed) as opposed to not being in shed. All of my snakes eat regardless of when I offer food to them but most of them like Frank mentioned don't usually poop while in the blue since most likely their eye sight is at its worse and they can't defend themselves as opposed to right after shedding as they may feel invincible. So I guess my ? is do you find that they have that stored poop from the earlier meal and feeding while in the blue just makes for a bigger stool and get all the nutrients from the rodent-does that make sense to you cuz you know I have a way with wordslol
>>Bob

cuz something is always happening right at shed time when I feed in the blue and that makes total sense to me, thanks for shedding some light on the subject and I saw you and the gnome lol and gnome and Bob Clark too, but I want some pics of that suri at shed time pleeeeeaaaaassseeeee-take care Jeff
Bob

Mine will usually eat when in shed. In fact in the last two weeks I have had 2 that started to shed while eating and they are 1/2 done shedding when I palce their feeding container back into their cages.

I do have some that will not eat when in shed too, so it is hard to say.

It is your call, but like Dave said skipping a meal will not hurt one bit. I am thinking of skipping a meal for my BRB's that are my better eaters, so their digestive systems can have a rest.
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Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King