Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need to get him off mice, he pops them every time!

PS He started eating mice because the herp show I went to was all out of rats lol...

Either the mice you bought have partially decomposed before they were frozen, or you are overheating them during the thawing process, or both. Mice typically don't burst like that even when strongly constricted.

Kelly

I agree with Kelly on both counts. DON'T refreeze! It's one reason I tend to feed live.

Quig
-----
Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Thank you very much! I did not refreeze, so they must have been overheated.

Strangely, he will only go for mice that are above 105 degrees. Any cooler, and he just won't strike. I use my tempgun to check...

Any thoughts about this?

I also refreeze, but only small rodents - pinkies, small mice, etc. I tried it with a med. rat one time and it popped like yours, but I've never had a mouse pop on me. When you say it has to be 105 to strike, do you mean to strike or to eat. My snakes eat fine but rarely strike. My 05 male hasn't struck since he was teeny tiny and on live hoppers. My female will sometimes leave rats (she's used to small rabbits)sit in her tank a couple hours before eating them. If you haven't done so already you could try just leaving one in the tank overnight to see what happens.
Kim

I will refreeze rodents once or twice and have never had any fallout...my snakes do fine. It's very rare that my snakes ever refuse a meal, but over the past 15 years I've done it many times, and I don't see any health reasons to avoid a refreeze/refeed. Just my $.02.

All the best-
Jim Lineberger

-----
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose." (quote from Jim Elliott, "Shadow of the Almighty"

Jim, this seems to be an ongoing topic of debate. Actually, I wasn't referring to re-freezing in my last post, but simply that some mouse suppliers do not freeze their rodents rapidly enough after they have been euthanized and the rodents have decomposed somewhat before the initial freezing. However, refreezing rodents will produce the same effect.

I guess the main thing to remember is that virtually all snakes in the wild will eat carrion. There are many references to snakes in the wild eating road kills and other dead prey that they have found in various stages of decomposition. Boids seem to be one of the most willing taxon of snakes to feed on carrion. I have had bloods and anacondas on occasion eat prey either f/t or f/k that was over 24 hours old without hesitation. Refreezing probably wouldn't be much different. I have never used refrozen myself as I typically use f/k, or always have another boid available that will take it if it's f/t. I have never seen any adverse effects and frankly would never expect to see anything. When a boid eats a rat and then lays in 85 to 90 degree environment, that prey item is going to go through some major decomposition well before it can actually be significantly digested. This heat accelerated decomposition is actually an aid to their digestion. I would definitely not recommend using refrozen on a regular bases, but I don't think that occasionally it would not be a big issue.

Kelly

I used to keep a colony of rats...too much work and smell. Now that I buy them frozen, I have a hard time considering throwing one away when it cost me $2-$3. On the other hand, I do pamper my snakes, and am pretty conservative with what I'll feed them.

Enjoy this day-
Jim

-----
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose." (quote from Jim Elliott, "Shadow of the Almighty"

Nice looking Bolivian Jim, Do you have others?

Lovely amarali, Jim & Kevin! My other favorite "short-tailed" boids!

Good stuff!

K~
-----
Bloodpythons.com - Whats YOUR Blood Type?

and I do regret selling her! Amarali are one of my favorite snakes, but all I have right now are Bloods.
-----
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose." (quote from Jim Elliott, "Shadow of the Almighty"

Thanks for all th info once again.

My borneo will not eat cold (room temp) food, only mice that are at least 105 degrees, I check every time with a tempgun, and I keep records, every time he has refused a meal, a warmer (105 ) mouse will get him to eat.

He won't eat food left overnight, and he only strikes, never just eats.

bloods or Borneos as many of these juveniles prefer live or warm prey. Bloods rely on heat for locating prey animals more than any other python species I have seen. However, as they get older, most become less picky and more willing to take room-temp prey, or prey left in overnight.

Kelly