First off thanks to those who responded to my first series of questions.Your advice was very helpful.I do have a hide box.It is a ceramic skull kept in the cool end of the tank.The temp in the warm end of my tank is about 85 degrees.I have the thermometer about 2 inches off the floor from the subtrate stuck to the back of the tank.The cooler side is a few degree's lower about maybe 79.I fed Mufasa(My snakes name) two pinkie mice today.He had no problems eatting them at all and finished both in a few minutes.My question is he ate the mice without constricting them first and also did not eat them head first.Is that normal and since he has no problems eatting the pinkies(He swallowed them no lie in under a minute after he grabbed them)should I move him up to fuzzies? Thanks for the help!!By the way the snake,who I named Mufasa,is about 18 inches in length.
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A new question for vets of ratsnake care!
Replies (3)
>>First off thanks to those who responded to my first series of questions.Your advice was very helpful.I do have a hide box.It is a ceramic skull kept in the cool end of the tank.The temp in the warm end of my tank is about 85 degrees.I have the thermometer about 2 inches off the floor from the subtrate stuck to the back of the tank.The cooler side is a few degree's lower about maybe 79.I fed Mufasa(My snakes name) two pinkie mice today.He had no problems eatting them at all and finished both in a few minutes.My question is he ate the mice without constricting them first and also did not eat them head first.Is that normal and since he has no problems eatting the pinkies(He swallowed them no lie in under a minute after he grabbed them)should I move him up to fuzzies? Thanks for the help!!By the way the snake,who I named Mufasa,is about 18 inches in length.
That sounds warmer than I keep mine. I would aim five degrees lower, but maybe it is just me. As to the eating I would say it is pretty normal especially for young snakes. Did they leave a lump? If not then they are too small and move to something more the diameter of the snakes thickest part. In my mind it is better to go a bit small and more often at that age.
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Sonya
I would agree that the temps are a little warm. i have always kept my ratsnakes at room temp. with no problems. You could probably go up a size in food and as far as eating backwards I wouldnt worry, some snakes are just wierd like that. Later, EP
Yes, you probably can go up to fuzzies. Try one, and aim for a size roughly the same as the snake's greatest girth. The fact that he didn't constrict the pinkies tells me he's probably waiting for bigger game to try that with.
I've found that they're less particular about pinkies when it comes to which end goes in first. Furry critters simply go down better head first because of the lay of the fur, so the snake usually will make an effort to start with the head of a fuzzie/hopper or adult.
MichaelB
