Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i fed my brazialian rainbow boa for the first time since i had her. i put the mouse in her tank shut the lights off except for her right heat bulb.

she was looking at the mouse and following it with her head like she wanted to eat it but she never went after it. after a while i pick the mouse up by its tail held it up infront of her face and she went after it in a matter of seconds.

can anyone help me, and tell me why she didnt go after the mouse with out me holding it? also, should i not be holding infront of her and letting her go after it herself?

thanks
steve

First off, i'm assuming your BRB is a juvi or a neonate, because that's usually the age when they are picky eaters (barring any ailments)...Each snake is different, but sometimes the snake might need some stimulation (the shaking of the mouse) to entice a feeding response...this is called "tease feeding" and is often used with picky eaters to induce feeding...my brb personally is a ravenous feeder and the second she smells the mouse, she waits intently for me to lower it into her tank...

so then it's normal for me to hold the mouse infront of her while she's this young? also, does this mean i will have to do this the rest of her life or will she eventually become a normal eater

Are you feeding live? Was the breeder feeding frozen/thawed?
If so, your baby may just be used to a certain method. As far as always holding the mouse, I would not think this would be the case. Just slowly change how it is being offered until it is used to how you are going to feed it. I would be careful holding it with your fingers though. Your fingers could easily be mistaken for food if your brb is taught to strike when your hand approaches it.
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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

so, are you telling me what i am doing is wrong, or it's just gonna take time for her to get used to feeding like that? your right about my fingers, i'm gonna use tongs next time.

also, how long after can i hold her after i feed her, i fed her monday night.

the only reason i help the mouse infront of her is because she didnt go after it when it was running around the cage. but when it started wiggling b/c of me holding it, she went after it?

First off, i'm not going to preach on feeding live or frozen, but there are major benifits to feeding frozen as opposed to feeding live. The first is the saftey of the snake. If your BRB is not hungry, it will not eat, period. If a live mouse is left in it's enclosure for too long or not monitored, it could very well kill your boa. Also, even when the boa attacks and constricts the mouse, it is possible for the mouse to bite and scratch, injuring the snake. Second, rodents can carry bacteria and internal parasites, which if you feed to your snake, will be passed on. Freezing rodents for 30 days will kill most if not all these parasites, making it safe for your snake...Third, you can keep plenty of frozen mice on hand as opposed to having to continually go and buy them or raise them yourself (smelly!)...Also, please make sure that the prey item is COMPLETELY THAWED! Feeding a frozen or partially frozen food item to a snake or any reptile for that matter can be fatal. I said i wouldn't preach about feeding frozen, but i guess i ended up doing it...oh well, it needs to be said.

On to your next question. It is advisable to wait at least 2 days after feeding to handle your snake. Otherwise regurgitation due to stress can occur. This can be especially devastating since you have a juvenile snake.

If your snake doesn't respond to just leaving the mouse in it's tank, use the tongs and shake the thawed mouse in front of it, just like a live one. This can sometimes incite a snake to feed when it normally wouldn't. If it doesn't feed, don't bat the snake around with the mouse in the head, just throw out the mouse (it's generally not advisable to re-freeze thawed food items) and try a few days later. Hope this helps.

My female is funny, she actually goes like 1 mm from the mouse his head and scares the living [bleep] out of it and then starts aiming 'shaking head left and right' and waiting for the mouse to turn his head so she can grab it in the neck heh.

how did you post a pic like that.... i wanna post a pic of my snake as well

just upload a picture to a website or your photo gallery on kingsnake.com and fill in the link where it says link IMAGE when you setup a msg