Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a pair of retics, and the female is going through mice like crazy... but the male seems to just constrict it and let it go pretty much, doesn't finish what it starts... It has eaten one time for me so far... But the last two times I have tried, it just constricts and lets it go, it's feeding response it great, my thumb and the bloody mice could tell you that.. should I just wait another week to try again or do something else?

thanks,
Ben

My male tiger het used to do the same thing. I would offer him a frozen thawed or prekilled rodent which he would take with gusto. Once he was finished constricting, he would seemingly become distracted and leave the rodent alone. Of course this tended to occur when I was in the room keeping an eye on the situation, and I believe it was my presense that caught his attention. Try feeding your male by himself (in a separate container from the female), without you being in the area. One thing I also noticed is that my tiger has a particular like of chicken, either whole chicks or in parts. Whenever I rub something like a chicken leg or gizzard on a rodent, he eats it about as quickly as he eats chicken (which is very fast). You may give that a shot and see what happens. Good luck, keep us updated.
-Chance

Get him in a cage by himself, and leave the room. I have some dwarves that will not eat if you disturb them in any form or fashion. That seems to be the largest problem that I have seen with snakes like that-their owner scaring them off the food.
You really need to separate those snakes...

First off get them seperated. Also if using f/t when constricted use some hemos and pull on the tail(of the food item) see if that will help him think it is alive.

First off well start with the obvious. You just got this pair a week or so ago, let them settle in (NO handling! you should put a towel or something over the cage for about a week as well, always works) As said above they need to be seperated. The log you have in their cage for a hide spot is NO good. Snakes like a nice tight dark place in which NO one can see them. You need more hide spaces! Also why are they on paper towels? Retics are the only snakes I've ever had that didn't feed on the day I got them home. They will not feed till they are settled and feel secure in their cage which I don't know how the male feels that way, some are just pigs heh. Anyways, once settled in and feeding you can do anything from take away their hides to leaving them on a cage floor with nothing and it won't matter. Key is just to get them settled in and started then you can do what you want.

John

Thanks for all the replies.. First off before I start saying anything, all the ones that say seperate them, they are, so no worries, that picture was taken the very first day I got them to kind of see how they interacted with one another and I *deffinently* don't feed them together And about using paper towels for bedding, I actually have newspaper under the towels (to catch/hold in a little more heat)And using them, I don't seem to have any humidity trouble so... And I always use a set of tongs to feed all my snakes, and I do wiggle the mouse around on the floor (if it even makes it to the floor) I will also take the advice on getting a new hide for them. And thanks again, I don't think it will have any problem eating with the advice given.

~Ben

Although my retic never has a problem taking food from forceps, sometimes my boas do the same thing. If I just leave the prekilled rat in front of them, leave the room for a couple minutes, and come back, all that's left usually is a tail sliding between their lips.
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1.0 8' albino burmese
1.0 14' normal burmese
1.0 4' normal retic
0.1.1 5' bcc
0.0.1 malaysian blood
0.0.1 nile monitor
3.0 cats
and a breeder rat colony

Personally I feed bare handed. I've never had a problem working with adult retics (10ft plus) to adult chondros. It's just been easy this way for me. Maybe I should look into getting some tongs?

John

Chance, I couldn't agree more with you about scenting with chickens. This method has always worked for me. I've had some picky feeders and they always switch once I scent the item with chicken. I find getting a bit of chicken blood on the head of the rodent or rabbit works the best. Pythons love chicken. Definately separate them.