"Hey, thanks for the advice. I do have a few more questions if you don't mind. I have a great piece of drift wood that hangs high in the tank, he loves to chill up there. My temps are 88 on the warm side and 75-80 on the cool side. when he's on the ground he likes to go under the drift wood. I dropped a hopper in his cage and at night when the lights are out he follows it around and stalks it, but he never strikes, he goes into the pose and then just stops. If this is the only timeway he's showing interest, should I maintain this teqnique? Do you think he'll eventually snatch one? Can I leave a hopper in there over night? Will it stress him out? Alot of people tell me not to do it, but it seems like that's the only time he shows interest in it. When I hold it above his head, it's too wild for him and he turns the other way. Any info would be much appreciated, thanks."
Your temps are good and it sounds like he has some good hides and a perch. Also, baby carpets seem to do better in small enclosures. I use a shoe box size plastic tub. Recently I purchased a couple juvenile IJCP. What you described is exactly what my juveniles do when I offer them rat crawlers. They sniff it and stalk it but when it gets close they shy away. Then when I scent the rat with a mouse they eat it right away. Have they always been eating mice or were they on rats. If they have been on rats they may not want mice now. Many breeders including myself offer pinky rats as a first meal and although the meal may seem large for a hatchling they take it down easily. This may sound weird but where you get your mice may also affect the feeding response. I have a picky mouse eater who would not eat mice from RodentPro but when offered his usual mouse from Classic Dums he would eat right away. Maybe it was the bedding they used? I think leaving a very small hopper mouse in the cage overnight would not be harmful if food is left for the mouse but from my experience if they don't eat it in the first hour they will not eat it at all. I have also noticed that I get a much better feeding response when the food item is HOT. I have had them refuse a fresh killed rat but after soaking it in a hot water bath it was taken right away. I would try to feed it every 3-4 days so it doesn't get to stressed out. Also from my experience baby carpets do better when kept very humid because they dehydrate easily. Braining and getting some blood on a FT mouse may also stimulate a feed.
Sorry for the long ramble and good luck!
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Jaremy Douglas
