Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay the breeder i got my JCP from said that she was ready to graduate to rat pubs so last night i went to buy one and had to kill it myself since he said she was used to dead. Well i held her for a bit and she only struck one when i got her out of the cage then really started to relax. I put her in a separate box to feed and as soon as i dangled the rat she struck and through a coil around and then she realeased? I left her for awhile but the rat remained uneaten. Do you think she was to stressed to eat it or just realized she couldnt? Thanks for an responses you through my way.
-Megan

Megan

Sounds like stress related behavior. Wait a few days three or four. Let her settle in if you just got her it can take weeks before they settle into there new home and begin feeding normally. If you are offering P/K (prekilled) on tong. try this next time. Go ahead and get a P/K rat pup put it under a heat lamp to get it warm I do it for 2 minutes. Then set it in her inclosure. Leave her along and do this at night when its dark. She maybe too stressed and scared to take stuff off tongs. Ask the breeder you got her from how exactly he fed her that will give you a good idea of what she is used to. Do you have a perch in her inclosure you could also wait until you can see her at night hunting from her perch, but I bet she hides all the time. It can take a long time for them to settle in so don't worry. hope this helps

Chuck

More than likely, your JCP just has the natural aversion to rats that many of us have to deal with. I have an 8ft plus female that will not touch rats. She does the same thing, grabs, constricst then releases. If I feed her fresh stunned she will kill it then leave it. I have to feed her 12 jumbo mice, or almost 20 large mice a week. I kill them all and drop them in her feeding cage and she eats them like a dog. You have the luxury of trying to get her to take rats. Sounds like your snake is young and the hardest part is offering nothing but rats from now on. Most people, myself included, give in and offer mice again. Usually, they will never take anything else. If you have the heart, offer it nothing but rats and eventually they will come around. This is hard on the heart strings though and most people give in. Remember, snakes can go a rediculously long time without food before they actually have any ill-effects. Their metabolism will slow and they will not usually drop weight for months without eating. My JCP has the strongest feeding response of all my snakes, and if I had the willpower when she was little to get her to switch I would be a happier and richer man. Good luck, Eric-