Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have 11 ball pythons that i feed at the same time. very rarely one will strike and coil around the rat but decide not to eat it and i remove it the next day. i was wondering if this was an unhealthy practice. should i remove the rat the same day or is it ok to leave it overnight? thanks in advance

-z

I have a few ball pythons that will not even coil around the rat, and just start eating it like a corn snake, but I also have one female that will constrict it and just leave it. I take the rat put it in front of the hide, a after about 2-4 hours it gone, I dont know why she wont eat right of the back, she is gaining weight and has no parasites at all. I have never heard it was bad to leave one in over night, but it will start to stink I would imagine.
thanks
Tony Butler

if it gets to the point that its smelling, its been there too long. try not to leave it more then twelve-sixteen hours. at that point in time it will start to rot and become a breeding ground for bacteria. it could potentially get you, if not your snake, sick. over night is fine, but if its not eaten by morning, toss the mouse.

>>if it gets to the point that its smelling, its been there too long. try not to leave it more then twelve-sixteen hours. at that point in time it will start to rot and become a breeding ground for bacteria. it could potentially get you, if not your snake, sick. over night is fine, but if its not eaten by morning, toss the mouse.

I leave F/T in overnight and in the morning they are usually gone. If they haven't been eaten by the time I wake-up then the rat is in the trash.
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