Reptile & Amphibian Forums

last week i feed my snake a live small rat and it tried to attack which apparently frightened the snake and now he doesn't want to eat. i feed him weekly and today i tried to feed him a dead rat and he wouldn't eat it. How long until i should try to feed him again? Do i have to keep trying every week?

As long as the rat did no damage, hunger will eventually take over. Try a small rat or large mouse next week to see if he'll take it. If not give him a couple weeks to think about it and try again. Ball pythons can go for a LONG time without food. As long as he's holding his weight try once a week unless he continues to spook, then go every other week. If he was a good eater before this incedent, he'll come back. Keep us informed.

Quig

now you know why it is a bad idea to feed live prey.
i had a simular experience 2 months ago with a what i thought was a dead mouse. turns out it was only parilized, and bit my snake on the lip, he has been afraid of mice and has gone from a great eater to a sporatic eater as a result.
kill the rat then offer it to your snake with tongs, you may have to make the rat" dance" to get the snake to take it, but at least your snake will be safe.
i have heard of bps go for a year without eating, so dont worry about a few weeks without food. your snake will be fine, but it will take some work to get it to be a good feeder again.

i am currently working at getting a pic of a severly injured bp at a petshop to post here as a testament why not to feed live prey. it was chewed all along its back, and in some places to the bone. it now has infections in the wounds, and is oozing out of its injuries. it will most likely not make it simply because someone was too lazy to defrost or prekill a rat.
dont let this happen to your snake, or anyone else's for that matter.

>it will most likely not make it simply because someone was too lazy to defrost or prekill a rat.<

I don't mean to start something, but the reason that snake got so tore up was simply because the rat was left with the snake, unattended, far to long. That's plain and simple negligence(sp)and should not have happened.

I'm not saying feed live, but just that if you do you shouldn't walk off and leave it alone with the snake. At least till you know the snake has a wrap or two on him already . I've been feeding live for fifteen years and have never had a rat, or mouse, bite one of my snakes. JMHO

Quig