Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm trying to switch my GTP over to hand feeding, to avoid the obligation of dropping a live rat in his tank for fear of an injured snake. Not to mention, bulk buys are always a good thing. I have had some success with hand feeding, though not so much in the past two or three weeks. Anything I can do to make this method more inviting to him?
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"

If you live near a show, get some large hemostats or tweezers. You didn't indicate how large your animal was, so I assume you are "hand feeding" a very small chondro(yearling or less). FWIW, I have only seen one chondro out of hundreds, that has refused frozen thawed rodents. They are almost always problem free when it comes to feeding established animals.

Good luck.
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

I have a fairly inadequate set of hemostats. The GTP is six years old, looking around four and half to five feet long. I am thinking that perhaps I am impatient when it comes to feeding frozen/thawed - although the previous owner informed me that he had always been fed live rats, just by dropping them in the tank.

>>If you live near a show, get some large hemostats or tweezers. You didn't indicate how large your animal was, so I assume you are "hand feeding" a very small chondro(yearling or less). FWIW, I have only seen one chondro out of hundreds, that has refused frozen thawed rodents. They are almost always problem free when it comes to feeding established animals.
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>>Good luck.
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>>www.brandonosbornereptiles.com
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"

Make sure the food item is very hot. Body temps on live animals are over 100. Usually around 101. Use very hot water to thaw and then dip the nose in very hot water just before offering the food item on hemostats after dark. If you want, you can fluff up the fur on the mouse with a paper towel before giving it. Like Brandon, I've rarely had animals refuse f/t even if they are raised on live. Wait a little longer before feeding so that the animal is good an hungry can help as well. My animals are fed every 2-3 weeks so they would probably eat a burger if I put it in the cage.
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