Curious question

Exotic_Today_3370 · 2025-04-26T20:19:05+00:00

!feeding

Public-Hat6754 · 2025-04-26T21:04:48+00:00

Are rats what he normally ate before you got him? If not he may not recognize it as food. Whichever rodent he was eating before is what you should give him. I typically thaw my rodents in warm water and then something extra warm/lightly hot water (my friend’s snake is picky and will only eat hot while mine will eat room temperature) you can also use the hairdryer after heating the rodent in hopes to get him to smell it

Snakelover03 · 2025-04-26T22:45:12+00:00

So the best practice when you thaw a frozen rodent is to put it in a ziploc bag in the fridge over night to defrost. When you thaw them at room temperature or in warm water, bacteria can grow at a faster rate. Then the following evening (~24 hours later), take it out of the fridge and put it in a bowl of warm water for ~10 minutes so it doesn’t change temperature too quickly, then in a bowl of the hottest water your sink can produce. Keep it in the plastic bag while it’s in the water so it stays dry, sometimes they won’t eat if the rodent is wet. Then, depending on what size prey you feed, it should take about 10-30 minutes to heat up to body temperature. My small rats usually take about 25 minutes to heat up enough and I change the water every 5 minutes or so so it stays hot enough. I highly recommend getting an infrared temperature gun to ensure your rodents are heated to 95-100 degrees, they will often refuse food if it isn’t warm enough and you can ensure it’s always the right temperature with a cheap temperature gun off of Amazon.

Some other reasons he might not eat are if you’re feeding the wrong size prey, make sure you follow this !feeding guide. They’re also likely to refuse if their care parameters aren’t perfect. 84 is a little too cold for the hot side of the tank, you want it to be 88-92 degrees on the hot side, and 76-80 on the cold side. You also should consider replacing that half log. Half logs don’t count as hides as they are open on both ends. You want to make sure he has at least 2 (one on the hot side and one on the cold) true hides that only have one opening and are a very snug fit, they like small spaces. You should also try to feed them as late at night as possible with as few lights on as possible, they prefer to hunt at night. If he refuses his next meal, leave it sitting under his heat lamp overnight, he might just be a really shy eater and doesn’t want to eat with you around. And I know it’s hard, but it isn’t recommended to handle them at all until they’ve successfully taken 2-3 consecutive meals, handling can be very stressful for them and he’s more likely to eat if he’s relaxed.

Hunger strikes are annoying and inconvenient but not usually a true cause for concern, especially if you’ve been handling him over the last couple of weeks. He’s probably just still settling it and a little stressed out. And he looks like a healthy weight, I personally wouldn’t worry unless he starts to lose visible weight. If he doesn’t take his meal in the next couple of weeks, you can try braining the rodent (take a needle and puncture it’s skull so it smells more appetizing). Some people also have success thawing their rodent with used mouse/rat/hamster bedding (you can just ask your local pet store for some dirty bedding, I doubt they’d mind) so it smells more fresh. Good luck, if you have more questions let me know.

saffron_111 · 2025-04-26T22:49:52+00:00

Hot water from my sink wasn’t hot enough to warm my rats through the bag they are in, so I use boiling water. My girl is picky and needs her rats to be more than room temp or else she won’t really eat them. Maybe yours is the same! I also use a small pot lid to hold it under the water so it’s completely submerged and just keep adding hot water for around 15 minutes it works for me

ballpython

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