or1olesfan
09-01-2009, 06:23 PM
my yearling corn seems to have decided that mice arent food, but that everything else is.
it started about 5 weeks ago, when i had a friend over for the night, and he was interested in seeing my snake eat. since it was feeding day anyways, i let him watch when i fed the snake.
This was also his first feeding with a new prey size. my supplier was out of the mice i normally get him, and instead got him the closest thing i could find to that size, i think they were rat hoppers. They were only a little larger than what he normally eats, and i thought they would be fine.
anyways, back to the feeding. i warmed up the rats (i did two, in case he was hungry and wanted both), and went to feed him the first one. he smelled it, found the head, and started swallowing it, just like normal. he had it about half way down when he either decided it was too big, or we scared him, and he spat it back out.
i took that rat out, and had my friend leave the room so he wouldnt be as overwelmed, and offered him the second rat about 5 minutes later. This time, he smelled the rat, and then proceeded to avoid it. not just not eat it, or ignore it, but he wouldnt go near it, like he does his poop.
i took that rat out after several minutes, put him back in his tank, and let him be. i chalked that one up to new prey size and too much comotion between me and my friend.
the next week and a half, i was out of town and didnt get to feed him.
when i did get back, once again warmed the rat, and offered it to him, same as normal. it was the same size rat as the week and a half before, but it was all i had. he smelled it, and once again avoided it like his poop.
last week, i went and bought a smaller size because i thought that might have been the problem. the only size they had were rat pinks, so thats what i got.
i warmed the rat, etc. etc. like normal. i put the rat in with him, and he didnt seem to notice it. i then reached in to get the rat, and he was very annoyed. he got up into his striking position, and did his little rattle snake impretion with his tail. i grabbed the rat, and dangled it by the tail so that it would be moving and he'd notice it. i "walked" the mouse around the feeding tank (an old 10 gallon tank) and he went up and smelled it, and then proceeded to avoide it, like his poop. i tried braining it, as i had read on here that that might help. he still wasnt interested. i went to move the tank to a dark room that no one goes into so he wouldnt be disturbed, and as soon as i touched the side of the glass he struck the glass where my hand was. i tried again, and again he struck my hand. i tried a third time, and got the same result. i ended up moving the feeding tank to a corner, putting in a water bowl, leaving the rat, putting in two hides, turned the lights out and left him there for the night hoping he would eat it when he had some privacy.
when i woke up in the morning, he still hadnt eaten it. i went to take the rat out before it started to smell, and as soon as my hand touched the lid to unlock it, he struck.
i had to get to work, and didnt have time built into my morning routine to mess with him, so i wrapped my hand in an old t shirt so if he struck he would get any flesh, reached in, grabbed the snake, and put him back in his normal tank. he didnt not strike while my hand was wrapped with the t shirt.
I've tried everything i can think of. if anyone here can help, i would really appreciate it!
it started about 5 weeks ago, when i had a friend over for the night, and he was interested in seeing my snake eat. since it was feeding day anyways, i let him watch when i fed the snake.
This was also his first feeding with a new prey size. my supplier was out of the mice i normally get him, and instead got him the closest thing i could find to that size, i think they were rat hoppers. They were only a little larger than what he normally eats, and i thought they would be fine.
anyways, back to the feeding. i warmed up the rats (i did two, in case he was hungry and wanted both), and went to feed him the first one. he smelled it, found the head, and started swallowing it, just like normal. he had it about half way down when he either decided it was too big, or we scared him, and he spat it back out.
i took that rat out, and had my friend leave the room so he wouldnt be as overwelmed, and offered him the second rat about 5 minutes later. This time, he smelled the rat, and then proceeded to avoid it. not just not eat it, or ignore it, but he wouldnt go near it, like he does his poop.
i took that rat out after several minutes, put him back in his tank, and let him be. i chalked that one up to new prey size and too much comotion between me and my friend.
the next week and a half, i was out of town and didnt get to feed him.
when i did get back, once again warmed the rat, and offered it to him, same as normal. it was the same size rat as the week and a half before, but it was all i had. he smelled it, and once again avoided it like his poop.
last week, i went and bought a smaller size because i thought that might have been the problem. the only size they had were rat pinks, so thats what i got.
i warmed the rat, etc. etc. like normal. i put the rat in with him, and he didnt seem to notice it. i then reached in to get the rat, and he was very annoyed. he got up into his striking position, and did his little rattle snake impretion with his tail. i grabbed the rat, and dangled it by the tail so that it would be moving and he'd notice it. i "walked" the mouse around the feeding tank (an old 10 gallon tank) and he went up and smelled it, and then proceeded to avoide it, like his poop. i tried braining it, as i had read on here that that might help. he still wasnt interested. i went to move the tank to a dark room that no one goes into so he wouldnt be disturbed, and as soon as i touched the side of the glass he struck the glass where my hand was. i tried again, and again he struck my hand. i tried a third time, and got the same result. i ended up moving the feeding tank to a corner, putting in a water bowl, leaving the rat, putting in two hides, turned the lights out and left him there for the night hoping he would eat it when he had some privacy.
when i woke up in the morning, he still hadnt eaten it. i went to take the rat out before it started to smell, and as soon as my hand touched the lid to unlock it, he struck.
i had to get to work, and didnt have time built into my morning routine to mess with him, so i wrapped my hand in an old t shirt so if he struck he would get any flesh, reached in, grabbed the snake, and put him back in his normal tank. he didnt not strike while my hand was wrapped with the t shirt.
I've tried everything i can think of. if anyone here can help, i would really appreciate it!