What I have not yet revealed about my sweet little black snake is that he doesn't eat on his own. The breeder was up front with me and spent two hours teaching me how to assist feed. So now, after a couple of successful assist feeds under my belt, I feel free to talk about it. The hardest part is getting the fuzzy in his mouth and he spit it out twice before we had success today.
I'm learning a few tricks as I go and am still at little hamfisted, but it will get better. Having the the fuzzy really, really wet is one of the tricks. Once he decides to eat it, he walks his little jaws right down the fuzzy on his own.
It is not unusual for young indigos to need assist feeding. All 8 of my breeder's hatchlings needed help. Some, like Shadow, eat well once the prey is far enough in his mouth. Other's were still actually being force fed. I saw that, too. I wasn't ready to tackle force feeding, but I figured it was time I stepped up my game and my snake skill set.
I am however, looking forward to the day when his feeding response kicks in!
He weighed in at 57 grams before feeding today. Forgive the mouse guts, please. I know these pictures aren't the best but I was holding the phone with my left hand and keeping him from wriggling off the table with my right hand.
