Proud of my Ball

[mplsmommy]

I have a ball python, Ladon, he's always been a picky eater as most balls are. He has always eaten live, if it didn't move he wouldn't eat it. We've had our issues, he had one rat that decided it was going to eat him and he ended up with a quarter size chunk missing out of his back.
Well, this past weekend I decided when I went to pick him up food from my local reptile shop that he was going to try a frozen rat this time. Warmed it up for him, put him into the tub(I don't want him to swallow his substrate) and tossed in the rat to give it some "movement" He smelled it, but was a bit more interested in exploring. Gave it one more nudge for another shift, and he struck it! Took him about 10 minutes to get it down and swallowed.
So proud of him, and happy that I'll be able to save money and time and that he'll be safer.

[ThePearlFish]

Great job Ladon! :)

Hopefully, simulating movement can excite him to eat the frozen meals more.

[mplsmommy]

I just have to find a cheap pair of tongs to use. I actually used the handle of my fish net to nudge it. I'll just have to go to the dollar store and then label it Not for Human Use lol.

[ThePearlFish]

My Beardie recognizes the tongs as a food (worms) giving implement :P

[mplsmommy]

That's cool! I'm surprised I haven't gotten one yet since I don't really like touching rats or having my fingers that close to a hungry snakes food.

[LadyVictorian]

My teacher use to have a reticulated python in class (had to take it home after it strangled a student o.o) but before it tried eating 13 year olds he had to to thaw his mice and used a pair of raptor gloves, held the rat above it's head and wiggled it by the tail so Winky would see it, see the heat, and grab it. So long as you imitate it's movement he should take it.

And not surprised a rat attacked him xD rats eat smaller snakes in the wild. They have VERY high prey drives. I can't let my rats around my cat because one of my girls had my cat by the throat and was biting into her making her bleed. Most people don't know it but rats are amazing hunters and can even work in groups, in the wild they hunt and kill birds, reptiles, small mammals, and insects. Some even kill and eat fish. I caught Fili sitting on the fish tank with her paws in the water waiting for my betta to get curious and once I gave them a bucket with six live feeder minnows and my two rats dived on in and had eaten them all up before the fish could reach the other end of the bucket. Hard to beat such smart things and with those jaws yeah...feeding live is super dangerous with those things. They can be great pets but so aggressive towards other animals. My friends rats killed both her morning doves once and broke into her gecko's cage because she didn't lock the lid and they ate him too.

[Olympia]

I've always wiggled the food before feeding. Mine would never take one that isn't moving either. They are little bums aren't they?
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[ChoclateBetta]

I know this is off topic but I love your Betta. Love pythons too.

[nel3]

i love snakes. i admire any large constrictor but id rather not own ont that pushes 6 ft long. the length of the snake isnt as important as the size and trength they can have. something similar to ball pythons is just perfect imo. i like corn and garters snakes though i love the colourful tropical vipers much more.

[ChoclateBetta]

My favorite is corn snakes.