mine is a royal python. I tried the cutting open & heating technique. She struck at it 3 times but wouldn't take it. Do I need to drop when she strikes or kept hold. I've been keeping hold expecting her to actually take hold of it
If she strikes but doesn't take hold, she could be trying to get it away from herself because she's feeling threatened for some reason.
When I offer my BPs (ball python/royal python) feeders, I dangle them a little off to the side of their heads, not immediately in front of them. They seem to feel threatened by having a prey item dangling right in front of their nose. A couple of inches away to one side works best for me.
I actually feed my pythons in their habitats. Years ago, with my first BP, I started out putting him in a feeding tank as so many people recommend, then quit after a really interesting discussion about that on another forum that analyzed all the pros and cons. The argument that convinced me that putting in a separate feeding tank is unnecessary is that they are
going to associate your smell with feeding, but if you pick them up fairly often withOUT feeding them, they won't learn that your hand in the tank
automatically means food. They'll sniff (tongue-flicking) and determine immediately that you don't have any food when you don't.
Hence, though I understand how people might feel that feeding in a separate enclosure is better, in my experience, either way works well.
You definitely want to have the prey item hotter than your hand, even when using feeding tongs. I heat the head thoroughly after ensuring that the body is completely thawed.
I noted that at one point you said you're offering food every couple of days; this could be pretty stressful, so you might give the snake a week's rest. It won't starve to death in that time--not even close--so don't worry. Don't handle it, don't move it to another enclosure for the next week--just let it relax and get used to its environment.
Also, check your temperatures, as being too cold often stops pythons from eating. What is your cool end temp? Hot end? Basking temp? How are you providing heat?
If you can get rat bedding from the pet store, that would be better than mouse bedding--you want the rat to smell like a normal, living rat so it will appeal to the python. Smelling like unfamiliar prey (mousie) might add to her apprehension.
Also, at 156 grams, the prey item should weigh 20-30 grams (about 15-20% of her body weight). 10% is appropriate for maintenance of an adult python, i.e., keeping them at an appropriate adult weight, and something over 10% to no more than 20% is fine for a growing juvenile.
Some people power feed; I don't like to do that myself. Just as feeding humans lots of calories leads to obesity, feeding snakes lots of calories leads to obesity. Thus, with a young snake, while its growth may seem more rapid, much of the calorie overload is actually going into fat, and some research on captive snakes indicates that power feeding and the resulting obesity contributes to shorter lives.
Good luck! If I think of anything else, I'll post again, but right now a cat is about to walk on my computer to convince me I should feed him dinner!
Sandy
