Help Please.

[Shaggy]

I picked up my first hatchling today (coastal carpet) and the guy said she should eat tonight.. and gave me a live pinky rat. Should i leave it in the tank with her.. it's only a pinky i don't think it could really harm her. He said if she didn't take it to freeze it, but i'm unsure as to how long to leave it.. It's a baby rat and it's lookin for it's mummy. Help please.

 

[ether]

You should not have tried to feed her in the first place, you should let her settle in for a week or so and then try and feed. The snake will be freaked out by the move and probably wont take the food.

 

[Dicco]

It should eat thawed, otherwise it should not have been sold to you, if you put it in there live keep an eye in it and don't freeze it, it's cruel, put a ruler on it's neck, push down and pull the base of it's tail, it's quicker.

 

[Shaggy]

Well the guy i bought her off said she was due for a feed and gave me the rat. Said i should feed her tonight. Should i just freeze it?

 

[deano351]

Definatly leave it a few days to settle. Freeze the rat

 

[Shaggy]

I didn't even know til i was about to walk out.. and he said he'd give me a rat.. so should i just kill it and wait a week?

 

[Guest]

Yeah kill the rat then freeze it and dont feed ur snake until next weekend

 

[playwell]

Keep it alive and kill it b4 you feed it to your snake. Better chance of it eating it. then if the snake dosnt want it, freeze the rat.
If you cant keep it alive, kill it and freeze it abviously.

You could go the braining :twisted: but yuck :?

most of my hatchies have eaten the first or second night of purchase, but there are always the fussy buggers, I still have one of those a year later :roll:

 

[Shaggy]

Thanks guys... i think our posts are crossin over.. rat has been killed, do i need to leave her alone for the next week?

 

[playwell]

so did it eat?

or you killed the rat?

 

[Shaggy]

I killed the rat.. it's on ice.. hope i did the right thing :?:

 

[Retic]

Almost every hatchling I have bought recently has fed the second day, there is no real need to leave it much longer unless it is showing real signs of being stressed out. In my experience they usually settle in a couple of days. I have a Diamond that took 2 weeks before it's first feed but that was unusual.
It is important to remember that snakes have very simple needs, if it is warm and has water and somewhere to hide you shouldn't have too many problems.

 

[serpenttongue]

remember your snake has just changed hands from the breeder to you. It will need time to become accustomed to its new surroundings. This could take days, or it could take weeks. Just be patient. Kill the rat and freeze it. Then one evening drop it in with the snake (thawed of course) and leave for an hour then return to see if its been swallowed.

 

[playwell]

Hey ST, what happened to Mickey??

I know the new face, but cant place the name??

Who is your new avator??

 

[serpenttongue]

Playwell, its Sid James from the Carry on films. Mickey will be making a return soon. Just felt like seeing Sid for a while. Come to think of it, i believe theres a Carry on marathon this long weekend. Too bad i already have 'em on tape!

 

[africancichlidau]

Sid James, what a legend And Barbara Windsor.... well, she's two legends really

 

[playwell]

cool, Thats a face I have not seen for many years


.... I think we are showing our age now..


aaand!!back to the subject~~~~

 

[Shaggy]

so should i not handle her again til she feeds?

 

[bigguy]

Its a good idea to let young hatchlings settle into their new enclosures for a week or 2 before trying to feed. But this was not a young hatchling. It would have been at least 5 months old and a established feeder.

The breeder obviously knew this and gave you a pinky rat to feed it. You should have followed his instructions as he knew his own snake. Did you try to feed it at all??? It probably would have eaten and settled into its new enclosure much faster.

Just about all of the python hatchlings that I sell this time of year are well established feeders and should eat as soon as they are set in in their new homes.

 

[africancichlidau]

Here here Bigguy