1st Snake spat food!! Why??

[playwell]

Hello to all!
I've had my first snake for about 1 month now. I have a nice little Coastal Carpet Python (about 900mm long) with a rather snappy attitiude towards life. She is settling down though ever so slowly. I still can't decide on a name for her yet but "ANGRY" seems very fitting at the moment.
All seemed to be going well, she has eaten, crapped & sloughed for me in the first week that I bought her. She seems to only eat every Saturday night.
But this morning (Sunday) I found a regurgitated mouse on the bottom of the encloser. I'm a little worried. Can anyone tell me what could cause this and/or what I did wrong?
Her appearance and attitude has not seemed to change at all, maybe the mouse was a just little large for her. Should I try to feed her again tonight with a pinky rat?
Any information/tips would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks!

 

[teza]

Re

If the mouse was a frozen one, maybe it was still a little cold in the middle ...???

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

Nahh this was a livey! Thanks anyway. I can see that could be a problem though.
Thanks.

 

[africancichlidau]

RE: Re

Won't the animal take thawed?

 

[Slateman]

RE: Re

If she is eating ewery 7 days, that is fine. You should always wait till she pass the crap before you feed another pray.
I would say that in your case the pray maybe was to large and she changed the mind half way.
Did you see her to eat the food all the way?
Young hatchlings are sometimes bit snappy, but they settle down most of the time.

Welcome to our group playwell

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

It is supposed too. I tried the first time with no result. seems to like live mice though. I am going to try a thawed pinky rat tonight. If it does not strike it, I will leave it on the basking rock overnight. (NO light on of course)
Any tips?

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

Thank you Slateman.. I didn't see her eat, she will wait till complete darkness before eating, so then I check in the morning if she has eaten, if she has not I then remove the food.The regurgitated mouse did indeed look completly swollowed (If you can imagine).
I will take your advise and wait till she has passed her last meal.

 

[Slateman]

RE: Re

Playwell you are typical as all of us. When I had my first hatchling and the snake did not eat for 14 days, I started worry.
Don't. Your snake will not eat as calendar week. If he don't take offered food, do not lose sleep ower it. Just give him another chance few days later. Some times they don't eat for months. Most of the snakes in wild will get pray only 3-6 times a year.
Reptiles are like that. few weeks with out food is just fine for them. Important is that your hatchling had few feeds after first shead and now you can take it easy.

My opinion about spat food is as I said. Pray was to big and snake changed mind after trying. that happends sometimes. Give her a go 3 ddays later mate, and use smaller pray. I would recommend to you start with defrosted food, as it is much easier to keep supply and lower risk to get snake bitten. So many snakes with one eye around lately. It is easier to slide defrosted pray to snake hiding and let her to take it in private sometimes if she refuse to snap in daylight.

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

Again Slateman.. thank you, what you said confirms so much of the information I have read over the past couple months and am still trying to digest, also trying to put into practice. I guess what is important is that I want the best for my python and don't wish to cause it any harm. I have bought my snake frosen food as well as a couple of live mice to make sure it will eat at least one of the items offered. I do understand that it is a risk to feed live mice to it and wish to only use thawed food as I gained experience. As a previous owner of several Dragons I do find this snake a new and interesting challenge.
Thanks Again, see ya!

 

[Slateman]

RE: Re

Great mate. Looks like you will find the way,
see you in forum.

 

[bigguy]

RE: Re

Playwell, reading your first thread I get the impression your Carpet is not a hatchling as the others are implying, but is in fact at least a year old.

Snakes can throw up for several reasons. Pray to big, pray not sitting correctly in stomach causing discomfort, snake too cold,eating too much food in a single meal, stress from overhandling, or the worst reason, illness.

Make sure your cage is warm enough, at least 30c at the hot end and try to feed again. Was the mouse any bigger then you fed to the Carpet previously. If not try that size again and see what happens. It may only have been that it wasn't sitting correctly in the stomach or was a little too cold.

I never wait for pythons to pass their last meal till I feed again. This only retards their growth as sometimes it takes 2 weeks or more to pass. Offer your snake food at least once a week, and steadily increase the number of items per meal, or the size of the items to allow for good growth rate.

If I read correctly and your Carpet is actually 3 feet long, it should be eating 2 or 3 adult mice per meal.

 

[indicus]

RE: Re

" Give it a good hide box, scent a small dead rat with a mouse, just after dark turn all snake lights off and open the door without making any undue noise or cage movement; dangle the rat of forceps in front of the hide box door-way, 'wiggle' gently to 'fool' snake its live. Try this process time again (mouse or scented/rat), it should start taking it readily soon enough. As soon as it starts to feed regularily; 'Worm it', it may have some, you will know if its not gaining any condition/size.........good-luck."

 

[bigguy]

RE: Re

Yes, worms are another reason why snakes throw up. I knew i forgot one, however you can always tell this reason as the thrownup food item will be covered with the worms.

 

[bigguy]

RE: Re

Playwell, have you tried your Carpet again.???

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

OK.. thank you for all your replies. The snake is a yearling.
The regurgitated food definatly didn't have any worms on it. I will worm it anyway.
The tank is very well set up and has a hot and cool end, hiding spots both ends and a suspended branch in wich she spends most of her time. I went all out on it.
The mouse was only a little bit larger than the previous one. I think I will try the dead rat susgestion.

 

[playwell]

RE: Re

OK!!
It's been a couple of days since I tried feeding the little bugger. So I put a thawed Pinky rat out for her.
WELL that was easy!! the ate it no probs.
Of course she still will not take it if I'm around so I left it on her baskinf rock and it was gone in the morning.
I'm very happy, no more potentally dangerous livies (mice) for this snake.
And no more smelly mice!

 

[Slateman]

RE: Re

Greate mate. Thanks for leting us know.