I've switched Monty to pinkie (fuzzy) rat pups because they have more meat and less hair on them. I had to "scent" the first ones by rubbing an F/T mouse on them, but now he takes them without that. (As long as I heat them up to 104 degrees F!) Now I can feed him every 10-14 days instead of every week because he's getting more in each meal!

Make sure the living temperatures are warm enough. If the snake is too cold it will go off it's food. Even under optimum conditions snake digestion is measured in days or weeks and snakes can go very long periods without food... they are VERY hardy animals and their bodies are designed to handle periods of fasting. (Try not to compare them to mammals that need to eat to maintain body temperature.)

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Andrea

I think his temps are fine...he's in a 30 long with the high end around 83 -85 and the cool end sometimes dropping as low 70. I have to say he sometimes spends more time at the cooler end than I thought he would.

I think maybe I will try some rat fuzzies just to see. If I'm very lucky, he'll take them, and I won't have to feel guilty anymore... It's certainly worth a try!

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~Juliane~

Oh yeah, please let me know if his temps aren't ok.

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~Juliane~

Do they really have less hair? It really seems like it's the hair and whiskers on the adult mice that throw Spectre off...the first time he had an adult mouse, when those long whiskers touched the inside of his mouth, he dropped it like a hot potato...Now even when he takes the mouse, he acts like he can't stand the feel of the long whiskers and all the extra fur...

Maybe I could shave the whiskers and hair before we give him the mice ...not really... *laugh* my daughter has brought up the idea of hairless rats more than once regarding Spectre's meals. Where we'd find those frozen, I have no idea!

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~Juliane~

LOL! I really doubt that hairless rats are a viable option as a feeder! I've never seen them offered and they would probably be pretty steep in price. Ratpups have more of a peachfuzz type fur on them as opposed to actual hair.

The thing about the hair is, after he learns to except it, is it's the direction the hair lays that tells the snake which end to start swallowing!
Oh and your temps are ok. You might try dropping them a degree or two if he is consistantly on the cool end.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Maybe we should just stand fast until he learns to like adult mice then!

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~Juliane~

Juliane!!! just stop spoiling him your as bad as me with mine, you give in, your temps are fine, corns do use the cool end a lot and if I remember right, Spectre has always accomodated the cooler end, its normal, if he is digesting his food then not to worry mine hide under their water bowls all the time even after feeding, I have never seen one of my corns on the hot end yet, they use the center of the cage mostly.

Spectre is fine, just spoiled dont give in

How big is Spectre now, maybe he could manage a small rat?

Not seen any pics of him for ages, hint hint!!!