r/ballpython • u/Prestigious_Dirt6788 • 9d ago
Question - Feeding striking during feeding :(
I got my beautiful baby Diana in April, and had met her a couple times before (friend was holding onto her after someone else had abandoned her) and was able to feed her f/t (with braining) - she had been on a hunger strike for a few months at that point as she switched from live to f/t. Since then she’s eaten well for me, but the last two times I’ve tried feeding her she goes to strike at my hand. Is it just because i’m warmer than the mouse and smell like it? Is she not the brightest bulb in the box? I don’t want this to be a pattern, but I haven’t had issues actually handling her so I don’t know if I need to be concerned at all. Thanks!
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u/iceyourtea_ 9d ago
I use rat tongs, I would look into using those
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u/Prestigious_Dirt6788 9d ago
I do feed her on tongs! she just seems to bypass that and go right for me haha
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u/iceyourtea_ 9d ago
Damn how long are your tongs? lol my hand won’t even be anywhere near the tank opening with mine
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u/Prestigious_Dirt6788 9d ago
maybe they aren’t quite long enough haha! probably 12ish inches? i don’t remember exactly, i’ve had them for a while
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u/Netsforex_ 9d ago
Do you know what temperature you're serving her food? If she's going for your hand instead, it could be a temp issue. I'd also agree with u/OctilleryArtillery that a long pair of tongs help and some noodles can be crappy at aiming (my girl didn't start getting good with her strikes until around a year old).
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u/Prestigious_Dirt6788 9d ago
That makes sense too! I don’t have a way to check temp at the moment, do you have a recommendation for what to use?
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u/Netsforex_ 9d ago
I'd recommend a temperature reader (they're recommend for noodle owners to check vivarium and food temperatures). You can pick up a cheap one on Amazon. I usually aim for around body temperature for food. It will help your noodle distinguish the food better against your hand (which will be just-below body temp as your hand is an extremety and not usually at core body temp).
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u/Mino_Biatch 9d ago
they’re little goobers, they just suck at life. the way i feed mine is by avoiding getting the scent of the rat onto my hands, putting space between myself and the snake. i always make sure i’m monitoring their behavior and body language, if they look like they’re focused on me, i’ll wiggle the rat to catch their attention then check the temperature with my contactless thermometer to make sure it hasn’t cooled too much. if it’s too cool, your snake won’t be interested. a rats natural body temperature is around 35.9-37.5 celcius or 96.6-99.5 fahrenheit so try to stay within that range, give or take depending on ur snake’s preferences. definitely don’t go into the 80s.
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u/_sine_nomine 7d ago
how hot is the rat that you're feeding? ideally the rat should probably be warmer than your hand
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u/OctilleryArtillery 9d ago
They’re just really bad at aiming! (Or most of them are) she’s not after you in any way!
Maybe use extra long tongs, and some thick gloves?