odd eating behavior

[forkedtongue]

So in my last thread I had posted about the 2 jungles I had recently gotten, they are about 3 or 4 months now. The smaller male eats really well on f/t....

I tried getting the female to take to f/t and she didn't like it so I would feed her a pinky live and then a frozen fuzzy and it seemed to work well.

My concern is this, the male strikes his prey item before I can even get it near him with the feeding tongs, the female however is very reluctant to eat live or thawed and on both types she is suuuper relaxed about eating it, she crawls up, smells it for a bit, then casually opens her mouth and slowly works it down.....no striking, no coiling......I'm really worried something is wrong I've never seen that kind of feeding behavior in a snake

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

Ive had snakes in the past that rise right up to the tongs slowly take the prey and immediately begin the eating process, no "kill". Doesn't seem to be an issue, as long as she continues eating then shes fine. Its just a feeding response some exhibit a strong one, some don't.

[NennaMeerkat]

My hoggie never seems over exuberant about eating. Most of the time I literally have to nudge a coil to even realize something is going on. Then she will just move enough to get the food and swallow. Every snake eats differently just as every other thing that eats has a different "strategy" at eating or the speed they eat.

[stephanbakir]

Totally normal.

[Gungirl]

Seen it happen a lot with different snakes..

[Lankyrob]

Totally normal, i have two corns born a week apart, kept in separate vivs but in as close to the same conditions as you can get. One strikes like a machine, wraps the prey and will "kill"it for a good five minutes even tho it is f/t, the other will not take food from tongs, i leave it on a plate and he will slither up and start eating with no strike and no coiling. Am just happy that they are both eating!!

[vendettaseve]

Sounds pretty normal :) Youv just got yourself a teddy bear ;)

[forkedtongue]

The one issue that crossed my mind though, she has been veeeery finicky about F/T prey items, half the time I cave and give her a live pinky to get her going, I'm worried that if this maintains as she gets older and the prey gets bigger it could lead to problems if she's still super relaxed about eating when the prey isn't pink and blind

[Gungirl]

IMO stop giving her the live.. soon enough she will be hungry enough to take the f/t

[NennaMeerkat]

You could always try fresh killed. Not for everyone I know, but it is an option.

[ilovemypets1988]

another thing you could try is to warm up the f/t food item before giving it to her, that should get her taking f/t.

[Lankyrob]

Dont give in and feed live and when you feed f/t make sure you REALLY heat the skull of the prey so the snake has a noce target to go for.

[Rog]

I have two that refuse ft I'm trying to fast them into it. My one has gone a month and refused three meals! Chickenbroth and all.

[forkedtongue]

Yeah I'm going to try to get her off the live teaser before the f/t before the pinkies r too small