Another PREVENTABLE tragedy with live feeding

[red ink]

I have never bought into the whole they won't eat FT argument. 99% of all Australian snakes in captivity eat FT/FK. If a whole country can do it so can anyone else...

[IW17]

Originally Posted by red ink

I have never bought into the whole they won't eat FT argument. 99% of all Australian snakes in captivity eat FT/FK. If a whole country can do it so can anyone else...

It happens. I have a ball python that only eats 8-10 times a year and refuses anything other than live. I agree that most Snakes will in fact take ft/fk if you just keep trying and wean them over. However it's simply not always the case.

That being said, instances like this are unexcusable and it goes to show how truly ignorant many keepers in this hobby can be. And that's unfortunate because an irresponsible few can give the industry as a whole a bad name to outsiders.

[marvelfreak]

Originally Posted by red ink

I have never bought into the whole they won't eat FT argument. 99% of all Australian snakes in captivity eat FT/FK. If a whole country can do it so can anyone else...

I agree 100%. Any snake can be switched over to f/t. All people have to do is wait out the snake. Once they are hungry enough they will take a f/t. The problem is people are to inpatient and give into soon.

[Snakefood]

Originally Posted by red ink

I have never bought into the whole they won't eat FT argument. 99% of all Australian snakes in captivity eat FT/FK. If a whole country can do it so can anyone else...

I used to think the same, I had bought snakes who had been fed live and easily transferred them onto F/T. Then I got my Mystic, who oddly enough was fed on F/T from hatching. I had him flown from Ontario-BC, and when he got here, I honestly thought he was dead, he was cold, didn't move a MUSCLE, even when I placed him on his back and his tongue was not only hanging out of his mouth, but literally plastered to the side of his head and covered one of his eyes!!!

Well, I was devastated. I phoned the breeder he came from told him that the snake arrived dead, and put the box in the car and went out for dinner (comfort food!) then I went home and decided I needed to send the breeder photos to prove that the snake was dead. When I opened up the box and took him out he was still cold but he moved!!

Anyways since coming home, I tried and tried for 4 months to feed him F/T, I used the anthem I learned here "wait him out", but as a baby, I was starting to be able to see the actual shape of his spine and ribs. I called the breeder and he suggested to see if he would eat live, obviously he told me to watch carefully until the prey was dead and never leave a live rodent alone with the snake. So I did and the Mystic jumped on the live food. I have tried many times to switch him over, to either F/K or F/T and he simply wont eat it, he'll eat it stunned as long as it still walks around, but if it is just laying there, he won't even look at it.

Out of all my snakes (21 in total) he is the only one who refuses anything but live. I can't explain it, and I agree it is a rare snake that won't take F/K or F/T, but it happens. It really does!!