So the thing I’ve noticed with my girl is the rat has to be extremely hot, especially the head. Using long tongs I hold the rat by the middle and hover it really really close to the ground and move it around. She will often follow it with hard flicks and even nose boops. I keep moving it until she finally strikes (or until she moves away to go hide somewhere which has only happened once in 2 years). Even when she strikes I continue to hold and wiggle the rat a little to stimulate a true feeding response with full coil, the whole shebang. Has worked like a charm every single time.
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She normally does that too, often takes her 10 minutes to strike, as long as the meal is around 80 F she normally takes it. But since she escaped she’s been acting weird. But! Good news is, she ate the rat when it was left in there. Hopefully I won’t need to do that again, maybe she was just too tired from her 8 hour adventure
After something like being out of her enclosure for a few hours I would be surprised if she would take food immediately. Not shocked because anything is possible but I would wait a few days.
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I agree actually but the last time our girl got out about a year ago, she actually ate the rat we used as bait to pull her from her hiding spot just as soon as we put her back in her tank. So it’s not impossible this snake would want to eat, especially if escape was in search of food.
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Nothing is inpossible, but I agree to @thecrawdfather. I would also be surprise if she eats immediately, it’s oke she did. Food motivation is a strong instinct. Snakes live for food, a warm place, safety and when they are mature reproduction. But if things are off or they are a little stressed the instinct of survival often wins. There is a simple biological reason for that. A snake with the stomach full of food can not move quick and is vulnerable. It is not capable to get away when she/he has to because of danger. That why most snakes don’t eat when they are stressed. They are prepared to run and instinct tells them that they can only do that with an empty stomach, so they don’t eat. If they did eat right before and they get stressed they regurgitate so they can run. That’s why a full snake crawls in his hide after eating and you don’t see them until a major part of the food is digested.
Your snake might got out with the plan to find food, but when she was out she didn’t know what to expect. It depends on the “caracter” or level of trust how much stress she experienced during her adventure. So some eat immediately but most need more time. It al doesn’t matter that much. It’s a snake. A few days extra without food is no problem, if they eat it is oke too. It is up to you wether you offer food or not but if she doesn’t eat, then no worries. She will eat the next time.
At least you found her and she is back in her enclosure where she is safe, it’s warm and food is comming.
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Left it in with her and 15 minutes later it was gone haha. Never seen her do that, but maybe she was just hungry but too tired to strike it
She ate when I left her with it for 15 minutes the same day. I find it super strange though, ever since she rested for a full day after the meal, and after that escape, every night she’s up trying to get out of her tank. She’s never done this before, and everything has stayed the same since we got her so I’m not sure if she’s just curious now or what-
From time to time it happens. Nothing to be worried or concerned about. I’ve always taken my girl out when she starts up with the escape attempts. Let her roam on me or a safe piece of furniture for a bit. Seems to help.
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Yeah, I do that with her haha. I normally take her places like shopping and such, she enjoys the fresh air and normally she settles for awhile
What is it with pinstripes? I have a big boy pinstripe (he’s about 10 years old and well over 2000 grams now) who ate like that for a long time. All my other snakes just snap their rats off the tongs. But for years that pinstripe wouldn’t eat unless I left it in his tub. He’d sit there smelling it for about 10 minutes before lazily eating it.
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I think it’s individuals. My 2 girls with pinstripe about leap out of their tubs as soon as I crack them open on feeding day. My 1k gram lesser fire girl though since the beginning of December has only taken one meal off tongs everything else has to be laid down and her enclosure front covered so it’s nice and dark.
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Haha, I’m not sure really. She always takes so long to strike, and does only a single coil. But hey, at least they’re eating haha. My Pastel Pied eats like a champ though, immediately off the tongs when he smells it
I find it so interesting how various some snakes are. Might have to try laying the rat down for her feedings in the future next time. And some are just “Special” haha. But it’s too cute when they scare themselves as babies.
I never dangle my rats. Always hold by the middle and point head towards snake while keeping it low to the ground. Levitating rats aren’t a thing in real life and I’ve seen some snakes confused by such phenomenon with their frozen thawed.
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Either method has been I think about equally successful for me.
Since chatting with folks like yourself on here I do try and offer more by the scruff than I did. Doesn’t hurt to mimick as closely as possible.
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My corns will take no matter what. Garbage disposals. My sand boas and ball will “look at me sideways” if I don’t at least work at mimicking crawling lol
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I grab it by the scruff on the neck. She doesn’t take it if it’s “looking at her” or if it dangles
Very true. Guess it’s the snake’s personality. My girl won’t eat unless it’s mimicked haha
I hope you find the lil noodle 
. Check near or in heat vents /baseboard heaters, take the panels off the Vent (if can) and baseboards. Check everything that gives off heat, from pipes, appliances, power cord blocks, etc. Good luck!
