r/ballpython • u/elrey_hyena • 1h ago

did not eat rat

hello everyone. been lurking here for a while and finally got my first snake last week. she's 6 years old and apparently a good eater. when i fed her the ft med rat (about 100 degrees), she took the rat after missing once and went in her hide. as i walked past just now about 3 hours later, i see the rat's butt peeking out of the hide and i am honestly not sure what to do... i tried researching but nothing was coming up. do i throw this rat out or wait for her to take it?? or try again with a different rat?

3 Upvotes

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3

u/Temporary_Arugula345 1h ago

Toss this one out since leaving thawed prey warm for hours breeds bacteria reaaally quickly. Wait a full week before offering another meal so she actually has time to settle in without extra stress.

2

u/elrey_hyena 1h ago

ok will do. i'm happy i caught this ... i just feel bad she did not eat since i thought she grabbed the rat.

3

u/Temporary_Arugula345 1h ago

Don't sweat it, snakes skip meals all the time especially while adjusting. Next week she'll probably grab it no problem.

1

u/elrey_hyena 1h ago

i feel bad but i'll try not being so hard on myself.... thank you

3

u/Temporary_Arugula345 1h ago

You got this, sounds like you're already being a great owner by being this attentive.

1

u/elrey_hyena 1h ago

thank you T.T i just threw the rat out so i'll try again next week!