Before you scroll down and view the picture please read my story first. Now before I begin explaining the horror that has happened to me, let me tell you how I feed my snakes. I pick up the rats usually in the evenings, which means the snakes are in hunt mode, I go home and just drop them in. All of my snakes are great eaters, if they haven't struck in the first 5 minutes it's because they don't want to eat. So when I feed I hang around until everyone has swallowed their food and move w.e has been eaten to a hold bin for a few days and try again.
Well last night was feeding day, I went out grabbed my feeders, came home and placed the rats in the snake tub. Everyone except my male Pastel Lesser & Mocha had eaten. I figured he didn't eat because he's in breeding mode and I figured she didn't eat because I think she's gravid. So I grabbed her rat in gave it to one of my normals. I couldn't do the same for him because my only other snake thaat could eat a rat that large was still swallowing her current prey. So I waited...
Then all of a sudden an emergency came up where I had to rush over to my grandmother (she lives in the same house). About 2 hours later, everything was said and done and I go back to my room. I lay down in bed and hear some noise coming from the rack. I jump out of bed, turn the lights on and see a rat in the corner of the Pastel Lesser's tub still alive. So I went to get him out and place him another tub, when I saw the horror! In just a few short hours, he chewed my Pastel Lesser like if he hadn't eaten in days and was desperate for food. You have no idea how sick to my stomach I got when I saw the damage. Mind you this was just in a couple of hours, I can't imagine what would have happened if I had let him stay for a few more hours.
I NEVER leave rats in my tubs with the snakes, NEVER! I've seen what can be done, but unfortunately an emergency popped up and this one rat slipped my mind. As of now, I cleaned out his tub, put him on paper towel and showered him with hydrogen peroxide. I'm letting it dry so I can apply an ointment like Neosporin on it. I don't know what to do. The tip of his tail is so chewed up that I don't know if it will stick back together or if he will just end up losing it.
First things first, I have to make sure all the wounds scab so the wounds close. From there I'll just continue treating him until the scabs are gone and the wounds are closed. This puts a huge stop in my breeding plans as he is my only male breeder, but his health comes first. Poor little guy...
For those of you who feed live, this is a perfect example as to why you should monitor feeding at all costs. This happened in just a few hours, imagine what could have happened if I would have left him over night or a full day.
