Feeding while shedding

[EL Ziggy]

Hello all, I asked this question in the Lampropeltis section but didn't get much response so I thought I'd ask again. I was wondering if snakes can have a hard time eating larger prey while shedding. My MBK only ate half her fuzzy last week and left the other half uneaten. Neither of my snakes have ever done this before. I've just recently moved her up from pinkies and she's eaten fuzzys 2-3 times before. The only thing I could think of was her skin wasn't stretching enough to get it down. And she started tail end first. This ever happen to anyone else?

[Lankyrob]

I only ever had one "issue" with my jungle carpet, he was due to shed and ate a large rat, as he stretched the shed split on his head/neck. He went on to eat normally that rat and he shed the next day, tho the shed was in a couple of pieces.

[EL Ziggy]

I only ever had one "issue" with my jungle carpet, he was due to shed and ate a large rat, as he stretched the shed split on his head/neck. He went on to eat normally that rat and he shed the next day, tho the shed was in a couple of pieces.

Thanks Rob, this one has me a little perplexed. Its like she ripped it in half and left parts uneaten. Never seen or heard of that happening before. She's in deep blue right now and I've decided to wait until after she sheds to offer food again. Is it possible the fuzzy was to large and she just ate what she could? I could move her back to pinkies but they dont leave a bulge in her at all and I believe they have minimal nutritional value. I'll see how her next feeding goes and take it from there I guess.

[Starbuck]

some of my snakes just arent that food motivated, and i could see them accidentaly ripping a prey item in half and only finishing what was in their mouths. I would offer a fuzzy again as per your schedule and see what happens this time. She could have been too visually impaired during shed to feel comfortable searching out the other portion of the prey.

in either case i wouldnt worry too much about it.

[slowhite03]

I personally dont like to feed during shed, they dont feed in the wild when they shed. So i dont bother to try feeding them only to make my life easier.

[snakeman879]

I second the above I never feed my snake when she in shed and always wait a day or two after

[EL Ziggy]

I've always fed my kingsnakes when they were in shed and never had any issues until this last time. She's due for a feed tomorrow but I will wait until she's done shedding this time. I definitely don't want a repeat of her last half feed.

[slowhite03]

And what exactly happenend?

[EL Ziggy]

And what exactly happenend?
My MBK only ate half her fuzzy last week and left the other half uneaten.

[drumcrush]

My mbk won't eat during shed, so I just bother to even try when it comes to that time. and mine eats tail first a lot haha

[SSSSnakes]

How does a snake only eat half their fuzzy and leave the other half uneaten? It either has to eat all the fuzzy or spit it out and eat non of the fuzzy. Unless you are cutting the fuzzy in half for them. I know I'm missing something here. Please explain.

[Starbuck]

ive had one of my snakes almost rip one of his small mice in half before; he constricted while biting it, and pulled the end in his mouth away from the coils (king snake) and tore it open. I think its more of an issue with smaller prey items which are soaked prior to feeding.

Additionally, the last time i bought bulk frozen jumbo mice form an expo; they all had large lacerations on their throat (???) i guess the guy cut them to kill them? :/ my larger snake has popped the heads off a few of those as well.

[SSSSnakes]

[QUOTE=Starbuck;862982]ive had one of my snakes almost rip one of his small mice in half before; he constricted while biting it, and pulled the end in his mouth away from the coils (king snake) and tore it open. I think its more of an issue with smaller prey items which are soaked prior to feeding.

Additionally, the last time i bought bulk frozen jumbo mice form an expo; they all had large lacerations on their throat (???) i guess the guy cut them to kill them? :/ my larger snake has popped the heads off a few of those as well.[/QUOTE

Thanks for the answer. I have never had that happen to me in the 33 years I have kept snakes. You learn something new every day.

[KORBIN5895]

, they dont feed in the wild when they shed.

Can you show me where you found this as this is the first I have heard of it.

The only snakes I have heard of dismembering their prey was Kim's Shelby.

[SSSSnakes]

Can you show me where you found this as this is the first I have heard of it.

The only snakes I have heard of dismembering their prey was Kim's Shelby.

Any snake that is willing to take food in captivity when it is in shed, will also take food in the wild if the prey is found.

[smy_749]

Don't snakes like A. melanocephalus and the drymarchon use blunt force trama to kill prey? I would imagine killing in that fashion could result quite frequently in prey items being torn in half no? Especially if they are on the smaller side...

[SSSSnakes]

Don't snakes like A. melanocephalus and the drymarchon use blunt force trama to kill prey? I would imagine killing in that fashion could result quite frequently in prey items being torn in half no? Especially if they are on the smaller side...

The Black Head Python is a constrictor, but the Indigo Snake does wildly thrash it's prey until dead. But I have noticed that normally when it comes to the smaller prey items, most snake eat them live without even trying to kill them and the larger prey items are harder to break apart. We use to feed a monitor mice and he would thrash and smash the mouse, but never did he tear it into two pieces. Not that I'm saying it could not happen.

[smy_749]

The Black Head Python is a constrictor, but the Indigo Snake does wildly thrash it's prey until dead. But I have noticed that normally when it comes to the smaller prey items, most snake eat them live without even trying to kill them and the larger prey items are harder to break apart. We use to feed a monitor mice and he would thrash and smash the mouse, but never did he tear it into two pieces. Not that I'm saying it could not happen.

Ah ok, I've never seen it either.. Guessing its prob a bit easier with something like a fuzzy or a pinky though. They are kinda all smush anyways

[robertjnovak59]

None of my snakes have ever shown any interest in food when in shed. I don't even try feeding them in shed anymore.

[EL Ziggy]

Yes, I was very surprised when she ripped that fuzzy in half. She does have a tendency to thrash her food around a bit before eating it but that was the first time she didnt finish a meal. Maybe it was too mushy and tore while she was eating.I fed her a small hopper last night and she was just fine even though she didn't seem interested at first. She sometimes doesn't eat right away and will let the food stay in her bin for 30 minutes or more before she eats, unlike my Cal King who eats the minute food is offered. Different strokes for different snakes I guess.

[Mikoh4792]

Ah ok, I've never seen it either.. Guessing its prob a bit easier with something like a fuzzy or a pinky though. They are kinda all smush anyways

Definitely possible with pinkies, even pinky rats. Just the other day my baby bci tore a rat pinky open, leaving the guts on the substrates.