If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?

[KyleKennedy]

My uncle has a 2 and half foot long ball python and he is going to attempt to feed it a jumbo sized rat. Is this safe?

[Cmwells90]

I've seen a documentary (Can't remember the name now) Where an Anaconda ate a very large antelope of some kind. The food was WAY too large for this snake to consume, so it ripped open his flank, mostly just the outside. It would really depend on the snake's appetite and how desperate it is for food.

I would not suggest feeding any pet snake a prey item that is larger than 1.5x the snakes body, they will usually give up on the food if it's too large and just spit it back up. If they do swollow it you run the risk of doing damage to the snake and it may still regurg in a couple days if the food is too large to digest before decomposition sets in. Also if he's feeding live, hope not, you would run the risk of the rat being stronger than the snake and the snake may not live through the event.

[Aaron_S]

I've seen a documentary (Can't remember the name now) Where an Anaconda ate a very large antelope of some kind. The food was WAY too large for this snake to consume, so it ripped open his flank, mostly just the outside. It would really depend on the snake's appetite and how desperate it is for food.

I would not suggest feeding any pet snake a prey item that is larger than 1.5x the snakes body, they will usually give up on the food if it's too large and just spit it back up. If they do swollow it you run the risk of doing damage to the snake and it may still regurg in a couple days if the food is too large to digest before decomposition sets in. Also if he's feeding live, hope not, you would run the risk of the rat being stronger than the snake and the snake may not live through the event.

I'm curious in what caused the animal to spkit open. Was it the hoioves or horns? I'd guess that.

As for the OP. Snake's aren't too stupid. It may try to eat it but if it can't it will spit it back out. If it DOES get it down just leave the snake alone.

[eminart]

I think they kind of have a built-in safe guard against that. If it can fit down their throat, it can fit in their stomach.

[malgus]

Even when im certain she'll be fine I always get nervous going up sizes

[CrotalusR#1]

Some times if a snakes can't regurgitate the prey item it can rot and poison the snake which can be fatal, it also can cause lots of gas build up which can also kill.

[lady_bug87]

I would imagine the snake would spit it out.

Some times if a snakes can't regurgitate the prey item it can rot and poison the snake which can be fatal, it also can cause lots of gas build up which can also kill.

I want to say that this is probably a husbandry issue vs. A size issue.

[Cmwells90]

I'm curious in what caused the animal to spkit open. Was it the hoioves or horns? I'd guess that.

It was actually a Boar, I totally forgot what it was haha. It's a documentary on Netflix though. It's either in Titanoboa or Planet Earth (Don't think the Planet Earth is on Netflix though) But it didn't tear any of the throat or stomach, just his outer hide. The boar was quite a bit larger than the snake was.

[Aaron_S]

It was actually a Boar, I totally forgot what it was haha. It's a documentary on Netflix though. It's either in Titanoboa or Planet Earth (Don't think the Planet Earth is on Netflix though) But it didn't tear any of the throat or stomach, just his outer hide. The boar was quite a bit larger than the snake was.

I've seen poorly swallowed prey items and you can see the foot of it pushing out from the inside. The size of the prey is fine and I would consider the boar probably was too. Could just be awkward.

There's pics of large prey being swallowed by smaller snakes all over the net. They are built to manage it on a normal basis. Of course there's the randomness of hooves, tusks and horns.

[sirtalis]

Well... if the documentary was by animal planet, you can probably call bull on the whole show lol

[Aaron_S]

Well... if the documentary was by animal planet, you can probably call bull on the whole show lol

Well played

[Wingbeats]

I accidentally offered my new rainbow boa a food item that was too large for her when I first got her. She just chewed on it a bit and then left it.

She ate just fine a size category smaller!

[CrotalusR#1]

I can't delete this so I have to put this so I can at least delete wat I was going to put.

[CrotalusR#1]

I would imagine the snake would spit it out.



I want to say that this is probably a husbandry issue vs. A size issue.


I would agree in most cases but I do know people who have had animals that had eaten something just much to large and Because of the snakes pre-existing health issues in tandem with the over sized prey item the snake was not able to regurgitate. So in the couple cases I'm referring to it had to do with the snakes and the prey item. Some one can absolutely cas this with poor husbandry I don't disagree what so ever on that, Snakes love options!

[lady_bug87]

In those cases where it was in tandem, the snake would have died anyway. If the meal wasn't digesting it doesn't matter the size.

[Moreau]

I saw a pic of a big python that ate a croc or alligator that was way too big and it split in half.

Edit here it is, it was in the Glades

[eminart]

But we have no way of knowing what killed that snake. The splitting open could just as easily have happened after it was dead and rotting.

[bigsnakegirl785]

But we have no way of knowing what killed that snake. The splitting open could just as easily have happened after it was dead and rotting.

I too think this is the more likely option. The flesh looks rather bloated, rotten, and pale here, and when carcasses get bloated, all you basically have to do is blown on them and they explode, if they don't do it by themselves.

[Mikoh4792]

A jumbo sized rat to a 2.5 ft ball python... I don't think this is a good idea.

[KyleKennedy]

He ate it but it's been over a week and he still hasn't digested it yet. You can still see the shape of the rat in its belly.

[sirtalis]

I wouldn't have done it, a jumbo rat at the pet store near me is like, as big as a squirrel, was it live?

[bigsnakegirl785]

He ate it but it's been over a week and he still hasn't digested it yet. You can still see the shape of the rat in its belly.

If it's been over a week and it hasn't digested it, it's at extreme risk of rotting in its belly. Too big of meals are harder to digest, and if they can't digest it fast enough the middle of it can rot before they get to it. That was an extremely dangerous thing to do. I wouldn't feed a ball python of any size a jumbo, or least not unless it was like 6'. A 2.5' snake of any kind has no business eating a jumbo rat, not even once.

[Aaron_S]

He ate it but it's been over a week and he still hasn't digested it yet. You can still see the shape of the rat in its belly.

By how much though? Just slightly or a lot? There's a big difference.

I would simply turn the heat up a bit for the a few days.

[KyleKennedy]

Alot. The rat's feet are almost poking thru

[Aaron_S]

Alot. The rat's feet are almost poking thru

Take a pic.

That's really weird and you should possibly consider forcing the snake to regurge if it's poking out like that. You don't want to risk a puncture.

[Sasha2]

I so want to say something bad here but will hold my tongue. Why would he put the snake at risk like that, was it for fun? Bump the heat.

[sirtalis]

Aren't most jumbo rats like 12-18 inches in length counting the tail?