Emergency please respond ASAP

[Shauna0522]

So my boa is trying to eat her mouse sideways she didn't grab it right she let go then she grabbed it back by the butt I've heard that that can cause a lot of damage if they eat them backwards please help I don't know what to do how do I get her to let go

[Shauna0522]

Got it I may have stressed her out a little bit but I got her to open up

[Shauna0522]

So she is eating the mouse now but she got all kinds of substrate all over the mouse and is now eating it will this hurt her?

[TeamSlitherin]

Leave her be. Eating the mouse backwards won't hurt her and neither will a little substrate. She's more likely to be injured by someone trying to get the mouse back from her than by ingesting a little substrate.

[craigafrechette]

No need to worry. Next time just let her eat.

[Jim Smith]

The only real danger from your snake eating a mouse backwards is if you are feeding live prey items which could easily turn a bite your snake inflicting serious injuries. If you're feeding FT prey items, leave it alone, it will figure things out all by itself.

[richardhind]

Loads of my boas have taken them backwards at some point, but all have been frozen thawed, so they not going to try escape

[Andy_G]

Quite literally nothing to worry about. ;)

[Shauna0522]

Ok yes I feed f/t, but the mouse wasn't just backwards it was also sideways and I thought if she ate it it would rip her open so anyway i got her to release the mouse then put her back in her enclosure and shockingly she did end up eating the mouse. She ate it backward and yes I did just let her go. I kinda figured the substrate really wouldn't hurt her just since I'm sure they end up getting stuff in their mouth when they are eating in the wild but I just thought I'd ask. Thank you for all of your replies.

[Scubadiver59]

You fret too much--if the snake can't get it in sideways, it will move to the ends of the prey.

My black/white CA Striped King did just that this past feeding...it took a small pinky mouse from the side and was just getting around to moving to the head end when I came back in the room 30min later. I left it alone and then, when I offered a second one, it took it from the "correct" end.

Relax, nature is funny, and snakes are no exception.


Ok yes I feed f/t, but the mouse wasn't just backwards it was also sideways and I thought if she ate it it would rip her open so anyway i got her to release the mouse then put her back in her enclosure and shockingly she did end up eating the mouse. She ate it backward and yes I did just let her go. I kinda figured the substrate really wouldn't hurt her just since I'm sure they end up getting stuff in their mouth when they are eating in the wild but I just thought I'd ask. Thank you for all of your replies.

[Shauna0522]

You fret too much--if the snake can't get it in sideways, it will move to the ends of the prey.

My black/white CA Striped King did just that this past feeding...it took a small pinky mouse from the side and was just getting around to moving to the head end when I came back in the room 30min later. I left it alone and then, when I offered a second one, it took it from the "correct" end.

Relax, nature is funny, and snakes are no exception.

Ok thank you I will leave it next time lol

[Dumerils88]

My coastal always hamburgers her mice (folded) lol it’s hilarious