Interesting feeding

[daver676]

So last night was Sophia's weekly feeding. Usually I just drop the mouse (f/t) into the tank, and she strikes. Well last night wasn't like that. She "smelled" the mouse, then coiled back like she was going to strike, but instead just sat there and watched it. After about 10 minutes of this, I grabbed the tongs and started dragging the mouse around the bottom of the enclosure to mimic life, but she still just stared. After about 10 minutes of this, I started getting impatient, so I started teasing her with the mouse. I would bring it really close to her nose, then move it away quickly. I did this a few times, then touched her just behind her head with the nose of the mouse and BAM, she grabbed it, but this isn't the end of my story...

As soon as she was done constricting, she started trying to swallow the mouse butt first AGAIN (she did the same thing last week). This was a pretty big hopper, so this didn't make it any easier for her. After about 30 minutes of trying to swallow it, she started trying to spit it out, but her teeth were firmly stuck in the mouse's tail and hind leg. It was a mess, and the mouse was now starting to bleed all over her. So I tried to help her out, and get the mouse out of her mouth (I know I know...), and she proceeded to coil up the mouse again, and held it for like 2 minutes. I decided to not bother her anymore, and after about another 30 minutes, she finally got it down. Whew!

I guess my question out of all this is, how can I prepare these mice in case she ends up swallowing them backwards? The hardest part for her seems to be getting the tail pointed in the right direction for swallowing (tucked beside the mouse's body). Is there a certain way I can present the food to encourage her to swallow head first?

Thanks

Dave

[lilyskip]

Let her do it--if she snatches it, she'll figure out how to get it down. Try to avoid interfering with the feeding process...sometimes it looks difficult, but the snake knows what it is doing the majority of the time.

[sapphire_moon]

try getting long tongs, and grabbing the mouse closer to the head, so when she strikes she is more likely to get the mouses head....

[SerpentLust]

Yeah, I agree with lilyskip, there was only ONE time I interfered, and that's because she bit herself and wouldn't let go of herself! lol

Jenn

[mango]

My bp has a bad habit of taking food butt first as well. sometimes it help her if I loosen the joints of the mouse if f/t. Sometimes the back legs get in the way especially on a hopper. Mousie aerobics help some and if you just drop it in there try to drop it with the nose pointing to her. Sometimes that doesn't make much difference and she still takes it backwards but there's only so much you can do. I've also been told that taking their prey backwards can be a sign that the item is too small. Hope I helped. :D

[Linds]

Yup, just like Lilyskip said... leave your snake alone. Hatchlings straight out of the egg are capable of taking hopper, and sometimes even adult mice. Sometimes snakes just take a while to eat, some gobble them down. Doesn't necessarily mean its too big. If your snake eats its prey backwards then thats what its doing, no worries though, nothing wrong with it. Usually its an indication that the snake needs a larger prey item. If it spits it back out it means its big enough but the snake realizes it wouldn't be so difficult if it went from the other end :p

[Invictus]

I've had 2 corns take down an adult mouse SIDEWAYS, both BCIs take 1 lb rabbits butt-first, and even seen the lavender king (neonate) take a fuzzy butt-first. They are incredibly flexible, and will figure out how to get it down.

Here's a pic of the BCI taking the rabbit butt-first:

http://www.invictusart.com/images/Hera1.jpg

[jay76]

They took 'em sideways? That must have been fun to watch! :)

My king's gone butt first for the last 2 feedings. They know what's up, so don't worry and just let him do his thing. Though from what Linds said, I might try a bigger mouse... thank you for answering a question before I had to ask it Linds :)

[Invictus]

Fun to watch is an understatement. Morpheus, my big 6 footer, took down this gargantuan mouse sideways. He basically used his mouth to fold the thing right over onto itself. We could hear the spine snapping and everything. It was IMPRESSIVE. :D

[jay76]

It's things like that that stick in the memory, eh? :D

Maybe my mexmex will entertain me like that some day :)