Is This Safe?

[T.O-SK8TER]

In an ealier post a member of ssnakess replied bragging about how he feeds his burmese python. He claims he would through the prey item to the snake and it would catch the food, then he would grab the food and play tug of war with the python. Now how responsible is this?

[MontyPython]

That is just asking for trouble, for both owner and snake.

[Infectrix]

That one sinks deeeeeep into the depths of irresponsibility.

[liltattyprinces]

That just shows plain old irresponsibility, I would never of tried that when i had my burm, as said above that is just asking for trouble

[TheRedDragon]

That is just plain WRONG and irresponsible, they're just asking for a heap of trouble. Playing tug-o-war with the python while it's trying to eat could stress it out to the point where it'll refuse or regurge the prey, or, in worst case scenario, get REALLY mad and bite the owner! That's something you do with a dog and rope, NOT a snake and its food!

[SCReptiles]

If you want to keep your animal crisp, why not? I have taken more python bites then I can count and I am none the worse for it. This animal’s predatory nature longs for this type of interaction. There is such a difference in a wild caught adult Burmese pythons and one that was CB and raised. The CB have no spirit, no heart. They just lie around and wait to have a dead rabbit tossed to them. I can’t attest to how responsible this owner is, but keeping his snake’s instincts intact defiantly does not make him irresponsible.

[Vanan]

I have to half agree with Chuck on this one (Finally! lol). CB snakes being fed FT prey (which is a good thing!) tend to get obese. A lil tugging of prey, inducing them to constrict gives them some kinda exercise at least. Helps keep muscle tone.

Don't get me wrong as I don't mean a tug-of-war with Monty. That would just cause breakage of it's teeth which may lead to infection. What I mean is something more of a gentle tug, just to stimulate a dying animal, not a wild thrashing one!

Oh, and btw, all this being done in a safe manner where there's no potential harm to snake or owner. Getting a feeding bite from a 15ft burm is nothing to boast about. Just plain stupidity.

[mark129er]

Just doesn't seem right.

[foman]

smart , real smart. buddy should get a dog.

[Mike177]

If you want to keep your animal crisp, why not? I have taken more python bites then I can count and I am none the worse for it. This animal’s predatory nature longs for this type of interaction. There is such a difference in a wild caught adult Burmese pythons and one that was CB and raised. The CB have no spirit, no heart. They just lie around and wait to have a dead rabbit tossed to them. I can’t attest to how responsible this owner is, but keeping his snake’s instincts intact defiantly does not make him irresponsible.

i would have to agree with you on that but chances are it is a CB burm and he is probly doing more bad then good if he really is playing "tug of war" i can undersatand simulateing a preays reaction, but that dosent mean its a good idea to litterly grab one side of a rabbit and pull as hard as you can. T.O-SK8TER do u have any more info on the snake and what exacly he is doing?

[T.O-SK8TER]

This is exactly what was said:

I use to do that all the time when I had my 14ft Burm. I use to toss the rabbit to her and she would sometimes catch it in mid air. Also I would play tug of war with her and the rabbit.

Chuck- I believe we want these animals to know the food they are fed is already dead so the snake won't go for something alive( a person ) There is also better ways to give your snake exercise than shaking a prey item that is in its mouth. By simpley letting the snake come out of its cage and be handled and move around on its own is plenty of exercise. Also keeping a snakes instincts up to par, myself, would not consider this a good thing.

[ReptiZone]

That is how I mange to switch from live to dead for a 6 foot burm at work I gave it a small live one then I gave it a dead one a mimiked the moving of the rat by giving snall but repedative jerks on the tail and then slowly making less jerks and then stoping to see like it was dead.

worked like a charm I still need to do it to the first rat but after that it is feeding mode so they dont realy care.

but pulling on a adult bums rabit when it is in it's mouth is like trying to take a boltel of Vodka away from the drunk guy that thinks he is still on his first beer...LOL

[Lisa]

I usually make the rat dance a little when our snakes have it in their mouth, otherwise they've been known to drop it. the exception to this is our big boas, they tend to rip the rats out of the feeding tongs.

[Infectrix]

Geez I should have read a lil more into the scenario before making such a closed minded response.

With my younger snakes I sometimes tug on the tail of their prey while their consuming it, sorta mimicking a struggle. And I can't see anything wrong with that really.

Now what I had thought earlier was someone playing tug of war with a Burm in a way that someone would with a fu*king Rott. If that was the case, my previous statement stands.

[Vanan]

Chuck- I believe we want these animals to know the food they are fed is already dead so the snake won't go for something alive( a person )

Hmmm, I don't think so. Snakes act upon instinct. A snake which eats dead prey would probably strike a live one with more gusto. Although there are exceptions to this, wherein the snake is scared by the movement of a live animal.

As for snakes being trained not to eat people, I doubt it. Ask some of the giant snake keepers. I doubt they've got Monty trained to not eat them. There is always the risk of a bad feeding bite.

Although, I do have to agree that the way it sounds was that this guy was ready to rip out the mouth from the snake. Tsk tsk!

[BWSmith]

I also give a little movement to the prey to stimulate constriction. Usually i just wiggle it a bit with the tongs or hemos.

[Vanan]

Exactly what I mean Brian. Whatever it takes to make em use their muscles. Besides, just cruising around outside of the cage doesn't take up as much energy as during the pursuit and subduing of prey. Although, allowing your snake to climb and swim does use up a considerable amount of energy. Especially swimming.

[BWSmith]

I think it is particularly important for those of us with large collections where the animals do not get taken out often or for tose that have aggressive species or speciens that they will not handle unless neccesary.

[sapphire_moon]

just wrong. I doubt he had someone in there with him, so he could have become the next meal.....just my 2cents.

[T.O-SK8TER]

I think in the situation of feeding, you should not have your hands anywhere near the snakes face. Besides you should have him in a cage when feeding, right?

[chas*e]

Too much stress on the snake...If this person doesn't want it I will take it off their hands...jerks