Constrictors?

[Auskan]

Aren't cornsnakes supposed to be constrictors? Do they lose this instinct in captivity? Last night my female mouse had her first litter & was systematically killing them when I woke up this morning. There were only three left alive & I knew they wouldn't last long, so I decided to give my cornsnakes a treat. To my horror, the first cornsnake just started literally eating this pinky alive - tail first. It was still bleating pathetically when its head was disappearing into the snake's mouth. It was rather distressing for me and I'm sure even more so for the pinky. I wouldn't have fed live if I'd known this was going to happen.

[LISA127]

I always fed my corn frozen, thawed from day one. And my cornsnake never ever constricted. I don't know why. My ball was always fed frozen thawed also, but always constricted anyway. I don't understand it myself.

[Scotty Allen]

Constrictors (yes, cornsnakes are constrictors) will not necessarily constrict their prey if it's small enough for them to just grab and swallow.

[Big Mike]

My corn has never had a live meal and had always eaten without constricting. Recently though, she gets quite excited when it's feeding time. She constricts at first but then uncoils and eats that way.

[Yness]

My kingsnakes have not constricted but my BRB constricts every time...I feed them all F/T

[drewlowe]

yep corns are constrictors but that doesn't mean every meal thier going to constrict.

My male is so passive aggressive. He moses on up to his prey introduces himself, then slowly finds the best place to start. He's so gently the whole time. Mabey he just has manners lol. Don't know why but it happens everytime.

Me female on the other hand acts like she's starving everytime she eats. She sees the prey and strikes with force the constricts the mouse tightly then after she thinks it dead. (lol i only feed f/t) she will start to eat.

[reverendsterlin]

if I toss in the f/t prey they will just mosey up and swallow it down. If I dangle it and make it move I will usually get a good constriction. I do that often because I believe that the constriction act makes for great natural excercise. I think that anything that gets their muscles moving well helps during egg laying for the females. The males seem to get more exercise during the mating season as they roam relentlessly.

[sapphire_moon]

sometimes ours constrict. next time try flicking the pink in the back of the head to kill it. I could give you a sight that gives you the "technical" details of how to do a cervical dislocation. But that won't help with a pink.

[Auskan]

I have no problem with killing them first (I just "whack" them, which is about as quick and humane a death as I could find) but I had thought to 1) give my corn a "treat" & 2) encourage her to use her constricting muscles, since she doesn't bother with F/T. I thought the wriggling would bring out the instincts, but I'm not sure I'll try that again.