Blk Rat feeding

[Bouncingsoul]

SoI fed my blk rat a live mouse (I know, I know...)
It was a small thing and the snake just bit its face and held it there for a minute, it didnt constrict or even start to... Just held it down, it died and got eaten... Is this normal (not constricting live prey)?

[thunder]

sometimes they don't constrict if the prey is that small. an adult blk rat could easily be eating multiple larger items. a single adult mouse is just a snack for him. i would offer him a subadult rat (dead!), size wise, about a $3 rat (usd).

[CamHanna]

Yes, often small prey is not constricted. I have a bullsnake that does the same.

I'm curious though, why are you feeding live mice? The whole Pantherophis 'obsoletus' group normally feeds rather well on prekilled prey.

[dannyc]

These guys are born eaters. I've read they eat just about anything within reason, lizards, mice, rats, bird eggs, baby birds, etc, etc. I just caught one out back in the duck pen under the duck feeder. I moved it to straiten it up and wow there he was. 2 days earlier I move it to find a good size rat in the same place, so maybe I saved him some battle scars. It's 3 1/2 feet long and I doubt he could have eaten the rat I saw. I brought it up to the house and feed it a couple of rat pinkies and he was calm as can be. I've handled it 3 times since and he doesn't even act like he's worried at all. My corns wiggle more than he does.


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