BCI eating behavior

[Mark Jones]

Remember me? The one with the baby BCI with the RI? She's well healed and doing well, though we thought several times she was a goner. But, on to other questions...

My BCI is eating well. BUT, she's acting odd about it. I'm feeding her two hoppers once a week. On her first one she is quick and efficent. But on her second she will strike, "kill", then release. Moments later she will strike the still very dead mouse and constrict it again. Tonight she "killed" the same mouse 4 times before swallowing it.

What's up with that???

Then, dummy here stuck his hand in the box to move her back to her enclosure without washing my hands first - having just dropped a rat to my BP - and got tagged on the finger. Entirely my fault, that one.

[Bartman]

I always like feeding one meal as opposed to multiple smaller meals. If she is efficient at eating the first one, then feed one properly sized meal.

See if that works

[C.ADAMANTEUS]

Did it get ya good?

My BCC got me in the same manner after force feeding a wounded dove. I went to something in her cage, and next thing you know she had the whole web of my left hand in her mouth.
Let me tell you, a 7 foot BCC got a lotta long teeth
Also agree with Bartman, because of the behavior anyway.
Rick

[Mark Jones]

My thing is trying to figure out the multiple strike thing. I've fed her since and the same thing occurs if it is one or more mice... Stirke, contrict, drop, repeat 3 or 4 times before swallowing.

[C.ADAMANTEUS]

Does she only do it on the second, or is it also the first?
Are you watching? providing her any movement to react to? snakes are about 90% instinct, and 10% personality, especially when feeding, 100% instinctive.
Just trying to throw some things out there.
Rick

[JonD]

Really, hopper mice? Your boa could probably eat alot bigger meal. How big is it?

[Linds]

LOL probably wouldn't have made much a difference if you washed your hand or not. A lot of boas have a really strong feeding reflex and will continue on in 'feeding mode' for quite a while after. Hogs are especially bad for that... sometimes even a day or more. That's one of the reasons I prefer to feed in their enclosure, and it can especially become a concern for personal safety when dealing with larger, mature boas

[Mark Jones]

She is 21 inches long and weighs only 75 grams. This is the boa that nearly died of a RI a couple of weeks after being bought. (Turned out she was sick when we bought her. The pet store that bought their stock from this breeder at the reptile show lost much of their new stock to RI's thanks to this jerk.... ) Anywho, she is *still* underweight, but catching up.

She smacks every mouse she is given like that: hard and often. Strike, Constrict, Drop, repeat... Eventually swallow. I *do* watch her, but not really up close, but from a distance. We feed all of our snakes in a neutral environment - a rubbermade box, cleaned between feedings to eliminate scents and any possible disease. I've just never seen a snake act like this before...

[beardieguy]

From my experience here atthe house I have a male that strikes constricts, release. Then when I put him into a different room where noone around he strikes then into swallowing.

I have a female that insists on striking her food and throws it and plays with it until she is satified. Then she will eat. She has to be by herself as well. Thank god for video recorders......lol

[hbwright]

Sounds perfectly normal to me. But, I have to play with mine. Sounds to be about the same size too and I don't consider mine underweight, but haven't had her weighed in over a month since vet check-up. Mine is finicky and I never know what she wants. Sometimes when I leave the room to let her eat I check on her from across the room and I see her on the top of her feeding box (on the inner lip) and I know she won't eat when she does this. So I play with the food a little bit and she'll prefer to eat it in front of me. Other times I'll stay thinking that she is in the mood for an audience and she'll leave it alone only to eat it when I walk away. Either way sometimes it takes 4-5 times of me doing the rat dance to get her in the mood to eat. I also know if she strikes but doesn't constrict she won't eat but if she constricts then I can be 90% sure she'll eat.

I never had to worry about this with my boy before. He would eat no matter what.

[Mark Jones]

Our BPs just eat. Simple. Whatever is dropped in goes down. No issue.

The BCI... Different story. Everything is a big production with that drama queen!

[T-boid]

After being so sick, you must start smallish but please, start to go alittle lger and raise the heat to over 90...as long as a cooler area is an option

[Mark Jones]

WE're feeding BIG fuzzies or reg. hoppers, depending on whatis avail at feeding time.

Temp is always 90+ at the warm end with a cooler area and water for soakig avail at all times. AND good hides on both ends.