First constriction

CosmicOwl · 08-07-14, 11:20 PM

I thought I would post this because I was fairly excited when it happened. My grey rat snake is a bottomless pit, but oddly doesn't have much of a feeding response. He'll often spend quite a while investigating and tasting his food before gingerly biting it. Occasionally, he will give a little strike; never more than that though. Tonight was a different story. Perhaps it was the fact that the mice were slightly bloody when they were thawed, but he meant business from the moment he saw them. In a second he had struck the mouse and constricted it. This is the first time he has ever attempted to "kill" his prey and I was actually proud of him.

**EL Ziggy** · 08-08-14, 08:14 AM

Congrats on the strike and constriction. It's nice to see them display their lethal hunting skills, especially when the prey feels no pain

UwabamiReptiles · 08-08-14, 09:05 AM

My colubrids hardly ever constrict their prey. They will just strike and just start eating it. Every once in awhile they will throw a couple of coils around the prey and it is exciting.

Cmwells90 · 08-08-14, 11:19 AM

My hognose and Snow corn snake just go up and fit it into their mouth, no real striking. But my Boa, the moment i take the lid off, she's ready. I hardly ever get the rat all the way in the cage before she's going after it, she'll even constrict for like five minutes, sometimes I give the rat a shake when she coils it, then she'll get even more aggressive and squeeze harder, I find it very entertaining, even more so because the rat is already dead and doesn't suffer.

CosmicOwl · 08-09-14, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cmwells90

My hognose and Snow corn snake just go up and fit it into their mouth, no real striking. But my Boa, the moment i take the lid off, she's ready. I hardly ever get the rat all the way in the cage before she's going after it, she'll even constrict for like five minutes, sometimes I give the rat a shake when she coils it, then she'll get even more aggressive and squeeze harder, I find it very entertaining, even more so because the rat is already dead and doesn't suffer.

My two corns are like your boa. The big guy periscopes to the top of the cage and then strikes and constricts as soon as the mouse is within sight. My yearling blood red is another another level. I have never seen another snake that has a similar level of feeding response. When she knows food is coming, she strikes at anything moving in front of the tub. When I actually offer her food, she strikes and constricts so violently that she has flung herself out of the tub. It's absurd.

My little grey rat snake is a very timid fellow. He's almost a year old though, so maybe he is starting to come out of his shell. Hopefully he'll become more outgoing but still remain docile and adorable.