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06-06-15, 11:57 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr-2015
Location: Lake County, IN
Posts: 150
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If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
My uncle has a 2 and half foot long ball python and he is going to attempt to feed it a jumbo sized rat. Is this safe?
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06-06-15, 12:33 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Jul-2013
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 437
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
I've seen a documentary (Can't remember the name now) Where an Anaconda ate a very large antelope of some kind. The food was WAY too large for this snake to consume, so it ripped open his flank, mostly just the outside. It would really depend on the snake's appetite and how desperate it is for food.
I would not suggest feeding any pet snake a prey item that is larger than 1.5x the snakes body, they will usually give up on the food if it's too large and just spit it back up. If they do swollow it you run the risk of doing damage to the snake and it may still regurg in a couple days if the food is too large to digest before decomposition sets in. Also if he's feeding live, hope not, you would run the risk of the rat being stronger than the snake and the snake may not live through the event.
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1.0 Snow Corn snake (Corn Shake) 0.2 BCI (Kaa and Sylvanus) 1.0 Western Hognose (Mr. Crowley)
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06-06-15, 01:56 PM
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#3
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Nov-2002
Location: Toronto
Age: 39
Posts: 16,977
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cmwells90
I've seen a documentary (Can't remember the name now) Where an Anaconda ate a very large antelope of some kind. The food was WAY too large for this snake to consume, so it ripped open his flank, mostly just the outside. It would really depend on the snake's appetite and how desperate it is for food.
I would not suggest feeding any pet snake a prey item that is larger than 1.5x the snakes body, they will usually give up on the food if it's too large and just spit it back up. If they do swollow it you run the risk of doing damage to the snake and it may still regurg in a couple days if the food is too large to digest before decomposition sets in. Also if he's feeding live, hope not, you would run the risk of the rat being stronger than the snake and the snake may not live through the event.
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I'm curious in what caused the animal to spkit open. Was it the hoioves or horns? I'd guess that.
As for the OP. Snake's aren't too stupid. It may try to eat it but if it can't it will spit it back out. If it DOES get it down just leave the snake alone.
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06-06-15, 05:42 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: May-2014
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
I think they kind of have a built-in safe guard against that. If it can fit down their throat, it can fit in their stomach.
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“...the old ones ... knew in their bones... that death exists, that all life kills to eat, that all lives end, that energy goes on. They knew that humans are participants, not spectators.” -- Stephen Bodio, On the Edge of the Wild
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06-06-15, 07:44 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Aug-2014
Location: Hawthorn
Age: 32
Posts: 120
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Even when im certain she'll be fine I always get nervous going up sizes
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"In my dream, the world had suffered a terrible disaster. A black haze shut out the sun, and the darkness was alive with the moans and screams of wounded people. Suddenly, a small light glowed. A candle flickered into life, symbol of hope for millions. A single tiny candle, shining in the ugly dark. I laughed and blew it out."- Joker
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06-06-15, 08:30 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Nov-2014
Posts: 308
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Some times if a snakes can't regurgitate the prey item it can rot and poison the snake which can be fatal, it also can cause lots of gas build up which can also kill.
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06-07-15, 04:07 PM
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#7
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Sep-2011
Location: GTA
Age: 37
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
I would imagine the snake would spit it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrotalusR#1
Some times if a snakes can't regurgitate the prey item it can rot and poison the snake which can be fatal, it also can cause lots of gas build up which can also kill.
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I want to say that this is probably a husbandry issue vs. A size issue.
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06-07-15, 06:25 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jul-2013
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 437
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron_S
I'm curious in what caused the animal to spkit open. Was it the hoioves or horns? I'd guess that.
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It was actually a Boar, I totally forgot what it was haha. It's a documentary on Netflix though. It's either in Titanoboa or Planet Earth (Don't think the Planet Earth is on Netflix though) But it didn't tear any of the throat or stomach, just his outer hide. The boar was quite a bit larger than the snake was.
__________________
1.0 Snow Corn snake (Corn Shake) 0.2 BCI (Kaa and Sylvanus) 1.0 Western Hognose (Mr. Crowley)
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06-07-15, 08:30 PM
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#9
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Nov-2002
Location: Toronto
Age: 39
Posts: 16,977
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cmwells90
It was actually a Boar, I totally forgot what it was haha. It's a documentary on Netflix though. It's either in Titanoboa or Planet Earth (Don't think the Planet Earth is on Netflix though) But it didn't tear any of the throat or stomach, just his outer hide. The boar was quite a bit larger than the snake was.
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I've seen poorly swallowed prey items and you can see the foot of it pushing out from the inside. The size of the prey is fine and I would consider the boar probably was too. Could just be awkward.
There's pics of large prey being swallowed by smaller snakes all over the net. They are built to manage it on a normal basis. Of course there's the randomness of hooves, tusks and horns.
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06-07-15, 09:14 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: May-2015
Location: Deep in the heart of Texas
Posts: 698
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Well... if the documentary was by animal planet, you can probably call bull on the whole show lol
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06-07-15, 09:30 PM
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#11
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Nov-2002
Location: Toronto
Age: 39
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirtalis
Well... if the documentary was by animal planet, you can probably call bull on the whole show lol
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Well played
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06-07-15, 11:48 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: May-2015
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 221
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
I accidentally offered my new rainbow boa a food item that was too large for her when I first got her. She just chewed on it a bit and then left it.
She ate just fine a size category smaller!
__________________
I am a bird biologist newish to snake husbandry.
0.1 BRB/CRB Integrade (Chaska), 0.1 BRB (Avatre) 0.2 gray cats (Aria and River), and a bunch of fishies and carnivorous plants.
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06-08-15, 12:05 AM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Nov-2014
Posts: 308
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
I can't delete this so I have to put this so I can at least delete wat I was going to put.
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06-08-15, 12:08 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Nov-2014
Posts: 308
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lady_bug87
I would imagine the snake would spit it out.
I want to say that this is probably a husbandry issue vs. A size issue.
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I would agree in most cases but I do know people who have had animals that had eaten something just much to large and Because of the snakes pre-existing health issues in tandem with the over sized prey item the snake was not able to regurgitate. So in the couple cases I'm referring to it had to do with the snakes and the prey item. Some one can absolutely cas this with poor husbandry I don't disagree what so ever on that, Snakes love options!
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06-08-15, 05:37 AM
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#15
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Sep-2011
Location: GTA
Age: 37
Posts: 4,303
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Re: If a snake swallows prey that is too big for it would it's stomach rip open?
In those cases where it was in tandem, the snake would have died anyway. If the meal wasn't digesting it doesn't matter the size.
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