Reptile & Amphibian Forums

one of my ball pythons is off feed...but i tryed to feed it on monday and it grabbed it like it was going to eat it...and then just spit it out.the rat was not to big,its the same size i always feed.after a day i tryed to get the rat but but the snake wouldnt let me...just sat right next to it striking at me when i tryed to grab....why would it be so protective over something it wont eat?

I have an albino female that likes to kill things...over and over and over again before she eats it. I feed her pre-killed anyway!

One she "kills" it the first time, I grab it with some snake tongs to make it look alive again, she usually will eat it after this. She will stand over it in bite mode the whole time. Sometimes I have to repeat this process 3-4 times before she will actually eat the damn thing. It can be frustrating but she is our favorite snake because she has such a great "personality" if you will.

Next time he does this, try letting him "kill" it again.

Good luck!

-John

Your animal isn't being protective over anything. It wants you and the Rat to go away. What you're seeing is defensive behavior, not feeding behavior. Instead of stressing it out by trying to feed it, wait untill you see signs of it wanting to start eating again before you try feeding

yea...he is right....that is classic ball python for leave me the hell alone or I'll keep biting

Like Eric and Phantompoo said, it's not protective, it's trying to drive you away. If that rat is alive, suck it up and get bit and Get The Rat Out Of There.

Leave the snake alone except to clean and give it fresh water, and then try again in two or three weeks.

Good luck!

~jenny
-----
"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org