Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well tonight is feeding night and boy did we have an interesting feed this evening. (Sorry no pics I was to lazy and I really didn't expect this to happen.) So my wife got the f/t warmed up in a nice bath of water and she took one of the little weaner size rats over to our little black pastel. She wiggled the rat with a pair of tongs and you could tell that the snake was interested, locked and in strike position . My wife continued to wiggle the rodent in front of him when he simply started to crawl over the rodent as my wife started to laugh. I looked over at her and asked what was going on and she said he is just coiling it. She backed off and the black pastel was sitting on top of the rodent like a female does her eggs looking at my wife in strike position(like "don't mess with my rat". Then he bit on the tail and started to pull the rat like he was trying to show us... this is how you work a dead rat. Then he ate it. I just thought I would share this with you guys because this is the first time we have had one eat with out any strike and after seeing snakes pound rats it is kind of humorous for us to see one play with its food this way.

matt

Lol, it is funny isn't it. I have a fem pastel that does that, I leave the f/t in her tube and one night I watched her just sniff it, bite it, drag it to the back of the tub and just started swallowing it. It was weirdseeing her eat without constricting but she does it every now and then...

Pat
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1.1 spider
0.2 pastel
0.1 pastel het ghost
1.0 mojave het ghost
0.1 lesser
1.0 lemon blast
0.1 fire

lol, I had another one tonight that I normally feed f/t but tonight I didn't have any the right size in the freezer for her so I gave her a prekilled. She eats hard and normally I just take her rats right out of the sink quick pat dry with a towel and filp it to her so she hit the prekilled like normal constricted then started on the head. After she started to work it down she took it over and dunked the thing in her water dish as if she were saying she likes her rats well soaked. LOL.

I think I need to go to bed now I am putting way to much thought into this.

matt

lol that does sound funny.
yeah, i had one of mine eat weird once too. it was funny but he ate.
he had started into a shed cycle, and i hadnt seen it- his eyes were just barely turning and i offered him the f/t mouse. he knew it was there, and came to it. instead of striking, he took it, GENTLY, by the dead foot. and then ate it. he didnt coil it or anything. he was very gentle with his meal. it was bizarre. but i just let him eat it the way he wanted.
usually, if i see that they are going through a shed cycle i will just leave them alone and make them wait. i keep them moist and warm, and leave them ALONE. after they shed they get food. they dont seem hungry otherwise...
anyways...that was the weirdest.
same snake- i offered him two hoppers. and he took the 2nd, but after coiling it, he laid it down and stared at it, like he was wondering what he was supposed to do with it. i left it there for a very short while and then removed it. i refroze it and gave it to him the next time.
hes a very weird eater- he eats his food backwards alot too. but he eats..and im happy with that. hes just a weird kid, i guess..ahahahahah

thanks for your share...and thanks for letting me share
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~Snake Charmer~
0.1 russian tortoise (natasha)
3.1 dogs (church, bandit, willy and tonka)
1.2 cats (taz, squeaky, cami)
0.1 king snake (q aka curly q or queenie)
2.2 'normal' ball pythons (zenith, butters, zahara, and shadow)