Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm feeding F/T to 3 snakes and one on the snakes grabs and constricts then pops the mouse causing it's intestines to come out. Yuck! I'm not sure what happened. I heard the thing pop, and then....guts coiling out. It was purchased as a live mouse then killed and frozen for 3 weeks. It was thawed in hot water only. The only thing different tonight was that the ziplock had a hole in it and water got in there while defrosting. Between water changes I dried it off and put it in a new bag. Only 1 of the 3 popped. Luckily it's being eaten, I'm glad, it's kinda messy.`

Please tell me this doesn't often happen. I'm hoping the mouse just had a hernia to begin with.

Also things are out of the norm here with my snakes. Usually everything is pretty routine. This last week their feeding and defecation patterns are all off. Some are even tempermental. I attribute it to barometric changes because I don't see any husbandry changes, but I was wondering if anyone else is seeing oddities. I'm in Texas and not as close to the hurricane paths as some of you. My adult male is courting my female tonight...well more like harrassing her. So they were seperated this evening (I can't let my female breed this year). They aren't even cooled. It's just really different this year.

Linda
-----
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

Actually, that hasn't happened to me in a while. It used to happen once in a while when I was buying my rodents alive and freezing them myself. I think the freezing and thawing weakens the tissue....maybe the professional rodent farmers are just better at freezing them.

Chris O

>>I'm feeding F/T to 3 snakes and one on the snakes grabs and constricts then pops the mouse causing it's intestines to come out. Yuck! I'm not sure what happened. I heard the thing pop, and then....guts coiling out. It was purchased as a live mouse then killed and frozen for 3 weeks. It was thawed in hot water only. The only thing different tonight was that the ziplock had a hole in it and water got in there while defrosting. Between water changes I dried it off and put it in a new bag. Only 1 of the 3 popped. Luckily it's being eaten, I'm glad, it's kinda messy.`
>>
>>Please tell me this doesn't often happen. I'm hoping the mouse just had a hernia to begin with.
>>
>>Also things are out of the norm here with my snakes. Usually everything is pretty routine. This last week their feeding and defecation patterns are all off. Some are even tempermental. I attribute it to barometric changes because I don't see any husbandry changes, but I was wondering if anyone else is seeing oddities. I'm in Texas and not as close to the hurricane paths as some of you. My adult male is courting my female tonight...well more like harrassing her. So they were seperated this evening (I can't let my female breed this year). They aren't even cooled. It's just really different this year.
>>
>>Linda
>>-----
>>"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
-----
"Snakes are icky."

its happened to me several times. I attributed it to the intestines thawing really quickly and pressure building up. This almost always happened when I placed the frozen rodent belly down on the heat source (I thaw on heat tape exposed on the side of my kingsnake cages). The good news is that the snakes seem to REALLY enjoy it; guts all over their heads and everything. Yumm.
About your BRB's getting restless. This is the time of year that I've noted mine really being active. Last year they were all over the enclosure. This year they are still in normal mode but the weather is still pretty warm here in Sacto. Days are getting shorter and should start cooling off some. Be interesting to see if they start acting up again (especially now with the other cage mates introduced this year).
Paul

I've only had that happen a couple times. Boy that smell is one you just can't forget. One advantage of tub feeding vs feeding in their cage. Really makes a mess in the cage.
-----
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.

____

Signature file edited; oversized banner removed. Please update/correct. [phw 8/31/04]

Thanks for the replies, I thought it was kinda gross. I was hoping this wasn't a common occurrance. I just hadn't experienced it or heard of it before. Luckily I don't have a weak stomach, but I see plenty of guts at work and don't care to see them in my house. I do know I'm not to microwave the prey items, as tempting as it is at times.

Linda

I have had this guts explosion a few times after thawing in hot water and then putting it in my mouth to test the temperature.It isn't bad with a pinky,but leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you do it with a small pig.

I'll try to remember that.
By the way you babies are growing fast!

Linda