Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 57" Spectacled Caiman periodically insists on eating rats in the wrong direction. Even if the rat is held properly, he will use his foot to rotate the rat so it is "tail first" and struggle to swallow it backwards. It can take him up to an hour or so to eat, occasionally succeeding tail first, and by chance consumming the "traditional way". We joke that he is a little "slow".

Does anyone have this problem?

Rob

Ive seen my gator try it once, but in the end it didn't work out that well. That's pretty funny though. Well, we have pizza that you can eat crust first, and they have rodents that you can eat backwards.

Chris

Oddly enough, I have a 3 foot green anaconda that is the same way... I offer him rats from haemostats head first, and he wont accept them, or if he does, he'll constrict and consume tail end first.. Usually I will just toss the rat in his enclosure with the rats head facing the snake,and he will go to the tail end and eat it.. As long as he's eating,I'm happy though...

Matt

Its just real frustrating to watch. Most of the time he will eventually eat, but typically if he stuggles for more than an hour, he'll just drop it and quit. Strangly, he'll suddenly start eating the correct way for weeks at a time, then for no apparent reason revert back. Maybe I should cut the tails and stick'em on the head

>>Oddly enough, I have a 3 foot green anaconda that is the same way... I offer him rats from haemostats head first, and he wont accept them, or if he does, he'll constrict and consume tail end first.. Usually I will just toss the rat in his enclosure with the rats head facing the snake,and he will go to the tail end and eat it.. As long as he's eating,I'm happy though...
>>
>>Matt

Hey there...

I dont think you have anything to worry about... I have had snakes do that...and my gila's do sometimes. The best thing you can do if you dont like it is give smaller food to it. Example...Instead of 1 rat..try 2 fuzzy rats...etc....it will be easyer for it to swallow backwards.

Chris
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0.0.2 Gila Monsters
1.2 KSB
1.0 Leopard Gecko -Dudly
1.0 Pacman Frog- Frigity
1.1 Rats -Killer(albino)- Twitch (babies are dinner)hehe

I've moved from large rats to small just to accomodate him. With the larger rats,the hind legs would severly splay looking like Eddie Munster trying to walk through the doorway with his bat held perpendicular

>>Ive seen my gator try it once, but in the end it didn't work out that well. That's pretty funny though. Well, we have pizza that you can eat crust first, and they have rodents that you can eat backwards.
>>
>>Chris