Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just burried a 4 y/o female het hybino hondo(gravid) that was bred to a tri color male Albino.i had fed the pregnant [bleep] but this time the mouse must have gone in the lay box!the snake was found dead w/ a mouthful of Vermiculite DEAD. water bowl had been removed ,just an experience no one else should find. Big Bummer.
L8r Chris

That's horrible... I'm sorry for your loss. Were you able to save the eggs?

yeah, probably never a good idea to feed a snake that's already been given a lay box. it's an unnecessary risk anyway, since food's not necessary 4 or 5 days before deposition is expected.

sorry about your loss, but it's good of you to share the experience here so we all benefit from it somewhat.

terry

=================

>>just burried a 4 y/o female het hybino hondo(gravid) that was bred to a tri color male Albino.i had fed the pregnant [bleep] but this time the mouse must have gone in the lay box!the snake was found dead w/ a mouthful of Vermiculite DEAD. water bowl had been removed ,just an experience no one else should find. Big Bummer.
>>L8r Chris

Just curious, you said:
"this time the mouse must have gone in the lay box!"

Did you feed a live mouse??
Brian
-----

RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

yes it was a livey,
and hondos are not perfected hunters they seem to lunge(with their mouth open) and pin their prey.Chris

All snakes are perfected hunters, its what they have done for millions of years. However, when you stick a live prey item in with a snake and then just leave, you are asking for trouble. The snake cant get away if it isnt hungry and the rodent can attack the snake when survival instinct kicks in. And whats worse, once a rodent attacks a snake, the snake will almost always try and flee instead of killing. This is because the snakes survival instinct and not feeding instinct kicks in.

Maybe your snake was not the victim of the rodent, but,it could very well have been. I still dont see why people continue to feed live prey, and especially feeding and not staying to observe the snake kill the prey item before leaving. Not good practice at all, and IMHO is pretty crappy husbandry. Especially when that same snake will probably take a FT mouse!!
Why take the chance??

Did you check your snake over really good for any type of injurie that the mouse could have inflicted? i.e. cleaned out its mouth and checked for any bite marks, checked its neck, body, etc....

A hard lesson learned, and at the expense of a snakes life!!
Brian

>>yes it was a livey,
>>and hondos are not perfected hunters they seem to lunge(with their mouth open) and pin their prey.Chris
-----

RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian