Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 3 year old BP, who has been eating nothing but FK for probably the last 2 and a half years still strikes, constricts and holds the constriction before eating.

My corn snake, as a comparison, just starts eat the FK right away, no constriction at all.

Just curious as to how many of you have BP's that don't constrict dead prey and how many do constrict. Any other thoughts on the subject are welcome...

Joel
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0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Leopard Gecko

There are a lot of people that have snakes that eat right off the cage floor or out of a bowl like a dog - they don't go through the whole strick - constrict - swallow thing. I feed off the tongs which means they have to go through the same procedure as if it were alive (hunt kill eat). But I'm not really fooling them - they give a half hearted effort that wouldn't kill it if it were alive - but I think it keeps the feeding response up (JMO).
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Tosha

"One of these days i am going to wake up..look around...and realize my place looks more like "Ace Venturas"s than my own." Coldthumb

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul "JP"
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 lizard rescued from vicious feline

I hadn't looked at it that way, but that is exactly what it is!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I feed from tongs also, but I wouldn't say she gives a half hearted effort ... she strikes very hard and holds on for a good couple of minutes.

Joel
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0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Leopard Gecko

I agree. My animals (most) eat thawed off tongs. They all strike and constrict as if the prey is alive. I think it just looks half-hearted because they don't constrict for as long. Once they sense the prey is no longer kicking, they loosen the hold. This takes a lot less time with pre-killed prey items.

Chris
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mean people suck

My ball python strikes very hard, once knocking the tongs out of my hand LOL Fortunately they didn't fall on the snake. She hits live or dead with the same ferosity and I often have pieces of rat tail left in the tongs LOL.

LOL - I've got some monsters like that too - but not many - Anything from TSE is almost certainly a guaranteed aggressive feeder - not sure what Chris' secret is. But most of mine are just going thru the motions. Last night I had a girl grab it off the tongs and constrict it between the side of her head and a coil - looked like someone holding the phone with their shoulder - too funny. Oh well at least they are eating!!!
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Tosha

"One of these days i am going to wake up..look around...and realize my place looks more like "Ace Venturas"s than my own." Coldthumb

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul "JP"
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 lizard rescued from vicious feline

Some do, some don't. Depends on the snake. I have one that will constrict her dead prey longer than one who eats live prey.
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Nita Hamilton
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Ball Pythons

I have discovered this very thing this weekend. The two females I just got constrict the prey like demons. The one who is currently on live but KO'd prey constricted that mouse for at least 5 minutes with her head all contorted around. I thought something went wrong but when she began to consume it while still keeping grip, I saw everything was ok. Now this other little firecracker girl I got who is just a baby hit a F/T hopper like a Mack Truck from tongs. It shocked the heck out of me! Then she coiled it for a good while then did this weird roll around with it like the death roll that crocs do. I was beside myself.

My male who is currently taking KO'd live and kinda of taking to F/K strikes but not like those girls do and while constrict but not as long or as hard as the girls. I am going to try feeding him from tongs to compare after he sheds.

Has anyone noticed a difference in this between male and females? Or is it just my snakes?

when i bought my first snake (lazlo) i had no idea how ferociosly they eat. the first time i fed him i gave him a live mouse and he was taking to long (he wasnt but i didnt know) so i tried holding it by the tail and bouncing it up and down, that didnt work, then i was getting bored so i picked up lazlo by the tail and held him over the mouse and he struck the mouse and then coiled up into my hand! it all happend within 10 minutes but it was my first time so i didnt know what to expect and i was unexpierinced.

well i guess what im trying to say is try feeding one off a branch it looks like something from a snake-horror movie
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my addiction:
2 ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (maizy

>>well i guess what im trying to say is try feeding one off a >>branch it looks like something from a snake-horror movie

I'm dying to get a nice gtp baby! (,not done reading yet though).I'm sure any aboreal would be a trip at feeding time.
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Charles Glaspie

Tanstaafl:
"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch".
An acronym created by my favorite author Robert A. Heinlein.