I cannot agree that captive snakes, even those that grab and hold, "don't really use a strike or envenomate food items anymore". Most of the grab and hold snakes that I feed do indeed strike hard and squeeze prey items tightly, suggesting that they are using venom at least most of the time.

It well known that the development of powerful feeding response in captive animals is a particular danger to keepers. Many keepers, including myself, have been bitten and envenomated by calm, relaxed snakes that get a bit whacko when they think food is coming.

In fact, I have long considered that it should be known as a "rule" in keeping venomous that even a snake that you have had for years and know very well is capable of a quantum increase in feeding response at any moment.

I do think it is quite possible that captive snakes withhold venom more often than their wild counterparts during both defensive and feeding bites, but this is only a guess as there surely is no hard data.



Ian Long

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