Ball python trying to eat mouse sideways

[SnekIsNoodle]

So this his the second time I'm feeding her last time she but it sideways and turned it around and swallowed it backwards after about like 10 min I think. But today when I tried to feed her she bit it sideways and she's still trying to swallow it. It's been like 3 hours! What should I do?

[SnekIsNoodle]

Oh [no] she swallowed it sideways! It's down like right below her neck there's a huge bulge bc the mouse is sideways inside of her

[Prognathodon]

One of my carpet pythons did the same thing a while back. She looked like she'd swallowed a tennis ball for a couple days, but was otherwise fine. Snakes are capable of dealing with huge meals, the optimum prey size we go by is not the maximum size they can handle.

Let her be until the lump goes down. If she does have a problem with it, regurgitations have a distinct odor, you'll know if it happens.


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[redshepherd]

She should be okay, no worries- just wait a couple days before bothering her, as usual.

Usually if a snake is even able to swallow a meal sideways, it means the prey is on the small side.

[pbyeerts]

Yep, she'll be fine. Ginger has eaten her prey forwards, backwards, up, down, etc.... Your snake will learn as she gets older


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