Live Rat Feeding Stages - Question

[NightLad]

Hi everyone,

Question 1: How long does it generally take for a BP to strike, coil and kill a rat before swallowing?

Question 2: If the BP has the rat's head mostly in his mouth while coiling, and it is still alive enough to squeak and squirm, can the rat bite or hurt the snake's mouth, tongue, etc?

The back-story (for those with some extra time or interest in what prompted this question)

I just fed Salzedo his first live rat-fuzzy (he was raised on them, but this is his first with me, his first meal was a mouse due to lack of live rats of appropriate size) and I’m happy to report that he ate it with gusto. While the mouse took him a few minutes to take, he struck at the rat within about 30 seconds – maybe less.

However… I’m not sure if he got a bad hold or what, but the rat seemed to struggle and ‘squeak’ for a little while – maybe about 3 or 4 minutes. When Salzedo struck he didn’t immediately curl fully around the rat because it was against the glass at the time, and it took him a while too maneuver into a position he could properly coil in. The whole time the rat was squeaking (with its head mostly in his mouth) and struggling a little. Not enough to escape, but its legs were kicking and it was moving a bit.

The mouse he ate went down almost immediately, so this display of defiance in the young rat concerned me greatly while I watched! I was like, “Stop moving! Stop struggling! Surrender to the tenebrous embrace of sweet mother oblivion… damn you!” (Second time feeding live, so please cut me some n00b slack )

In the end the rat stopped moving and Salzedo swallowed it, since its head was already mostly in his mouth. I tried to look inside his mouth while he was realigning his jaw to check for any damage but I don’t think I saw anything. He drank some water after swallowing, so I assume everything is okay.

Thanks a bunch!

PS: Salzedo is 2 1/2 m/o, and the rat was a fuzzy.

[frankykeno]

Question 1: How long does it generally take for a BP to strike, coil and kill a rat before swallowing?

Really depends on the snake, it's confidence in hunting, etc. Too many variables to give you an across the board answer. Usually mine no matter what age, hit very quickly, constrict very efficiently once they are used to a certain prey and if left undisturbed immediately slurp down their dinner.

Question 2: If the BP has the rat's head mostly in his mouth while coiling, and it is still alive enough to squeak and squirm, can the rat bite or hurt the snake's mouth, tongue, etc?

PS: Salzedo is 2 1/2 m/o, and the rat was a fuzzy.

Snakes seem to hit the head or the neck area just back of the head of their prey most often (pretty much the hold you are describing). It may be due to the higher heat signature the head gives out, it's likely a grab that ensures them the highest safety factor as they are either stunning the prey a bit or at least controlling the end with the teeth kind of thing. Whatever the actual mechanics of it, nature pretty much designed them this way and it seems to work out all in all.

You're snake sounds like it did just fine. A fuzzy rat has no real teeth erupting yet so isn't any major danger to your snake. Most of ours, from the little 07's to the big adult females learn to handle their prey easily with time and it's rare for me to hear much squeaking from the prey.

Just stay to appropriate prey sizes, feed in a consistent manner that this specific snake is used to dealing with and it will likely be just fine. I wouldn't switch up prey types or feeding methods if you can absolutely avoid it, that tends to throw ball pythons off a good, regular feeding schedule.

[Sparky1]

Yup i have to agree, my babies do seem to be a lil slower at striking or maybe it is more waiting for the rat to get into the right place before they strike. But they do coil super fast, fast enough to move hides and tip over water bowls on occasion. Now my older one hits it as soon as it hits her tub.