Need a super quick response on feeding problem!! Eating from wrong side, wont let go!

Hey guys, just fed my ball python a baby mouse, it is a very small mouse and she could take it down very easy but she is trying to eat it from the tail first. I have tried to get her to let go but she is really really refusing to take it out of her mouth!! Do not want to force to hard. What do??

Leave her, she will be fine. Nothing wrong with tail first ever now and then it's just harder for them. If I give my JCP a left over weaned rat because someone didn't want to eat, she eats it from the middle and Floyd it in half as she's eating.

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Leave her, she will be fine. Nothing wrong with tail first ever now and then it's just harder for them. If I give my JCP a left over weaned rat because someone didn't want to eat, she eats it from the middle and Floyd it in half as she's eating.

Okay, I've heard warnings about not letting them eat from the tail side first, she definitely got pissed at me for trying to get her to let go lol she gave my thumb a good squeeze and opened for a snap...I feel bad for stressing her but I just want to keep her from hurting herself. Thanks for the advice.

Leave her be, it will be OK. My very first time feeding my girl as a baby she did that, it takes longer but was all OK in the end, they know what they are doing. No worries! :3

Nah, shouldn't be any issues. Same thing going to the same spot regardless of how it's eaten, right?

Only minor concern might be little mouse finger-nails that scratch a little bit if they're going butt-first, but I sincerely doubt it.

Yeah that's what I was cautioned about - the scratching of her insides as they go down - these were very tiny mice so I knew it might not be that big of a deal....but I like to be very careful. I have seen lots of people's pets die/get hurt because they were careless and I don't want to be in that boat. She got the first one down, she just killed the second little guy. Thanks for putting my mind at ease guys ;)

Little Dude used to do that, he even tried to eat one sideways once. They figure it put eventually. Animals, when eaten head first, all their limbs fold up nicely againt the body, when eaten the other way around the limbs tend to spread ans catch on the sides of the mouth. But if they can still get it down, it shouldn't be a problem.

Yup, next time don't worry about it, and let her be. She will manage just fine. I have had them eat tail end first before too. My boa likes to get them in the middle, and fold them in half. He refuses to let go and look for a head. He will just keep at it till he gets it down.

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Fork or chopsticks, we eat how we like and so do our herps :P

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Originally Posted by Xazereth

Hey guys, just fed my ball python a baby mouse, it is a very small mouse and she could take it down very easy but she is trying to eat it from the tail first. I have tried to get her to let go but she is really really refusing to take it out of her mouth!! Do not want to force to hard. What do??

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You should watch a Boa eat a jumbo rat folded in half and sideways.

It scares the hell out of us yet they eventually manage.

If it won't go down, they can spit it out.