Eating Rat Backwards?

My BP is currently trying to eat a rat backwards. Will this hurt him? He hasn't made much progress. Should I try and help him or just let him figure it out?

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Originally Posted by Keiraffe

My BP is currently trying to eat a rat backwards. Will this hurt him? He hasn't made much progress. Should I try and help him or just let him figure it out?

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Just leave alone. If he can't get it he'll figure it out. I've had them do it before. No worries.

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It won't hurt him- if he manages to do it, usually it means the prey is a bit too small. If he can't, he will figure it out eventually. Sometimes they give up and leave the prey, and you may have to reheat/reoffer.

Thank so much guys! He seems to have figured it out. He spit it out and is eating it the correct way now.

Yeah, their mommies don't help them in the wild :P

I'm glad he worked it out!
My big girl "Sir kawaii" has always been a durpy eater and will try to eat the mouse from whatever spot she caught it in. Because she's so big now she just eats half of them sideways. Sometimes it will take her a half hour to eat because she has to bend it in half, but her stubborn butt takes it down. I remember the first time she decided to eat a mouse backwards when she was very young I was told to take it from her, some people might but I wouldn't suggest it.
If your snake has taken more than an hour to eat and doesn't have 1/4th of the mouse or rat down, and you feel the need to help, I then would contemplate how much is in its mouth and neck so far and how you would logistically remove it without scaring the snake. If your snake has previous anxiety and or aggression issues do not put your hand in there.


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Originally Posted by donnadudette2003

If your snake has taken more than an hour to eat and doesn't have 1/4th of the mouse or rat down, and you feel the need to help, I then would contemplate how much is in its mouth and neck so far and how you would logistically remove it without scaring the snake. If your snake has previous anxiety and or aggression issues do not put your hand in there.

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This is very good advice! Some people don't understand how easily some BPs can spook while eating. Zira (butter female) won't even show interest in a F/T feeder near me, but if I leave it with her and leave the room, she'll have it gone in 15 minutes. And that isn't even regarding the ones that strike their prey THEN get spooked! My Juniper (firefly lesser female) needs me to leave the room immediately after she strikes or she gets spooked and won't eat (even if I reoffer).

So just pay attention to your snake's behavior and personality, and you'll know what's appropriate for your snake :gj: