Corn Feeding?

We have two young corns and we have to feed both of them f/t because they don't strike/constrict the prey. They just find the head/butt whatever and start eating. Don't get me wrong, they eat like maniacs. I just can't help but exclaiming each time 'YOUR DOING I WRONG.' Sure we can feed f/t but f/t mice are harder to come by in this area. Is there anything we can do to maybe get them to strike and constrict the prey? Or are we stuck with a pair of unbelievably adorable dummies?

Thanks
Lindsey

Alot our baby corns don't constrict. You can try feeding off tongs, when they start to eat gently pull a little (like a slight movement of the pinky), sometimes this will trigger them to constrict.

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Originally Posted by catzeye21138

We have two young corns and we have to feed both of them f/t because they don't strike/constrict the prey. They just find the head/butt whatever and start eating. Don't get me wrong, they eat like maniacs. I just can't help but exclaiming each time 'YOUR DOING I WRONG.' Sure we can feed f/t but f/t mice are harder to come by in this area. Is there anything we can do to maybe get them to strike and constrict the prey? Or are we stuck with a pair of unbelievably adorable dummies?

Thanks
Lindsey

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Nope this is normal for corn snakes .If you are having a hard time finding frozen mice then try pre-killed.Just incase it means buy live and kill them before you place them in with your corn snakes ;)

Our corn was said to be eating live and FT. He doesnt kill live, more just stuns it, and he has refused FT for 4 weeks now.... :(

We've had our little anery corn since December and he just constricted his prey for the first time last night. Just give them some time and eventually they'll get the hang of it.

heres something you could try: get a pair of feeding tongs or something to hold the f/t mouse. waggle it around in front of your snake's head until it picks the scent up and its eyes kind of lock on. then slowly lift it up in the air above and in front of it's head. my corn used to just kind of lazily eat the mouse with no strike or anything before but for some reason it strikes the dead mouse if its up in the air :confused: .but it might work for you it wouldn't hurt to try lol

I have a couple corns and they are over 2 years old and they still will sometimes not constrict.

As a matter of fact last night I fed them and I feed them rat pups...and the one swallowed the rat live. It was still making noises in his belly and moving around.

It is sad to see but natural.

:oops:

Colubrids do take the eating live a bit literally in some cases. :rolleyes:

I have seen baby corns do this, also adults. A pink and fuzzy mouse is basicly harmless, so no real need to constrict it. Same way with a thawed food item. I had one female corn every so often will just bite and start to swallow from the hemostats. Mind you these are thawed mice. If you make the prey item "struggle" by wiggling it around, she will constrict. Live hoppers and adult mice, the snake should constrict since the prey is bigger

Thanks everyone! This has been really helpful! I will try that tong trick next week.

Yes, they take feeding live VERY literally. :rolleyes: