BP Eating Weird

Hello,

Just curious, I just picked up a few new BP's(spider, mojave, normal) does anyone have a BP that when offered it's food doesn't strike or constrict? Just simply goes over, smells it and just starts eating it? I feed f/t. I have no other feeding problems with any of my bp's.

Thanks

Yea one of my black pastels and spider does it, but most commonly my corns do it almost every time.
It reminds me of a dog fetching a stick. :dog:

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Originally Posted by likebull1

Yea one of my black pastels and spider does it, but most commonly my corns do it almost every time.
It reminds me of a dog fetching a stick. :dog:

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haha that's funny.
It's good I don't feed my spider or my mojave live. They would be bitten in a second. The spider, so far, has missed her first strike every time, I have to nudge the rat with a snake hook and she ends up grabbing it by the rear end with the head completely exposed.

I am pretty sure they can tell the difference between live and dead prey. I used to feed f/t then switched to live and then back to f/t. Both snakes struck and constricted the live, but not the F/T.

I am not 100% sure about this but I am pretty sure in the wild, ball pythons will eat animals that are already dead. Like scavengers.

Mine did the same thing when I fed it for the first 2 times, f/t hoppers. Just tasted it and ate it. First time I did a live hopper I was a bit nervous he would get bit or not know how to kill it. Within 5 seconds of dropping the live hopper in he stuck right on the hopper's face and contricted perfectly. Still a little bit nervous of him getting bit but I'm going to continue with live because I read that freezing depletes some vitamins, although I may start thumping them or killing with c02 right before I feed him.

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Originally Posted by DustinB

Still a little bit nervous of him getting bit but I'm going to continue with live because I read that freezing depletes some vitamins, although I may start thumping them or killing with c02 right before I feed him.

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There is nothing wrong with feeding frozen thawed, nor are there any published studies on the nutritional requirements of ball pythons. I feed almost all my snakes F/T and they are all growing well.

If you choose to feed live, do so without thumping; it is inhumane and unnecessary. It's ok for you to feel nervous but realize that these snakes evolved to strike and constrict live prey. A properly sized live rodent should not be an issue.

If you want to feed pre-killed the CO2 method is a humane form to accomplish this.