CRAZY... my bp swallowed a rat alive...

Wow. That's intense!!.. however, im sure your snake will be fine. The insides of a snake are not where a semi conscious rat would wanna be, given the tight confines, not even allowing it to breath. As well as the extreme acidity of the gastric enzymes that they have.

I have a strong feeling there's nothing to worry about now. :)


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My male cinnamon pewter did this once.. he was refusing to eat anything but live so I put the small rat in and he grabbed it and coiled and started eating right away but he was trying to eat it from the butt not the front so when the rat woke up it bit him on the top of his head and I didn't know what to do... he did end up eating it and he has a small scab that is getting smaller with every shed but I'm still traumatized by it and keep a close eye on him every feeding and it hasn't happened again I don't know why he started eating before it was killed that time. He's my last that still hasn't switched to pre killed, which is ironic because he was my first bp that I got when I got back into snakes.

Everything cool with your snake?

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Originally Posted by cletus

Everything cool with your snake?

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Yeah, she's fine! Or at least looks fine from the outside. Mainly worried about the 30 seconds or so when the rat started thrashing and jumping around with its head halfway down her throat...

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Originally Posted by AriSilvermoon

My male cinnamon pewter did this once.. he was refusing to eat anything but live so I put the small rat in and he grabbed it and coiled and started eating right away but he was trying to eat it from the butt not the front so when the rat woke up it bit him on the top of his head and I didn't know what to do... he did end up eating it and he has a small scab that is getting smaller with every shed but I'm still traumatized by it and keep a close eye on him every feeding and it hasn't happened again I don't know why he started eating before it was killed that time. He's my last that still hasn't switched to pre killed, which is ironic because he was my first bp that I got when I got back into snakes.

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Oh geez, that sounds horrible.. I guess our snakes must have gone loopy with hunger or something. When the rat's head is actually exposed and open to bite my snake, I hold their mouths off with the tongs.

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Originally Posted by Albert Clark

More than likely the rodent was suffering from severe asphyxiation as it was being swallowed and therefore would not have the ability to defend itself by biting the snakes insides. It also was experiencing gastric enzyme aspiration and had a very altered mental status being partially swallowed. It is disturbing, but these snakes have a inherent ability to know when their prey has succumbed enough to be swallowed. :O

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Hopefully Albert! The rat literally started jumping around the tub with its hind feet (and squeaking!) while its head and front paws were way inside her throat, which is the part I'm worried about. It wasn't unconscious at all. That lasted maybe 30 seconds before she got the memo that the rat's still alive and tried to coil it again... with its head halfway down her throat.. :B

Right on. Good to hear...

Oh gosh im so sorry you had to witness that. :( But I am glad she is ok! I feel like each snake owner has experienced at least one particularly gruesome or surprising thing that makes them need to go lay down for a little bit and just process the splendor and the trevail of nature.