How long for the killing process

The killing usually doesn't take mine long, but it has taken him up to 45 minutes to swallow the thing...

He's tried to eat them backwards, which I understand is okay, but he hasn't ever actually gotten one down that way. He just pushed it around for a while and finally readjusted to headfirst. :)

His average so far is about 10 minutes once it's dead, though.

Both of my snakes have become really good feeders lately. Sometimes I swear they know when it is time for their food, because the night before I go to get the live mice my female ball python will come out and stare at me at night. Reshmar, the boy ball python, doesn't seem to care as much as she does.

Reshmar is known for trying to eat his food backwards, and once he actually suceeded, though I spent the whole time he was swallowing it above him freaking out about whether it would get lodged in his throat, and whether or not pulling the mouse out in that case would hurt him. He also spends some time "sniffing", or pressing his nose against the dead mouse. Sitka eats her food the right way (head first) every time, though sometimes she stares at it for a minute.

But on the main subject, both of mine take about a minute to a minute and a half to kill their dinners. I always name the mice "Dinner" when I am on the way home with them. ^_^

Quote:

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Originally Posted by coolcasemods

i was a little worried because i thought the mouse was a little large for him

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That's likely why it took him so long to finish the constriction. With live prey you want a fast, efficient kill so that the rodent does not have time to fight back and potentially harm your snake. Perhaps stepping down slightly in prey size will ensure a faster, safer live feeding experience.