Do you think your snake knows that it's eating a dead rat?

I just fed my BP tonight and I noticed something interesting. When I first got her she was eating live adult mice. She is now eating frozen small rats around 75 grams. When she was eating live, she would hit the mouse and wrap a good portion of her body around the mouse, constrict until it stopped moving, then consume it. But now that she has been eating frozen/thawed for about a month. Now when I feed her she hits the rat, and puts barely her neck around the rat. I try to tug the rat to make it seem alive, but nope, she isn't constricting it at all really. She then continues to consume the rat and go back into her hide.

So, do you think that she knows the rat is already dead, and doesn't feel the need to constrict it because it isn't a threat? Just something that was brought to my attention tonight :)
This is just asking your opinion.

When they are constricting their prey they can feel the pulse in the animal some say they can sense a pulse in an animal I dont know how true that is but while they are constricting they can feel the pulse and thats how they tell if the animal is dead so I assume when they strike the F/T and start to wrap they can sense that. However if you hold the rat and provide some resistance they will wrap it fully.

I think those that were started and currently feed on live can tell the difference. the snakes I have that were raised on live show some interest in F/T but never strike so they are still feeding live....

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Originally Posted by Andybill

However if you hold the rat and provide some resistance they will wrap it fully.

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See that's the thing, when she strikes it, I take the tongs and pull/wiggle the rat around to try and get her to constrict it fully, but she just won't do it. Maybe I just have a lazy snake :)

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Originally Posted by Trackstrong83

See that's the thing, when she strikes it, I take the tongs and pull/wiggle the rat around to try and get her to constrict it fully, but she just won't do it. Maybe I just have a lazy snake :)

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You may have a lazy snake or she might be able to tell that its not live. I was watching a program on Nat Geo that said scientists believe most snakes are capable of sensing the pulse of its prey even before they strike it....

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Originally Posted by Andybill

You may have a lazy snake or she might be able to tell that its not live. I was watching a program on Nat Geo that said scientists believe most snakes are capable of sensing the pulse of its prey even before they strike it....

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That's why I think she doesn't constrict it. She's like, "Eh, it's already dead what's the point"

My little girl jus started to eat live as of the other day, that was the most intense kill i have ever seen from her. She was very excited! before it was pretty intense, but nothing like it is now

I feed live, so I'm not sure.

Chad feeds all of his p/k or f/t, and some of his boas he just lays the rat in there and they come over and just start eating it with even constricting.

I think it depends on the animal too, my old male (16+) constricts about 50% of the time the rest he just eats. He looks up at the rat and reaches up (no strike) and just grabs it by the head (I grip with hemostats by the scruff of the neck) and starts to eat it. No strike no constricting just swallowing.

Some times he strikes and constricts for like a second or less and then eats.

Conversely I have one that strikes and squeezes forever 10 maybe 20 min every time I feed her first and usually get all 10 others done and she is just starting to find the head at that point.

I have a BP, and a carpet who don't even wrap around F/T rodents... They don't even strike. They just slither up and bite the rodent and immediately start to eat it. But if I offer a live rodent they will strike and constrict. So I would say that they can tell.

It's crazy how they can tell the difference.

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Originally Posted by Trackstrong83

It's crazy how they can tell the difference.

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I also think its crazy when a snake will only eat white rats or only colored rats. I have a hard time getting any of mine to eat hairless rats :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

I also think its crazy when a snake will only eat white rats or only colored rats. I have a hard time getting any of mine to eat hairless rats :rolleyes:

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YES!!! I work at a small pet store and people always come in asking for an all white or all brown rat. haha It's crazy, thankfully, my girl is a garbage disposal lol

Man, some of my snakes can barely tell the difference between my thumb and a mouse.

I had a boa that after a year or two on frozen would just slither on over to the rat, open its mouth, and gulp it down. Never even striking, much less constricting.

I've got a big bumblebee male that is a great breeder. He eats live but every once in a while, my live ASF rat stock runs low so I will feed f/t rats. [I know that busts the myth of ASFs being crack for BPs.]

When I feed live, he strikes and constricts like there is no tomorrow. When I feed him f/t rats, he just crawls up to the rat and removes it from the tongs, then eats it - no striking, no constricting. He is the only one I've got like that.

This is going to sound weird but here goes:

So 4 out of my 5 eat f/t. For all 4 of the f/t eaters all i have to do is set the rat in the tub and theyll eat it. BUT heres the kicker. If i get the rats really hot, like 90ish+ degrees then theyll strike and constrict them. If i get lazy and thaw them out but dont hit them with the blow dryer before i put them in the tubs then theyre only like 78ish degrees. When theyre cooler like that they will just go up and find the head and start eating them.

Ive come to the conclusion that its probably bc they think the hotter ones are still alive but im not really sure. Im also pretty sure that my cinny girl prefers hers cold. The first time i fed her in my possesion she struck and contricted the rat off the tongs. Since then i have to put the rat in her tub and leave it overnite for her to eat. Ive tried feeding at different times too, like 6,7,8 and 9pm, but everytime she will not eat the rat until she knows im asleep lol. Everytime i check on her in the morning though its gone... Shes a weirdo!

They technically only eat dead rats to begin with so I'm sure they do. :)

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