Not the Smartest of snakes, when it comes to eating (pics)

We're wondering if Medusa is not the brightest of snakes, or if its just because she's so young still?

She always strikes in the middle of the body, then coils tightly. (it looks impressive when she does it)
Then we (& she) realize she's grabbed it on the side and can't eat it that way. A couple times,
she will work her way down the mouse to the head and eat it the right way (one time she went tail first)
The last two times she's eaten, she just lets go of the mouse and "sniffs around" for the head. Of course,
these two times, the fattest part of her body was on top of the head. She couldn't find it for the longest time
it was painful to watch her--I kept yelling at the tank (in my head) just MOVE YOUR FAT BUTT!! (or middle section :)

Tonight she did the same, but seem to find it easier. I was a little impressed that she seem to push the fat part
of her body off of it, with her head.

Well, when she finally got it right- head first, then she had both front feet sticking out either side of her mouth.
She twisted and turned and tried to figure out a way to get it down. Next thing I know, she's
twisted into her water bowl.- and dragged the mouse through the water. (its rear end got all wet- I hope this was ok??)

I took some pictures of the final stages, because I was so in awe that she didn't mind being in her water eating and how she wrapped
around it like a pretzel again, to help get it down.

this one is after she dragged it through the water--using her body to get it down. thats her head going through the middle of her body.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...5/IMG_1060.jpg

Another angle- cool shot of the jaw, i thought :)
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...5/IMG_1062.jpg

Finally takes her head out and shows a little "tail"
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...5/IMG_1066.jpg

Yawn-- adjust... off to my warm hide
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...5/IMG_1067.jpg

My normal is like that lol.. Is funny to watch


Sent from my iPeed using Tapatalk HD

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ExotixTowing

My normal is like that lol.. Is funny to watch

---

oh no! Please tell me yours is young too?? or it gets better with age?? ha ha

Every once in a while one of mine will eat backwards, battle wits with rats legs or take their fresh kill for a swim.

Ball Pythons, quirky eaters I tell yah.

Haha mine are like that sometimes too. Not always the sharpest tools in the shed, but that's why I love 'em :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lisn123

oh no! Please tell me yours is young too?? or it gets better with age?? ha ha

---

Just over a year, I think they are all different, he will take rats from the tail all the time, where my lesser won't he will search till he finds the head.

It's crazy to watch a 400 gr snake take a 40 gr weanling from the tail, but not much you can do to help lol


Sent from my iPeed using Tapatalk HD

My black pastel George did that a lot the first year: eating sideways, drowning himself in the water bowl while eating, then letting go and "losing" the mouse in the water. And of course, biting me when I go to retrieve it for him---Oh, hey THERE it is! Oh hey, no, that's a hand. Sorry. Uh, my lower jaw is stuck, can you help pull it off your finger maybe...?

I still don't think George has gotten all that much smarter as he's gotten older, but he has figured out eating. Mostly...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ExotixTowing

It's crazy to watch a 400 gr snake take a 40 gr weanling from the tail, but not much you can do to help lol

---

My husband laughs at me, because I get upset watching, thinking she's going to "choke" or something. I saw her eat one mouse tail first- it was the craziest thing, but like you said, I wasn't about to go in there an help! :)

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by loonunit

My black pastel George did that a lot the first year: eating sideways, drowning himself in the water bowl while eating, then letting go and "losing" the mouse in the water. And of course, biting me when I go to retrieve it for him---Oh, hey THERE it is! Oh hey, no, that's a hand. Sorry. Uh, my lower jaw is stuck, can you help pull it off your finger maybe...?

I still don't think George has gotten all that much smarter as he's gotten older, but he has figured out eating. Mostly...

---

Thanks Jackie- your post made me LOL, with the "stuck lower jaw comments" :) Gotta love em' - dopey or smart :D

The first few times I watched my first ball python eat, I seriously wondered how they survived in the wild. She'd find the head and then when she pulled, her coils would tighten around the body, thinking it was still alive I guess. She basically played tug of war with herself. We aren't going to talk about the twists, flips, and overall awkwardness of her movements while eating. None of my corns have ever looked that awkward when eating so it was a little different. Now that I'm used to it though, it's fun to watch. :)

Hurley is a baby and he can't figure out how to eat a mouse yet either. He's tried it sideways, tail-first and "where is it anyways?" Fortunately, he lets me re-present it to him head-first and that does the trick. It is fun to watch.

Just wait until she eats one folded in half, rofl. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

Just wait until she eats one folded in half, rofl. :D

---

THANKS for the warning - i would probably go crazy with worry if I witnessed that!

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dracoluna

The first few times I watched my first ball python eat, I seriously wondered how they survived in the wild.

---

I wonder that very thing!

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by marya1962

Hurley is a baby and he can't figure out how to eat a mouse yet either. He's tried it sideways, tail-first and "where is it anyways?" Fortunately, he lets me re-present it to him head-first and that does the trick. It is fun to watch.

---

You can actually grab the mouse and hold it up for him again?? you're brave!! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lisn123

THANKS for the warning - i would probably go crazy with worry if I witnessed that!

- - - Updated - - -



I wonder that very thing!

- - - Updated - - -



You can actually grab the mouse and hold it up for him again?? you're brave!! :)

---

My boa has done that. :p

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

My boa has done that. :p

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

---

x2. I had to feed her multiple mice for a few weeks when we first got my boa, and it didn't matter if it was butt-first, upside-down or folded in half, that thing was going down her throat one way or another. :rolleyes: With rats she lets go and finds the head. My ball however, it's like she forgets how to eat half the time. If it's not perfectly the way she wants it, she can't figure out how to get it down. :weirdface

It's hard when you don't have hands. Picture yourself trying to eat a slice of pizza using only your face to position/lift it......LOL!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fidget

It's hard when you don't have hands. Picture yourself trying to eat a slice of pizza using only your face to position/lift it......LOL!

---

Funny- Thats another thing i've noticed. She likes to shove it against something - herself, side of tank- whatever she happens to bump into, to help get it down.

Perry is SIX YEARS OLD and STILL doesn't get it! She has gotten to where she'll usually grab the head to kill the rat but then she searches the whole body for the head again :rolleyes: one time (a month ago) she grabbed the live rat and threw it and herself into the water and half suffocsted half drowned the thing. Then she kept her head submerged while eating it, coming up for air periodically and then exhaling underwater. I really thought she was going to drown herself! Mind you she has also eaten it backwards once and i thought she was going to break her jaw! She pushes the rats into her mouth with her body or anything else she can, but she isn't above slinging it around when it's half down her throat to get a better angle to push with... idk she is my special girl. Draco my year and a half year old will grab anywhere to kill but always has found the head and just remains coiled around it until it's down. So sometimes they outgrow their crazy eating habits, but not always obviously.

Well, after i went home replaced the plug in the kitchen (pyro dog) then prayed that he hadn't started a fire in the walls ( infrared heat detection) I heated up my bp's meals.. Got down stairs knowing they needed fresh water placed Aurora's rat on his screen... The little bugger was trying to grab it already....

New plan offer now then fill water so I grabbed it by the tail... Not thinking (with my fingers) tongs were right there DOH slid back the lid and wham with the blink of an eye he had it.... He proceeds to land in his water dish and stayed there till he had killed his rat again lol..

He never ceases to amaze me at his willingness to eat lol, Diablo on the other hand.. Practically makes me hold the rat in the center of his tank dripping on him for 5 minutes, all the while the stupid cat is poking her head in there as to say hey what's the deal here how come I don't get rats as a snack lol

I immediately thought of this post lol

Sent from my iPeed using Tapatalk HD

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by el8ch

Every once in a while one of mine will eat backwards, battle wits with rats legs or take their fresh kill for a swim.

Ball Pythons, quirky eaters I tell yah.

---

Last week my Boa attempted to drown both himself and the rat he had clenched in his coils.

I reached in and lifted him up when tiny bubbles started floating out of his nostrils.

[but by golly, he didn't let go of that dead rat!]

Snakes are all insane.

I guess that's why I get along with them.

;)

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

Just wait until she eats one folded in half, rofl. :D

---

OMG...my Boa did that with a jumbo rat and it took him 15 minutes to gag it down.

I was helpless...I couldn't pull it out or I'd break his teeth and when I tugged on the tail to encourage him to reposition it, he just gripped it tighter.

By the time it was over, I was a nervous wreck.

Him?

He just yawned and went to bed...all lumpy looking.

Sheesh.


:snake: Snakes :snake:

:rolleyes:

WOW!! I feel a LOT better after reading all these stories to know that it might not be just my snake that is so "Intelligent" when it comes to eating!! :D

and Thank goodness you all shared about the rat folded in half scenario- I really hope I never witness that.