Snake Re-Strikes when Feeding

So, Cleo has this odd habit. She will strike her f/t rat, coil for about 10 min, and then drop it. Always tries to bite me if I take it away but will not eat if I don't. This time, we played this game 3 times before she ate it. Any ideas why?

May I ask why you are monitoring f/t feedings? For my snakes, once they wrap the rat, I close the enclosure back and leave them overnight.

It sounds like they might be a shy eater, or guarding their food.

Yea, agree with Marissa. One of my BPs will kill his pray but won't eat it unless he's in complete ldarkness and quiet enviorment.

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Does she seem to totally abandon the prey and lose interest in it? Or is she still kind of nearby/wrapped around the prey/looking interested, but just not eating it immediately?

I have a couple that coil, drop and sniff around for a bit before eating. If they grab it right off the bat great, some won't and I just leave the rat right in front of the hide they are in. Either way I leave the room for about an hour, any that haven't eaten get it reheated up and reoffered, left alone for a couple hours, if they still haven't touched it I take it out.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

I have a couple that coil, drop and sniff around for a bit before eating. If they grab it right off the bat great, some won't and I just leave the rat right in front of the hide they are in. Either way I leave the room for about an hour, any that haven't eaten get it reheated up and reoffered, left alone for a couple hours, if they still haven't touched it I take it out.

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This one is odd...she won't eat it if I leave her for hours, but maybe a towel would help with the shyness.

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Originally Posted by Marissa@MKmorphs

May I ask why you are monitoring f/t feedings? For my snakes, once they wrap the rat, I close the enclosure back and leave them overnight.

It sounds like they might be a shy eater, or guarding their food.

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I honestly just love to watch them chow down ^^ it's adorable. I usually sit across the room and let them do their thing.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Yea, agree with Marissa. One of my BPs will kill his pray but won't eat it unless he's in complete ldarkness and quiet enviorment.

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This one has always been weird when Feeding lol

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Does she seem to totally abandon the prey and lose interest in it? Or is she still kind of nearby/wrapped around the prey/looking interested, but just not eating it immediately?

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She will 'kill' it and then just drop it, coil OVER it, and look around excitedly like she is waiting for her tub to open for more food. After half an hour, I will cautiously remove the rat, reheat, and try again. Twice will usually do it, but today it was 3! She comes at me like a crazy snake when I open her tub, too! Very weird. Maybe she IS guarding it. This also wouldn't have to do with the feeding bin size would it? It's small compared to her but she usually only takes an hour whilst being difficult ;) Aside from that, she disregards the rat the entire time until I try to remove it.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

This also wouldn't have to do with the feeding bin size would it?

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I personally prefer the feeding bin because I feed live. It helps me monitor the kill and because live rats defecate like crazy. Why won't you just feed her in her terrarium if you feed f\t?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

I personally prefer the feeding bin because I feed live. It helps me monitor the kill and because live rats defecate like crazy. Why won't you just feed her in her terrarium if you feed f\t?

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I'm not allowed. 'Pseudo' parents are convinced it causes aggressive behavior even though I've tried to tell them it's not true.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

I'm not allowed. 'Pseudo' parents are convinced it causes aggressive behavior even though I've tried to tell them it's not true.

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I feed my snakes in the tank and have never had a problem. I take the hide out dangle the rodent in front of them and sometimes they grab it other times they don't. I'll just drop it in cover the cage check back in a hour and its gone.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

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Originally Posted by Karnage Reptiles

I feed my snakes in the tank and have never had a problem. I take the hide out dangle the rodent in front of them and sometimes they grab it other times they don't. I'll just drop it in cover the cage check back in a hour and its gone.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

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Yeah well they refuse to believe me and it's a constant struggle

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Yeah well they refuse to believe me and it's a constant struggle

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That sucks it will make feeding a lot easier.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

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Originally Posted by Karnage Reptiles

That sucks it will make feeding a lot easier.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

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I suppose so and I wish I could try. I always thought feeding in the tank made cleanup more difficult, though..who knows?

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Originally Posted by SCWood

I suppose so and I wish I could try. I always thought feeding in the tank made cleanup more difficult, though..who knows?

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Try showing your parents this article and making sure they read through it...
http://www.arbreptiles.com/lastword/snakefeeding.shtml

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Try showing your parents this article and making sure they read through it...
http://www.arbreptiles.com/lastword/snakefeeding.shtml

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I'd end up dead. You don't understand. These are not people you argue with 😧

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Originally Posted by SCWood

I'd end up dead. You don't understand. These are not people you argue with 😧

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Oh well, I'm sorry. :c

I sent it to her lol

I wouldn't recommend arguing with your parents but maybe you could slyly watch this video when they are around.

-------> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt0iBCWzCOE (snake bytestv 10 worst advice) If they don't let you feed in the enclosure then just make the best of the situation. A lot of people still believe that feeding in enclosure causes snakes to bite at you ( which is what is happening to you ) it's just no one told my ball python that feeding in the enclosure should cause her aggression, she never got the memo, and hasn't tried to bite me once. I think a lot of other balls didn't get the memo from what I've heard here and on snakebytestv

My original thought was that the snake was trying to tell you it wanted fresh food instead of frozen dinners, but then I saw it is fed in a separate container and now I think its the added stress.

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

My original thought was that the snake was trying to tell you it wanted fresh food instead of frozen dinners, but then I saw it is fed in a separate container and now I think its the added stress.

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Feeding in a separate container doesn't stress out snakes. I feed all five in seperate bin and they rarely skip a meal.
Now I would love to think that I lucked out but I doubt it.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Feeding in a separate container doesn't stress out snakes. I feed all five in seperate bin and they rarely skip a meal.
Now I would love to think that I lucked out but I doubt it.

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It can cause stress. Luckily, ball pythons are pretty hardy and can sometimes thrive is sub-optimal conditions.

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

It can cause stress. Luckily, ball pythons are pretty hardy and can sometimes thrive is sub-optimal conditions.

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Nothing 'sub-optimal' about it. ;) I'm just treading thin water here in this house

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

I wouldn't recommend arguing with your parents but maybe you could slyly watch this video when they are around.

-------> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt0iBCWzCOE (snake bytestv 10 worst advice) If they don't let you feed in the enclosure then just make the best of the situation. A lot of people still believe that feeding in enclosure causes snakes to bite at you ( which is what is happening to you ) it's just no one told my ball python that feeding in the enclosure should cause her aggression, she never got the memo, and hasn't tried to bite me once. I think a lot of other balls didn't get the memo from what I've heard here and on snakebytestv

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Hell yes lol I actually snuck meals to my rescue in his cage for a month before he started eating in his tub ^^

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

My original thought was that the snake was trying to tell you it wanted fresh food instead of frozen dinners, but then I saw it is fed in a separate container and now I think its the added stress.

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LOL well she does enjoy live but hasn't had that for a long time. Can't be the stress of moving her because she's always ready to eat perhaps too small of a container

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Feeding in a separate container doesn't stress out snakes. I feed all five in seperate bin and they rarely skip a meal.
Now I would love to think that I lucked out but I doubt it.

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I'm the same. We have 3 biggn's that eat in the bathtub one by one and then the other 3 eat in Tupperware tubs
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...e5ef6e34ed.jpg

Maybe invite your mom to read some of our comments. I'm a parent and my son who is 9 helps during the entire feeding process. We feed in the enclosure and have had zero issues with any cage aggression. I still supervise all handling of our BP as she is pretty good sized. Parents only want what is best, and safest, for our children and I'm sure their heart is in the right place.

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Originally Posted by h20hunter

Maybe invite your mom to read some of our comments. I'm a parent and my son who is 9 helps during the entire feeding process. We feed in the enclosure and have had zero issues with any cage aggression. I still supervise all handling of our BP as she is pretty good sized. Parents only want what is best, and safest, for our children and I'm sure their heart is in the right place.

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Probably ^^

Is this snake eating in one of those tubs? Maybe try upgrading to a larger one and giving a hide, my ball python seems to prefer to eat from a hide vs open. Or even some newspaper over.

I would definitely try letting the snake eat in the dark. Either in a hide, or an opaque tub (or towel, like you mentioned before, to cover the tub).

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Originally Posted by Gwyn

I would definitely try letting the snake eat in the dark. Either in a hide, or an opaque tub (or towel, like you mentioned before, to cover the tub).

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Thanks!

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Is this snake eating in one of those tubs? Maybe try upgrading to a larger one and giving a hide, my ball python seems to prefer to eat from a hide vs open. Or even some newspaper over.

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I shall. Hide seems to be the consensus and she's almost too big for that tub anyway

My other snake, Boots, has been boycotting his hide for 3 days since his recent feed. I will find him across from it or on TOP OF it, but never in it. Early this morning, I was feeding the iguana and saw him staring at me so I walked over to take a picture and BOOM he struck the glass and then coiled up into a ball. O.o