Ever heard of this?

My friend send me this picture today (usually when my friends see something snake related they send it to me). Anyways, i wanted to see if you people have heard of this happening or if its even true.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b076c8a247.jpg
I definetly think its fake, but i just wanna hear your opinions

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GRAPHIC VIDEO.
unfortunately, yes it does happen. but it is almost always caused by poor husbandry/care.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

GRAPHIC VIDEO.
unfortunately, yes it does happen. but it is almost always caused by poor husbandry/care.

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Wow. Thats extremely sad. So this happens if they get too hot? That would explain why the snake was in the water dish right?

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I read somewhere recently that it's more likely to occur in cannibalistic snakes like king snakes (although that could seriously be an urban myth, I wonder if anyone has ever looked into it?).

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Originally Posted by Gc99

Wow. Thats extremely sad. So this happens if they get too hot? That would explain why the snake was in the water dish right?

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yes, and exactly. :(

I volunteer at a zoo and one of our milk snakes did this. He was alright in the end but is still pretty scarred up.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

GRAPHIC VIDEO.
unfortunately, yes it does happen. but it is almost always caused by poor husbandry/care.

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I'm disgusted at the person filming this and finding it humourous.

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Originally Posted by Dezoruba

I volunteer at a zoo and one of our milk snakes did this. He was alright in the end but is still pretty scarred up.

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Was it because of heat?

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Originally Posted by sheaziiekittyxo

I'm disgusted at the person filming this and finding it humourous.

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I agree. I feel bad for the snake

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Originally Posted by sheaziiekittyxo

I'm disgusted at the person filming this and finding it humourous.

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I mean, I'm sure there's no way to safely intervene and stop the snake... But to just stand there and film it while laughing about it... 😞

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Originally Posted by sheaziiekittyxo

I mean, I'm sure there's no way to safely intervene and stop the snake... But to just stand there and film it while laughing about it... 😞

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I would try to "annoy" the snake, so it maybe stops her urge for food, maybe by touching its head or something. Although idk if it would be better to just leave the snake alone. And i for sure wouldnt laughing about it, thats just sick

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That makes me scared for baby. Just another reason to make sure he is well taken care of.


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Originally Posted by Ckrumn

That makes me scared for baby. Just another reason to make sure he is well taken care of.


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Hopefully that never happens. I would die if one of my snakes did this. I would definetly blame myself

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Originally Posted by Gc99

I would try to "annoy" the snake, so it maybe stops her urge for food, maybe by touching its head or something. Although idk if it would be better to just leave the snake alone. And i for sure wouldnt laughing about it, thats just sick

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I don't know. Might be better to just leave the snake alone since it's clearly already in a bad state, but I have no idea. I've never heard of this happening. Poor baby [emoji20]

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If you see it happening, can you stop it??


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Originally Posted by Gc99

Hopefully that never happens. I would die if one of my snakes did this. I would definetly blame myself

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Same [emoji20]

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Originally Posted by sheaziiekittyxo

I don't know. Might be better to just leave the snake alone since it's clearly already in a bad state, but I have no idea. I've never heard of this happening. Poor baby [emoji20]

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If its caused by too much heat, maybe stop the snake and cool it? I dont know if that would help, or as you said, just leave the snake alone.

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Originally Posted by Ckrumn

If you see it happening, can you stop it??


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best way to stop it is to never let it happen in the first place: check your husbandry daily and only use a heat source with a thermostat!

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

best way to stop it is to never let it happen in the first place: check your husbandry daily and only use a heat source with a thermostat!

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I agree 100%

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I started a thread about this the other day. There is a link to a vid in the thread from BHB.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ight=ouroboros

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

I started a thread about this the other day. There is a link to a vid in the thread from BHB.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ight=ouroboros

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I will go check it right now. Im really interested in this subject now

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What happens when it gets finished with the head? Does it just cease to exist?

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Originally Posted by kxr

What happens when it gets finished with the head? Does it just cease to exist?

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Oh no! A physics quiz! ROFL

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Originally Posted by kxr

What happens when it gets finished with the head? Does it just cease to exist?

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that's how you open a black hole.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

that's how you open a black hole.

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There we go, a theory, and I bet no one ever proves it wrong.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

There we go, a theory, and I bet no one ever proves it wrong.

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Nope, that's just a hypothesis. It needs further testing to become a theory. I suggest we gather a specialized team of snake specialists from this forum to make it happen.

So what I'm gathering from this is that it's some sort of heat stroke type of phenomenon... but I'm still confused as to why the snake eats itself. Does the spike in temps really cause that drastic an increase in metabolic activity, triggering extreme hunger? And if so, is it really having such a big impact that combined with heat-impaired cognition the animal would actually mistake its own tail for a prey item?

This is all very fascinating to me. Another question would be what degree of overheating these animals would have to experience to get to this point. 10 degrees past safe basking temps? More? I've never had issues with a heating appliance as all of mine are controlled by thermostat so I honestly don't know what the signs of heat distress/exhaustion in snakes even are, or how they progress.

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Originally Posted by kxr

Nope, that's just a hypothesis. It needs further testing to become a theory. I suggest we gather a specialized team of snake specialists from this forum to make it happen.

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LOL. I knew I was going to get dinged for that one, was curious to see who would go there. Kind of like answering genetics questions. You can quickly tell who has done their homework and who has not by the responses you get when you use hobby terminology.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

LOL. I knew I was going to get dinged for that one, was curious to see who would go there. Kind of like answering genetics questions. You can quickly tell who has done their homework and who has not by the responses you get when you use hobby terminology.

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I wouldn't call that a hobby thing. I feel like most people don't know the difference between a theory and a hypothesis (or at least they use those words as if they don't). I only thought about it because I had a bioethics midterm today and that was on there (even though it's a 4th year class) lol


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By the BHB video, I have my doubts about heat other than it could be a contributing factor by further impairing the function of an already limited brain. In the BHB case I believe we have maybe a dumber than usual animal that is hungry who likes to eat snakes. Nothing more. As I said in my thread about this. The whole thing grosses me out.

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Originally Posted by kxr

What happens when it gets finished with the head? Does it just cease to exist?

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You blew my mind

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Originally Posted by Dezoruba

I volunteer at a zoo and one of our milk snakes did this. He was alright in the end but is still pretty scarred up.

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I have seen and heard about this phenomenon before, and it seems to be primarily colubrids from what I've seen. The OP's pic is a King, the BHB video is a King, and that other disgusting video is a hognose, as well as the milk snake Dezoruba references here. I know Kings and other colubrids can be cannibalistic. Any which way, it's crazy to me. And shame on the person who was recording and laughing about that poor little hoggie.