Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 737

0 members and 737 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,905
Threads: 249,102
Posts: 2,572,091
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, Pattyhud
  • 05-09-2017, 11:44 PM
    bpmutuell
    BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Good evening,

    Tonight was the 3rd time I feed my BP since I got him and I witnessed a fascinating process involving the BP struggling to eat the weaned rat for 15min and then he dragged it in his water bowl. Was it intended or by chance? Well he put it there for 5 minutes and constricted it a couple of times may be ensuring he was dead and then started eating it again. And after dragging it in the water, he did succeed and finished eating his favorite meal.

    Anyone experienced this? Is it common for BP to drag their prey in water to be able to ingurgitate easily or was this a coincidence?

    Thanks.
  • 05-10-2017, 12:02 AM
    Oxylepy
    I had my adult male eating a rat and while trying to get it down he ended up submerging the rat in water and finishing it off. This was yesterday. Honestly, considering a ball python is about 4' long and its tub or tank is usually as long or shorter than the snake, a bit of thrashing can easily lead to prey in the water dish.
  • 05-10-2017, 12:12 AM
    bpmutuell
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Mine is just 8mo old and he had plenty of space, he could have dragged the rat to the opposite side; that's why I was wondering if he did it on purpose or not. Especially he was really struggling to start eating it. The last couple of times it was instant but this time may be the rat was a little bigger and I thought may be there some instinct or intelligence behind what happened :))
  • 05-10-2017, 12:21 AM
    redshepherd
    It's by chance... I've had snakes drag it into the water and then "lose" the prey when they let go, because they forgot they left it in the bowl. And then I have to reheat and reoffer. They're not very bright animals when in feeding mode LOL.

    So now whenever I see them get close to dragging it in water, I use tongs and put them further away (while the snake is wrapped around it), or I take the water bowl out altogether before offering food.
  • 05-10-2017, 10:07 AM
    MissterDog
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by redshepherd View Post
    It's by chance... I've had snakes drag it into the water and then "lose" the prey when they let go, because they forgot they left it in the bowl.


    I died. They're so derpy omg. Derp herps!
  • 05-10-2017, 10:31 AM
    JodanOrNoDan
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by redshepherd View Post
    It's by chance... I've had snakes drag it into the water and then "lose" the prey when they let go, because they forgot they left it in the bowl. And then I have to reheat and reoffer. They're not very bright animals when in feeding mode LOL.

    So now whenever I see them get close to dragging it in water, I use tongs and put them further away (while the snake is wrapped around it), or I take the water bowl out altogether before offering food.

    ^^^^This. They are not doing it on purpose. Once they begin constricting brain is off. I have moved animals around plenty of times while they are constricted around a rat because they fell in their water bowl or whatever. Like red said, if you don't want the rat in the bowl take the bowl out before feeding. Especially if you are feeding live. Stupid rats almost always want to take a bath before dinner.
  • 05-10-2017, 01:25 PM
    sneksNferts
    Kevin does this once in a while. He's a bit of an idiot sometimes when he feeds. Sometimes he "loses" the head and he'll drag the damn thing around trying to figure out which end is which and sometimes that ends up happening through the water dish. I always change the water when it happens too, just to be safe.
  • 05-10-2017, 01:30 PM
    Bmocken
    HA! This very thing happened last Friday and I was a bit concerned at first. My BP was trying to get the mouse into position and ended up in the water. Eventually he got out and took care of business but it did make me wonder if he would stay in feed mode and not hey I'm drowning.
  • 05-10-2017, 02:10 PM
    Reinz
    BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Snakes during feeding is akin to two guys fighting indoors. All that is 110% on the guys' mind is giving a beat down and keep from receiving one. They knock holes in the wall, break furniture, and destroy decorations. At the time they could care less and are usually totally oblivious to anything outside of the fight.

    Same thought process or lack of one with snakes. :D

    https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eae8554d57.png

    Esmarelda a little too excited about dinner.
  • 05-10-2017, 03:39 PM
    Meerna
    Back when I first got Emrys and had yet to replace the glass tank he came in with a tub, he had a huge water bowl to help keep his humidity up. One of the first times I fed him, the rat ended up in the water bowl and i seriously thought he was going to drown himself trying to eat it underwater.
  • 05-10-2017, 03:56 PM
    Vithaxton
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Oh gosh! My chocolate GHI (Gladiator) use to that every time! He has forever been banned from having a water bowl in his tub on feeding days. Mainly because he would submerge his entire head in water while his mouth was open around his prey! I didn't want him to drown especially since he refuses to let go of his prey no matter what happens. The final straw was when he tried hissing at his prey and dragged it underwater and he continued to try to hiss while making gurgling noises underwater. He seriously needed an intervention lol He feeds just fine without it now! But he is a very interesting noodle!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • 05-10-2017, 04:29 PM
    Crowfingers
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    Mine used to dunk his rats every feeding as a baby. He still does occasionally. A few weeks ago I had to lift him and the rat out of the water bowl because he constricted with his head upside down and under the water. Not sure how long balls can hold their breath, but I didn't want him "loosing" the rat and leaving me a soggy mess in the am.
  • 05-10-2017, 11:10 PM
    Kcl
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    I have some pretty cute pictures of mine eating upside-down in the water bowl one day. Stressed me out but didn't bother him at all.
  • 05-13-2017, 01:30 AM
    Yzmasmom
    We noticed our spider drags larger mediums through water and it seems to help her get them down. She never does it with small mediums or smalls.
  • 05-14-2017, 03:23 PM
    Vipera Berus
    Re: BP dragged rat in water then ate it
    I've seen mine do this a few times. I swear she went through a you gave me a dirty rat and I'm going to wash it clean before I eat phase.
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1