How to help BP stop trying to eat sideways?

So, this isn't a huge deal at all, but I was wondering if you all had any tips for what I might be able to do to help my ball python get her food down head first.

She's on appropriately sized f/t mice (she weighs 165g and is on small mice) and is a really fantastic eater, she has a crazy good food response. But no matter how I present the mouse to her, she almost always tries to eat it sideways. After I just watched her try to eat it for 45 minutes, starting out sideways, drop it, lose it, find it again, try to eat it by the front leg, drop it again, and finally get it down tail-first, I just wish I knew something that could make this process easier for her!

I never intervene while feeding (unless she totally loses it, in which case I'll warm it back up and re-offer and that usually does the trick), so I won't reach in and try to reposition it for her, but she's been really bad for trying to eat sideways the entire time I've had her. I've tried dangling the mouse by the tail and holding it by the back, but neither strategy seems to help. Like I said, she's gotten to have a great feeding response, and I think she gets so excited when she realizes it's food time that she just grabs it wherever. I've also tried making the head a bit hotter than the rest of the body, and we've only had mixed success with that. I also tried pinching the nose to make it a little bloody just in case that would make it smell a bit stronger, but since she has such a good food response anyway I don't think she even noticed.

So, do you all have any tips for how I might be able to help my poor dumb snake manage to get her food down with less than 45 minutes of effort? Like I said, it's not a big problem since she's eating so well, but I don't really like thinking of all the bacteria that mouse is picking up while it's sitting around waiting to be swallowed for so long, and I'd like to minimize her frustration if I could.

Unfortunately, for all of us "helicopter snarents", all you can do is try to be patient while your snake either figures it out, or doesn't. :rofl:

I have known a few snakes that no matter how I offer the prey from the tongs (normally nose-first) they always go for the "other end", as if just to be "difficult" & do it "their own way". :D

But, you're not alone- you have all of us as a support group, hahahaha!

They will figure it out.

My big female sometimes eats ass first I just let her crack on with what she’s doing
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Don't feel bad. When I kept rattlesnakes, some of them would eat the rodent sideways, forcing it to fold like a taco, & they'd still get it down just fine. I had the feeling they were showing off, as if they were doing this "just because they could"? :D It helps to have such a big mouth. :snake2:

Haha, good to know I'm not alone with this struggle! I really wish she was more like my hognose - they're the ones with the reputation for trying to eat food sideways, and my hognose always puts his food away in 10 seconds flat.

That's hilarious about the rattlesnakes! With my poor girl, I definitely get the impression she's just a bit derpy. She once missed the mouse completely and latched onto the side of her hide for a good few minutes before she realized it wasn't food...I might just have a dumb snake.

Snakes often look derpy when they struggle to eat, I quite agree. But remember they're not using their vision much, & they're not logical, so it's mostly done by feel & they often mistake other body parts for the nose. And some of them clearly never got the instructions at all, lol. You're definitely NOT "alone". :D Silly sneks. :snake:

When my BP was little he also used to eat prey backwards and occasionally sideways. Like Bogertophis' rattlesnakes, he also once ate a rat folded over like a taco, and was totally fine. Ultimately, as long as they eat, there is no problem :)

One thing that helped with my BP was heating up the head of the rat more than the body. I heat up my thawed rats in warm water for 15-20 mins, then replace the water and move the rat so only the head is left in the warm water for another minute or so before feeding.

Also, for a young snake, if they can eat the prey backwards or sideways then that means you can probably up the size of the prey a bit - when the food is just big enough for them they can only eat it head first.

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Originally Posted by Luvyna

One thing that helped with my BP was heating up the head of the rat more than the body. I heat up my thawed rats in warm water for 15-20 mins, then replace the water and move the rat so only the head is left in the warm water for another minute or so before feeding.

Also, for a young snake, if they can eat the prey backwards or sideways then that means you can probably up the size of the prey a bit - when the food is just big enough for them they can only eat it head first.

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I'll try that method of heating up the head a bit more, thanks for the advice!

The prey being too small was definitely my first thought. She's right on the edge of small/medium mouse sizes right now, and I tried moving her up to medium a few weeks ago and she refused, which is very unusual for her, so I'm going to use up the pack of smalls I have now and then we'll try to move up a size again. She's never managed to get it down sideways, but she does eat it backwards pretty frequently. I'm hoping you're right and she'll have an easier time when we move up a size!

Some of this just comes down to "practice makes perfect". Your snake is still in kindergarten- she has a lot to learn.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Some of this just comes down to "practice makes perfect". Your snake is still in kindergarten- she has a lot to learn.

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Totally! Snakes are so good at being snakes and can seem so independent that it's easy to forget she's still really just a baby.

Yeah, look how long it takes us humans! And we have parents & schools to teach us.

My Hognose always, always eats his mouse sideways and squishes it in the middle. I think it's an acquired taste.

You definitely aren't alone. The whole 'eating sideways' thing is so well known that it's actually become a meme in keeper groups:


me: *gives prey to snake with snout facing him so it's easier to eat*
me: here, please eat. I literally can't make this any easier for you to eat short of shoving it down your throat with my bare hands.
my snake: Eat Sideway?
me: Please, no
my snake: Eat Sideway.

I wouldn't worry about it for all the reasons stated.

However, be sure to feed appropriate sized meals. Feeding meals too large can make the situation worse and can be bad even if swallowed "correctly."

Caitlin - that's great! It's funny that my own hognose knows how to find the head no problem but my bp is so persistent about trying to eat it sideways. It hasn't worked the past ten times, but maaaaaaybe this time?

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Originally Posted by dakski

However, be sure to feed appropriate sized meals. Feeding meals too large can make the situation worse and can be bad even if swallowed "correctly."

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Absolutely! Right now, my girl is at a bit of an awkward size where small mice seem too small for her and medium mice seem too big. I'll definitely be careful, and I'm going by her weight so I'll never give her anything she can't handle.

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Originally Posted by arpowell;[URL="tel:2763143"

2763143[/URL]]Absolutely! Right now, my girl is at a bit of an awkward size where small mice seem too small for her and medium mice seem too big. I'll definitely be careful, and I'm going by her weight so I'll never give her anything she can't handle.

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This sounds like a good plan! Yeah when in doubt always better to have prey that is too small rather than too big. Plus most snakes in captivity are probably actually over fed given their lower level of activity than wild snakes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luvyna

This sounds like a good plan! Yeah when in doubt always better to have prey that is too small rather than too big. Plus most snakes in captivity are probably actually over fed given their lower level of activity than wild snakes.

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Yeah I weigh all my meals I have one of those little jewlry weighing scales so I know each snake getting appropriate meals


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