Constricting...

okay...so are RTBs supposed to consrict their food? I have fed mine 2 times, and he still wont constrict...is there something wrong with him?

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

okay...so are RTBs supposed to consrict their food? I have fed mine 2 times, and he still wont constrict...is there something wrong with him?

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Yes they are constrictors.

We need more info... is he young or old, is he being fed live or f/t, are you feeding him small or "appropriately-sized" prey, etc. ?

ah. sorry. He is a baby...i have had him for about 2 weeks, this is his second feeding. First feeding was f/t, second one was live, but i am feeding him pinkeys. The first feeding was great, second, he bit it, then let go, then we tried to get the mouse up again to feed it to him again, but he was biting at us, so we left him alone, and he bit it on his own (im used to dangling them because my BP wont eat it unless it is dangled in front of his face). He is small enough that he should be eating pinkeys, in a few months im sure he'll graduate to fuzzies or hoppers, but for now he is just about as wide as a large pinkey.
Thanks for the advice!

If you're feeding pinkies, whether they be live or f/t, your boa may not need to constrict them as they pose no harm to it. Even the smallest RTBs can handle fuzzy/hopper mice and without trouble. Don't let their small head and thin neck trick you. Also, fuzzies and hoppers provide stimulating movements to all snakes and so you will not need to wiggle them as you do with pinkies ;) .

ah. glad to know there is nothing wrong with him. lol. I have around 5 pinkeys, when those are gone ill get some fuzzies/hoppers. he should catch up to my BP's food in no time!!

yup. let us know how it goes.

the first time I fed my new baby rtb he did not constrict his hopper mouse either which was prekilled. So the second time I just tugged a little bit on its tail when he bit it and he coiled almost immediately.

change him over to hoppers. my newborns eat hoppers.

My female won't constrict dead either. She usually just gets a good grip and starts swallowing. No problem with not constricting

I got mine at only a month and a half and he was eating hoppers.

Okay let me get this straight...you are feeding a baby RTB pinky mice?

yea a pinky mouse is way to small for a boa, hatchlings are usually started out on rat pinkies at the smallest

my bps, back when i fed f/t, they never constricted the food, just gulped it down. but now that i started feeding live, they do constrict (lol, duh)

your snake knows what he's doing :)

My Colombian didn't do much constricting this most recent feeding. He used only half a coil to give the prey a little "hug"-type thing, and then just went to town swallowing. I feed f/t, so I suppose he was just making sure it was really dead and wasn't going to "surprise attack" him.

Also, he was born 7-7-06. He's eating hopper mice, so as others have said, just because he looks tiny, don't underestimate his ability to swallow larger prey. He takes his hoppers like a pro. ;)

Just restating what others have said, pinkies really do seem too small. I'd start with at least big fuzzies or "crawlers" for baby boas.

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Originally Posted by Rakshasi

My Colombian didn't do much constricting this most recent feeding. He used only half a coil to give the prey a little "hug"-type thing, and then just went to town swallowing. I feed f/t, so I suppose he was just making sure it was really dead and wasn't going to "surprise attack" him.

Also, he was born 7-7-06. He's eating hopper mice, so as others have said, just because he looks tiny, don't underestimate his ability to swallow larger prey. He takes his hoppers like a pro. ;)

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My male was born 4-12-06 and already on small rats. I couldn't imagine a b.c.i. eating pink mice. I have heard of corn island boa neonates starting on pinky and fuzzy mice though

Heck my daughter's milksnake ate pinky mice when she was a baby. She's only a small yearling and she won't even look at pinky mice anymore and happily snarfs down a big fuzzy mouse weekly. I expect that BCI isn't constricting because that's a very undersized meal for it.

Well, when i got him, that is what they told me he was eating. I am going to use up the pinkeys that i have, and then go ahead and get some fuzzies or hoppers for him. If you measure their food by their girth size, he should be on what i am giving him. But, for a BCI, it does sound a bit small....

He may be underweight from being on a diet of pinkies, which could be why his girth is so small. Bump him up so he can get some growth... I'd personally feed 2 pinks instead of one if I didn't want to lose money on the pinks I already bought. One really does not seem like enough if you actually want it to put on some weight.

yes, i am quite eager for him to grow up. I will feed him 2 pinkeys a week, untill they are gone, and then i'll get some fuzzies/hoppers.
Thanks for the suggestions!

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Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

My male was born 4-12-06 and already on small rats.

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They grow up so fast. :) Around when did you start feeding small rats?

Also, I agree with what Rapture stated. He could very well be underweight from being fed such small meals.

It's definitely a good thing that you decided to feed him at least 2 pinkies until they're gone. My snakes would turn their noses up at a pinkie! Even the smallest one (mexican black kingsnake). He even has to eat 2 pinkies, or he's completely unhappy with me.

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Originally Posted by Rakshasi

They grow up so fast. :) Around when did you start feeding small rats?

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He just started small rats last weekend. Weaned rats from RP just don't leave a decent buldge anymore.

Well I'm still confused. This BCI is so small it's largest girth is no bigger around than a little tiny pinky mouse....wow!

One thing nobody has directally asked, are they pinky mice or rats?

I've seen our BCC not constrict a PK small rat before, but I wasn't zombie dancing the rat either...usually, however, Carmen constricts the ever living snot out of whatever she can get her coils on. =)