Do your BP's....

Hi guys!

So I fed both my snakes last night and they both did some "odd" things, well odd to me anyway.

After my male ate his adult mouse (only one he wouldn't take the second one) he started digging around in the substrate with his head. It looked so funny. I am curious is this normal behavior? Do any of your BP's do this? What would make him do that? (this was the second time i fed him in his enclosure I used to feed him in a separate tank)

And while I was feeding my female (she ate 2 small mice in a separate feeding tank) she was in her hide in hunt mode with her little head poking out and she was almost shaking when the mouse was introduced kinda like twitching from side to side. She's never done that before.

Both eat f/t and I do the little zombie dance.

Is all this normal or do I worry about these snakes too much? not that its a bad thing...:oops:

Sounds normal to me. Sometimes my girl will rub up against stuff after eating, I think she's just trying to re-align her jaw. Usually when I turn the hair dryer on she pokes her head out and starts to do the s-curve and "side to side" thing, it almost looks like since she has some of her upper body up off the floor, she can't hold herself completely steady/still.

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Originally Posted by invadertoast

Sounds normal to me. Sometimes my girl will rub up against stuff after eating, I think she's just trying to re-align her jaw. Usually when I turn the hair dryer on she pokes her head out and starts to do the s-curve and "side to side" thing, it almost looks like since she has some of her upper body up off the floor, she can't hold herself completely steady/still.

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Cool thats what I was hoping to hear. It was just weird with the female, because they were very stiff jolt like movements and she was kinda shaking too. Hard to describe - just weird.

Thanks!!!

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

Hi guys!

After my male ate his adult mouse (only one he wouldn't take the second one) he started digging around in the substrate with his head. It looked so funny. I am curious is this normal behavior? Do any of your BP's do this? What would make him do that?

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I've observed a BP or two "wiping their face" on occasion. My bearded dragon does it all the time, i should get her some napkins.

I have a male spider who only eats mice. One time I tricked him into striking and latching onto a big juicy rat. After about 10 seconds when he realized it wasn't his normal tasty mouse he let go and then wiped his face all over the newspaper as if to say "ew! ew! get it off me!!!" :-)

Your BP's sound like they are doing just fine.

JonV

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

Cool thats what I was hoping to hear. It was just weird with the female, because they were very stiff jolt like movements and she was kinda shaking too. Hard to describe - just weird.

Thanks!!!

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Yeah I know what you mean - it's hard to describe but I'm almost posotive she's doing the same thing my girl does, lol. Just part of being a snake I guess, act normal and drive us crazy with worry :P

One more quick question... I don't think it's worthy of a new thread so I'll just ask it here.

For those of you that feed f/t have you ever had one explode when your snake wraps it up?

It happened to my female last night. The 2nd mouse I fed her, she struck it and wrapped it up and there was mouse goo everywhere :O :confused:. Should I have taken it away from her? I let her eat it which she did with no problem. Is there any harm in that for the snake?

Just wondering....:weirdface

I've had them drip blood but not explode.
As long as it wasn't a really old mouse. (Old as in when it was frozen.) It should be ok.


PS
I see you now have a dragon egg. ;) They are spreading.

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Originally Posted by snakelady

I've had them drip blood but not explode.
As long as it wasn't a really old mouse. (Old as in when it was frozen.) It should be ok.


PS
I see you now have a dragon egg. ;) They are spreading.

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No the mice aren't old, so thats OK. When see squeezed all the insides decided to come out. It was nasty! Then she went and slithered through the goo after she ate. YUCK! :weirdface

Usually what causes a f/t to explode is when it is heated too quickly. Let it sit out for an hour or two to thaw, then blast it with the hair dryer for a minute or two.

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

No the mice aren't old, so thats OK. When see squeezed all the insides decided to come out. It was nasty! Then she went and slithered through the goo after she ate. YUCK! :weirdface

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Ah yes, the exploding smelly mouse trick. I have had this happen before, and it's nasty.

Some things that I have noticed about rodent explosions:

For whatever reason they seem to happen more with mice than rats, maybe a thinner stomach wall?

It happens more if you get the rodent really hot on the heating pad. As a result, I've tried a more gentle warming procedure and it seems to have helped. I let the FT prey thaw to room temp, then do a human heating pad on low for quite some time. After they are warm, I crank the heating pad to high for just a couple minutes to give them that nice heat signature.

Hope that helps,

JonV

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Originally Posted by missi182

Usually what causes a f/t to explode is when it is heated too quickly. Let it sit out for an hour or two to thaw, then blast it with the hair dryer for a minute or two.

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Funny you should say that, because thats exactly what I did. I had it out for over an hour warming under one of the heat lamps on the tank so I could prescent.... Then hit it up with my hairdryer same as I do for every feeding. But this was the first time I had a mouse explode. Maybe explode is not the right word... Either way YUCK :O

An hour under a heat lamp... that sounds like a lot. How hot of a lamp & how close was it to the lamp? Really what I'm getting at is how hot was the mouse at the end of the hour?

A mouse or rat's body temperature is just a little higher than ours, so it doesn't need to get "hot".

That might be what caused the explosion. I've also heard it happens more often when the prey item is defrosted directly in warm water (as opposed to in a plastic bag in warm water), but that isn't what you did.

One time I got distracted and left a mouse under the heat lamp I use for that last minute blast of heat. (This heat lamp is not on the BP's cage..it is way too powerful for that). When I came back it had blood that had oozed out of it just sitting there without even being constricted. Yuk! I decided that particular mouse was probably overcooked and threw it out.

Ewwwww :colbert:
I have thankfully never experienced this :P
I take all my rats out in the morning and leave them on the counter to thaw all day. I pre-scent and then zap their little head with a hair dryer.

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Originally Posted by kc261

An hour under a heat lamp... that sounds like a lot. How hot of a lamp & how close was it to the lamp? Really what I'm getting at is how hot was the mouse at the end of the hour?

A mouse or rat's body temperature is just a little higher than ours, so it doesn't need to get "hot".

That might be what caused the explosion. I've also heard it happens more often when the prey item is defrosted directly in warm water (as opposed to in a plastic bag in warm water), but that isn't what you did.

One time I got distracted and left a mouse under the heat lamp I use for that last minute blast of heat. (This heat lamp is not on the BP's cage..it is way too powerful for that). When I came back it had blood that had oozed out of it just sitting there without even being constricted. Yuk! I decided that particular mouse was probably overcooked and threw it out.

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I raise the one heat lamp off the mice so that its not directly over it 8 inches approx. I have my heat lamps setup like pennant light so they are not "on" the mesh part of the tank. I checked the mice before proceeding to the hairdryer - they were warm not hot.

I've got to hand it to you FT guys. I don't know how you do it. I don't have the stomach for it.

I was thinking she squeezed that one extra hard. :confused:

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Originally Posted by Jenn

I've got to hand it to you FT guys. I don't know how you do it. I don't have the stomach for it.

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It is kinda gross isn't it... :rofl:

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

It is kinda gross isn't it... :rofl:

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Isn't paying caboodles of money for feeders from the pet store gross too? Or having to change rat bedding all the time? I think all in all, FT is the best way to feed.

Also, it doesn't help when the FT prey is soaked with urine and poo, as many of my RP orders have been. If they were cleaner I doubt they'd be quite so gross to defrost/heat/wouldn't make my room smell so funny.

JonV

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

Isn't paying caboodles of money for feeders from the pet store gross too? Or having to change rat bedding all the time? I think all in all, FT is the best way to feed.

Also, it doesn't help when the FT prey is soaked with urine and poo, as many of my RP orders have been. If they were cleaner I doubt they'd be quite so gross to defrost/heat/wouldn't make my room smell so funny.

JonV

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The smell is horrible isn't it?! I notice it when I give the mice a blast with the hairdryer. Gets the snakes in feeding mode real quick tho - so I'll deal with it.

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

Isn't paying caboodles of money for feeders from the pet store gross too?

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I would have to say no. It's not gross...just sometimes can be expensive.

:oops:

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

Or having to change rat bedding all the time?

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again...no.

I don't have to change it all the time.

:oops:

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

Also, it doesn't help when the FT prey is soaked with urine and poo, as many of my RP orders have been. If they were cleaner I doubt they'd be quite so gross to defrost/heat/wouldn't make my room smell so funny.

JonV

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And this is another reason why I breed my own. I know they are healthy (not that f/t's aren't...just saying that I KNOW what my rats are eating and how they are cared for) and they are not soaked in poo and pee.

Oh and when I am feeding my snakes I just get one and toss it in...no muss no fuss.

:)

Do you have a spider ball python? My little guy, Jules shakes violently sometimes when he's going to eat. Like he has no idea what's going on. It's a Spider BP thing.

But he never has any problems eating.

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Originally Posted by Skoalbasher

It's a Spider BP thing.

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It is a hungry bp thing.

;)

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Originally Posted by MeMe

It is a hungry bp thing.

;)

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It's almost as if he's headbanging to some rock music. Always a good strike though.

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Originally Posted by MeMe

It is a hungry bp thing.

;)

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Originally Posted by Skoalbasher

Do you have a spider ball python? My little guy, Jules shakes violently sometimes when he's going to eat. Like he has no idea what's going on. It's a Spider BP thing.

But he never has any problems eating.

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Originally Posted by Skoalbasher

It's almost as if he's headbanging to some rock music. Always a good strike though.

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No, I have 2 normals. It's almost like they are just REALLY excited to the point where they're shaking, but I think headbanging describes it way better. :D

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Originally Posted by MeMe

It is a hungry bp thing.

;)

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This isn't related to the post but the tat on ur arm caught my eye - what is it of???

yeah mine does that, where it kind of quivers with excitement, w/the head off the ground a bit and all, as if its caught in a dilema of striking or waiting for a better moment/position to, right before it actually does. I think its normal, it's never been a concern for me.
Also, I too have had a f/t explode on me, I just tossed it and got a new one, as I thought that would be the easier route than going and having to clean most the cage after.

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Originally Posted by Warm-blooded

yeah mine does that, where it kind of quivers with excitement, w/the head off the ground a bit and all, as if its caught in a dilema of striking or waiting for a better moment/position to, right before it actually does. I think its normal, it's never been a concern for me.
Also, I too have had a f/t explode on me, I just tossed it and got a new one, as I thought that would be the easier route than going and having to clean most the cage after.

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She already had her mouth around it - so obviously I didn't want to take it away. She ate it with no problems. But it was one of the weirdest things I had ever seen. I feed in a separate tank so cleaning up isn't a big deal. If that would have been in her enclosure - YUCK!!! I would not have been too happy since I just cleaned both tanks on Sunday.

:D

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

This isn't related to the post but the tat on ur arm caught my eye - what is it of???

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here is a better pic.

;)


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...mage0001-7.jpg

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Originally Posted by MeMe

here is a better pic.

;)


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...mage0001-7.jpg

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:gj: THAT IS SIC!!!!!!! LOVE IT! :D

I had originally planned on keeping all my tats black no color, but then figured I should add some color so its not blah, ya know? That has to be one of the coolest black tats I have ever seen! Those are flowers in there right? Or are my eyes just crap? (Actually they are)
Are you eventually going to have sleeves?

I want sleeves, but after I finish my back.

Once again.... LOVE IT! :gj:

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

:gj: THAT IS SIC!!!!!!! LOVE IT! :D

I had originally planned on keeping all my tats black no color, but then figured I should add some color so its not blah, ya know? That has to be one of the coolest black tats I have ever seen! Those are flowers in there right? Or are my eyes just crap? (Actually they are)
Are you eventually going to have sleeves?

I want sleeves, but after I finish my back.

Once again.... LOVE IT! :gj:

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thanks!

I am going to finish a full sleeve...and soon i hope! :D

yes it is flowers.

I have a couple others..2 are black and the other is color. The color one is of a spider bp.

:gj:

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Originally Posted by MeMe

thanks!

I am going to finish a full sleeve...and soon i hope! :D

yes it is flowers.

I have a couple others..2 are black and the other is color. The color one is of a spider bp.

:gj:

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Nice! That spider bp sounds cool! curious where did u put it? Is wrapped around a leg or arm or something???

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

Nice! That spider bp sounds cool! curious where did u put it? Is wrapped around a leg or arm or something???

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It is on my upper shoulder blade..peeking over my shoulder.


this pic was right after i got it...


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...meeee008-1.jpg


and this was a couple months ago from behind...

oh..that is Susan's (aka dannng) spider. I got my tat from a pic of him.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...anmemes008.jpg

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Originally Posted by MeMe

It is on my upper shoulder blade..peeking over my shoulder.


this pic was right after i got it...


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...meeee008-1.jpg


and this was a couple months ago from behind...

oh..that is Susan's (aka dannng) spider. I got my tat from a pic of him.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...anmemes008.jpg

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Both snakes look awesome! :gj: