Weird Feeding

[T-ro]

I'm pretty new to royal/ball pythons. I've only had mine since last October. He(or She, wasn't sexed) eats f/t like a champ. Usually I have to wiggle the rat in front of him to get him to strike it. This last time however, no what I did, no strike, but he still seemed extremely interested in it. I eventually just laid the rat next to him on the floor and let him explore it. He smelled it a little bit, crawled on it and then decided it was time to start swallowing the rat. No strike or anything. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm not really worried, since he ate, more just curious.

[thewesterngate]

I think after a while they realize they're eating carrion, which they would in the wild on occasion. I have a corn snake that is aware that his food isn't alive and will just start swallowing too.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

I have a ball that will take live or F/T. He prefers his F/T dead and will take it at his leisure. I just open bin and toss dead rat in, he eats it fine.

[heathers*bps]

Yea I have a few snakes, mainly boas, that prefer their food to be laid in the cage.

[AliCat37]

yeah my ball actually prefers that now. Don't know why. He seems afraid of the "zombie dance" (don't blame him- zombies are scary). He's also in breeding mode though looking for a girlfriend, so his feeding has been finicky anyway.

NOW, as for weird feedings- when they bite themselves and constrict. Back when Ramesses still liked zombie dancing mice (over a year ago now) he grabbed and constricted the mouse.. but when I looked at him.. his teeth were in his own body!! He was constricting the mouse and himself. He's not the brightest ball of the clutch. He eventually let go and figured it out lol. I figure he's just a little slower than his clutch mates since he was the last one to start eating haha.

[llovelace]

I have a couple of hatchlings that hadn't quite figured out the constricting thing lol, they would just nom nom on a live pinky, then drop it when it started moving. they have since figured it out, well one has lol

[T-ro]

I used to have a corn that did the same thing, but I was always under the impression royals wouldn't. I guess they're all different though.

lol, that is a truly weird feeding! Puts mine to shame.

So do you guys think I should try the zombie dance again or just put him in the tub with the rat?

[llovelace]

As long as he's eating, don't worry about it, I'm sure if you a live one in he would constrict

[AJs Snake House]

Lol! My big 07 spider male (1300 g) is like that. He wants me to kill the rat for him and lay it ever so slightly next to him with the head facing away and when he's done with the first he wants the 2nd rat laid in the same fashion...geeze, I always forget to roll out the table cloth and lobster bib for him and he gives me that look like "well I hope You know I'm not gonna tip for this". He will only take "extra small" small rats (a bit bigger than weaned) because "normal" sized smalls scare the bajesus outta him. But that's why I love him, he's a pain in the butt but my life wouldn't be the same without him.

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[T-ro]

lol, that's great. He's grown accustomed to living the good life.