Swallowing rat while rat is alive..

[gusanr14]

Hello,

So I just brought a new baby bumblebee ball python. She is about 103 grams and was hatched on late June. She is already eating a rat fuzzy. The breeder I bought it from was feeding live to his snakes so I got live so I know she eats in the new enclosure. I am planning to switch to f/t next feeding.
Anyways, like the title states, she struck at the fuzzy rat and did not kill it and started swallowing the rat. I saw her strick under the hide so I couldn't really see what was happening until she came out of the hide while struggling to swallow live rat. Rat was squeaking and was trying to get out of snake's mouth but she kept swallowing it back... I searched it and people say it is due to small prey size but it was appropriate size for her.. Why does this happen? Is she not use to hunting? I believe she had 3 feedings before. I know it could be dangerous so what should I watch for? I can't see anything from outside, so I have no idea what the sign of danger would be for swallowing live prey.

Thank you.

[redshepherd]

Wow, that's also happened with one of my past ball pythons who only ate live! It was pretty horrifying. Sometimes they're just ravenous and it happens :\

I wouldn't try to pull it back out of the snake's mouth, because that's not natural for the snake and can damage its teeth. The snake will either spit it back out and kill it again on its own, or the rat will suffocate in a minute anyway while in the snake's throat.

[Phillydubs]

It didn’t coil or wrap at all?

did you weigh the prey prior ?

i doubt its an issue other than being an unpleasant sound etc.

but as statted above just let the snake be as it eats at that point what’s done is done

as long as you prepare ft rats correct a healthy snake shouldn’t have much issue taking it. Of course there are notorious problem feeders but I almost think it seems that way cause all we hear is my snake won’t eat... yet no one is posting eberytime hey my snake ate again.

It’s like the news we get used to hearing all the bad ish people think there is no good out there. There is. It’s just not reported with such gusto

[Valyrian]

Switch to frozen thawed as soon as possible mate. It's a complete myth that some snakes will only feed on live - here in the UK live feeding is illegal so all of our snakes feed on f/t with no problem at all. No family with a BP feeds live here at all because it's not culturally acceptable. It's always possible to switch them over to f/t, you just have to use certain techniques. Things such as braining, following a live feeder with f/t etc.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Craiga 01453]

Aside from being tough to watch and hear, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Bogertophis]

FYI, pinky and fuzzy mice AND rats have their eyes still closed and will NOT bite back, though they may struggle to get away. And since this snake was fed live
before, the snake already knows there is no need to constrict it first. Many snakes do not bother to kill such prey first as it takes more time* and isn't necessary*.

*Remember that snakes follow their instincts to stay alive in the "real world"- they are very vulnerable to other predators while they are swallowing a meal, so the
less time they take to do that, the safer that meal is for them. It takes a while to constrict a pinky or fuzzy, time & effort wasted that exposes the snake to more
danger to themselves, so when they can do so, they just gulp them down. It's actually normal.

Obviously, when a snake is used to eating this way & then you bump up the size to a hopper (eyes open) the snake who doesn't constrict out of habit will get hurt! The "lucky ones" get seen & treated by a vet for their resulting injuries... You really should never feed live prey with eyes open to a snake, and beyond
kick-starting the appetite of neonates, hatchlings or wild-caught snakes, it's avoidable.

[Alter-Echo]

Switch to frozen thawed as soon as possible mate. It's a complete myth that some snakes will only feed on live - here in the UK live feeding is illegal so all of our snakes feed on f/t with no problem at all. No family with a BP feeds live here at all because it's not culturally acceptable. It's always possible to switch them over to f/t, you just have to use certain techniques. Things such as braining, following a live feeder with f/t etc.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I beg to differ, I have an adult female bp that went from eating ft to only accepting live. I tried to get her to eat ft again and she refused food for 8 months until I offered live, took it in an instant. I suppose I could have tried ft another 8 months, but honestly I got sick of watching her lose weight.

I certainly prefer ft for convenience and safety, but there are snakes that will only take live, ball pythons in particular it seems.

[Valyrian]

I beg to differ, I have an adult female bp that went from eating ft to only accepting live. I tried to get her to eat ft again and she refused food for 8 months until I offered live, took it in an instant. I suppose I could have tried ft another 8 months, but honestly I got sick of watching her lose weight.

I certainly prefer ft for convenience and safety, but there are snakes that will only take live, ball pythons in particular it seems.

I don't know what to tell you. It's a fact that people don't do that in the UK, yet we have thousands of Ball Pythons that successfully eat frozen thawed.

They're all the same species so the only other reason I can think this is the case is that our breeders start them off on frozen thawed whereas in America they must start them on live in some cases.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[gusanr14]

Switch to frozen thawed as soon as possible mate. It's a complete myth that some snakes will only feed on live - here in the UK live feeding is illegal so all of our snakes feed on f/t with no problem at all. No family with a BP feeds live here at all because it's not culturally acceptable. It's always possible to switch them over to f/t, you just have to use certain techniques. Things such as braining, following a live feeder with f/t etc.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I mean, I am not offering live because I want to feed live haha. She was on live so I wanted to make sure in a new environment, she would take what she normally did. I feed others f/t, even switched one from live to f/t, took 5 months but yea.
I would be giving f/t from now on.

[Alter-Echo]

I don't know what to tell you. It's a fact that people don't do that in the UK, yet we have thousands of Ball Pythons that successfully eat frozen thawed.

They're all the same species so the only other reason I can think this is the case is that our breeders start them off on frozen thawed whereas in America they must start them on live in some cases.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Maybe, or maybe they feed live in secret, and just don't say anything about it because... well, it's illegal. Lol