Tail thumping?

[ChrisBowsman]

I was feeding the smaller bp a few days ago, and the mouse kept going next to the wall of the tank and quickly thwapping it's tail against the glass. I've fed that snake a bunch of mice, and never seen one do anything like that before.

I assumed the mouse was maybe just nervous or something, but didn't ponder it too much, as the snake put an end to it.

[littleindiangirl]

http://www.ratbehavior.org/WhatIsMyR...tm#TailWagging
2.5 Why does my rat wag its tail?

Rats may "wag" or writhe their tails on the ground. This action has many names, such as tail wagging, tail swishing, and tail writhing. Tail wagging may involve the whole tail or as little as the tail tip.

The function of tail wagging is unknown in rats, but it appears to be associated with excitement and tension. For example, rats may writhe their tails during aggressive encounters with each other, or when facing a predator.

[MarkS]

I've had mice do that too, I always thought that it meant that they were nervous and maybe looking for a fight. Whats really odd is sometimes I get 'flying mice'.. They POP out of the tubs as soon as I open them with all 4 legs completely outstretched and their tails waggling around like crazy. It's like they're gliding and using their tails as a rudder. They're off like a shot as soon as they hit the ground and are harder then heck to catch.

[ChrisBowsman]

Sounds like this mouse may have had some idea that the snake's intentions were less than wholesome

That's goofy about the "flying" mice. The last bunch I bought had some hellacious jumpers. One almost escaped, but luckily my 5 yr old was paying closer attention than me