biting and spitting it out

[rayann]

twice in the last week my ball has been biting mice then spitting them out. he stays int he position to pounce and keeps smelling for awhile, then he leaves them and doesn't eat.

suggestions?

i know sometimes them dont eat, but the spitting out surprises me.

[dr del]

Hi,

We need a few more details.

Are you feeding live or F/T?

Are you feeding in his enclosure or outside of it?

Are you watching him eat?

Does he coil round it or only strike but not hold on?


dr del

[blackcrystal22]

Sounds like your watching him eat with the lights on and he's getting nervous.
Try leaving him alone and turning out the lights.

[Ash]

My lesser used to do that a lot when he was young. I figured out after a while that he only did it when he struck anywhere other than the face. He wouldn't be able to swallow it right away, so he'd spit it out and try to figure out where the head was, and sometimes he'd just take too long and lose interest. If he's not doing it already, see if you can get your snake to strike at the face, it might help.

[rayann]

Are you feeding live or F/T?

F/T slightly heated up. I am sure he was underfed by his previous owner and the first few weeks i had him he ate super fast.

Are you feeding in his enclosure or outside of it?
In his enclosure.

Are you watching him eat?
I turn the lights down but I am in the room.

Does he coil round it or only strike but not hold on?
He only struck and didn't hold on.

This behavior started on friday when i put F/T mice in his cage because he is underweight and the pet store didnt have the right size for him. he smelled them both over and over and struck one then spit it out. he stayed in striking position and went back and forth smelling each for over an hour, but when i woke up in the morning they were still there.

[xdeus]

My lesser used to do that a lot when he was young. I figured out after a while that he only did it when he struck anywhere other than the face. He wouldn't be able to swallow it right away, so he'd spit it out and try to figure out where the head was, and sometimes he'd just take too long and lose interest. If he's not doing it already, see if you can get your snake to strike at the face, it might help.

I have two snakes that do this, and one is particularly picky. She will strike every feeding night, but unless she bites is square on the head, she'll drop it and lose interest. Then I offer her another one (or sometimes the same one if I can prevent getting tagged), and hope she bites that one on the head. I wouldn't mind so much if she was a better aim, but no such luck...

[unrezt]

Is your snake trying to eat, and then giving up? Or just "killing" it and then leaving?

The reason I ask is because I have read about snakes trying to eat something too big and they realize they can't so they just give up. But if your snake was eating these before that probably isn't the case.

[rayann]

it doesnt seem like he is trying to eat, cause he just strikes then lets go... and after the first time this happened he was still ready to pounce and stretching out his jaw and stuff, then just didnt eat. the mice are small enough.

i have heard that when they refuse food to wait a week, but i am wondering if i still should in this situation?

he is 1.5 or 2 years and the person i got him from was feeding him only 1 pinky once every two weeks so i really want to make sure he is nourished!

[tweets_4611]

To me it sounds like a defensive strike. When it's a hunger strike they usually coil. If he is nervous and you are watching him, it may not be hunger but a bit of panic. I haven't ever had a picky eater, so no personal experiance here, just what I have seen/heard before.

He should be ok if you wait a week. Don't handle him, just let him get settled in and then next week make sure the f/t is warmed up properly and warm enough for him to really get a signal from.

Good luck with him. I'm sure you will get him healthy in no time! ^_^

[nixer]

how long have you had the snake?
also what size caging is it in?
pinkies are way too small for a snake that old. im guessing its really small still
it could be that its stressed out.