Ball python eats without striking. ( Video )

[Theartisticgemini]

I was feeding my ball python and...


YouTube - Best Snake Strike Ever!!!

No strike... He just cut to the chase...lol. I just started feeding frozen thawd. Has he understood that the rodent is already dead?

[unspecified42]

Mine do that from time to time. My carpet did it this morning. She gave it a good once over and then just started eating.

[maverickgtr]

My female bp does this. We have to lay the mice down in her tank and she'll stare at them for about half an hour and then just eat them. No striking, no constricting, just shoving her face with food.

[Jeremy78]

New morph "the homer Simpson ball".

[Nzyme]

My Female also stares at it for a while and then without constricting the swallowing starts.

[mommanessy247]

it seems to me that by doing the "examination" on the mice/rats they're trying to sense a heartbeat or some other kind of life signs. and in my opinion if the snake senses the mouse/rat is already dead they know they dont need to waste the energy biting and constricting...makes perfect sense to me.

[shelliebear]

Of the two times I have fed my male BP, he has struck at the F/T fuzzy both times.
My 2 month old corn snake, however, never strikes, and I have fed her about 5 times or more. She just gets right to chowing down.

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

All my snakes strike, coil, and constrict...except my male Mojave. Sometimes he goes through the ritual of "killing" his f/t prey but usually he just grabs and horks it down.

He did strike and coil a mouse recently, I ran out of rats and thawed two large mice instead, and before he could do any more than that he literally snatched up the second mouse and swallowed it with the first mouse in his coils. XD!!!

[stratus_020202]

My girl did this the other night. Only, it was LIVE! Lazy freaking snake. She grabbed it's head and just tried to swallow it. Of course, the poor rat would squeak and she'd have to readjust herself, but it took her forever to finally realize she would have to coil it. I almost had a heart attack. Ugh.

[sarahlovesmiike]

My female does this when I offer pre killed, she usually gets live. I'm just happy that she'll take whatever I offer, she's turning out to be such a good eater! I do think they know the difference between live and dead.