Can snakes be mentally handicapped?

[HostilePB11]

Well as far as a real answer goes, anything with a brain could be defective theoretically. But realistically I would agree with everyone else for now, just try getting the rat a little warmer a couple times.

[Mike.P]

I had a boa that used to headbutt her rats. Literally. The first couple of strikes she wouldn't even open her mouth, just smack them with her snout. Then the fourth or fifth time, she'd actually grab it. lol. My vet said she was special.

[piedplus]

Thanks for this subject, just what I needed. I'm working with my Clown right now, trying to get him to eat. He'll strike wildly a few times, then just give up. One time he even hit the tongs. I usually warm prey to 90-100 degrees. Maybe I'll try warmer next time.

[Munizfire]

!

Daaaaah cuteness overload!






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[SpartaDog]

Make sure the rat is hot enough. Let it thaw in the fridge and then put it in hot water until its warm all the way through. Make sure ur using tongs so he doesn't get confused with the heat of ur hand or any body heat. Has he ever been exposed to high temps or any chemicals? Does he show any signs neurological issues outside of feeding time. When u have him out flip him upside down and see if he can right himself. But I think its just prey not being hot enough

Ah, okay. It is probably the rat's temp, then, seeing as how I've just been leaving it out in a warm spot instead of heating it with hot water (there are so many theories on why some methods do or don't work, I figured I'd just keep trying til I find something that works). So back to hot water it is.

As far as I know, his temps have never gotten above about 95 - 97F on really hot days, and he's never been exposed to chemicals. I always feed him with tongs, and other than this, he's a perfectly happy, healthy, normal ball. So it must be the rat.

Thanks, everybody!

[angllady2]

I've got a special snake too. My blind normal Athena won't take F/T, she likes live. I was really hesitant about going from mice to rats with her, rats are a lot bigger and more dangerous. But the whole 3-4 mice at a feeding was tiring both of us out.

So, we tried the experiment. Now, she's never once had a problem striking, constricting and then swallowing a mouse or four. But now that's she getting rats, she attempts to constrict them before she strikes. Of course that doesn't work very well, the rat can easily get away, but she still tries it two or three times before she strikes and coils properly.

Give her a mouse, and it's strike, coil, eat. With a rat it's coil [escape], coil [escape], coil and lay on the rat [escape], strike, coil, eat.

Gale

[Bill T]

Its possible but i think it probably just gets a little over excited. I have a female ball that closes her mouth when she strikes and almost tries to club the mouse to death against the side of her tub with her head. She eates great and hasnt had anything else abnormal about her. Different snakes have different quirks. Just like people.

[Salamander Rising]

Its possible but i think it probably just gets a little over excited. I have a female ball that closes her mouth when she strikes and almost tries to club the mouse to death against the side of her tub with her head. She eates great and hasnt had anything else abnormal about her. Different snakes have different quirks. Just like people.

I know it's not really funny but you guys have me LMAO........

I thought Iggy was an oddball for eating her mouse babies backwards and always making sure to swing her head towards me so I'd have a nice, clear view of the poor baby mouse's face staring at me from inside her mouth, just before it disappeared forever.

[it looked like some sort of "veiled threat"]

Now that she eats adult mice, she's being [somewhat] more "normal".

[loonunit]

sorry, duplicate post.

[loonunit]

Sorry, this picture is just hysterically funny.

...yeah, some of mine are dumber than others. But it's probably also got to do with the heat pits. The snake smells the mouse, which get his appetite going. But he won't strike until the heat pits detect a warm target. If your finger is warmer than the thawed mouse, he'll strike towards the back, or even nick your finger.

Try warming the nose of the mouse under a heat lamp or with a hair dryer for 60 seconds or so. Or let the head of the mouse sit under hot water for 30 seconds and then dry it off. I think you'll see his aim improve.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that he's a few cards short of a full deck! But at least this'll give him a clearer target to aim at.