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  1. #1
    Registered User heyitssupergirl's Avatar
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    not constricting before swallowing (f/t)

    hi guys

    I'm a new bp owner and my girl is a great eater but, as the title says, she doesn't constrict her food before gobbling it up. Should I be worried about this? Does this cause a problem with digestion (because of all the bones not being crushed)?

    thanks

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran KatStoverReptiles's Avatar
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    Nope. It's just fine. Sometimes it seems like they're smarter than we give them credit for and realize that it's dead. Why expend the energy of constricting?

    I don't think constricting is so much about crushing bones as it is about suffocation.
    Last edited by KatStoverReptiles; 12-07-2011 at 03:42 PM.

  3. #3
    BPnet Lifer Annarose15's Avatar
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    Re: not constricting before swallowing (f/t)

    Constriction is to suffocate, NOT crush. If she realizes her prey is already dead, then there is no reason for her to expend the energy to constrict it.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



  4. #4
    BPnet Veteran Jonas@Balls2TheWall's Avatar
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    Perfectly fine assuming that you feed dead rats.

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  6. #5
    BPnet Veteran mr.spooky's Avatar
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    Re: not constricting before swallowing (f/t)

    one of my bloods do this...... i just think of him as lazy
    spooky

  7. #6
    BPnet Veteran zeion97's Avatar
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    Re: not constricting before swallowing (f/t)

    Quote Originally Posted by mr.spooky View Post
    one of my bloods do this...... i just think of him as lazy
    spooky
    Lol.

    To the OP. You shouldn't have a problem. I have a juvenile that will only constrict live prey, F/T. He will just swallow.
    1.0 Pied Ball Python (Rumple Stillkins) 2.0 Normal Ball (Simba) (legolas) 1.0 Pastel Ball (Isildur) 0.1 Normal Het? (Sarabi RIP 2013) 1.0 Burmese Python (Sephiroth) 0.1 Granite Burmese Python 1.0 Albino Burmese Python 1.0 Tiger Retic (Steve Irwin RIP 2012) 0.1 Lavender Albino Tiger (RIP 2012) 1.0 Spider Ball Python Spidey 1.0 Pewter Ball (pew pew) 0.1 Cinnamon Ball (Cinny) 1.0 Lavender Albino Retic (Old Yeller) 0.1 High Contrast Albino Retic (Sunshine) 0.1 BCI (Ruby)

    Here I Stand, The Black Sheep Of The Family, To you, Worth Less Then Zero. A Chef And A Reptile Lover. Yet, Reptiles Are Not A Hobby, But A Way Of Life.

  8. #7
    Registered User rigomez4's Avatar
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    Should be no problem. I have had a few snakes in the past that did this with f/t left in their cages. I even had a kingsnake that ate live pinkies without constricting them when he was a baby. He continued to do this after switched him to f/t as well.

  9. #8
    BPnet Veteran Brion99's Avatar
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    Just to throw in my 2c....when feeding an extra sometimes they don't wanna curl up with something already in there. Mine did this...when my roommates wouldn't eat we brought him in here, and initially mine wanted nothing to do with it live, so we killed it and put it in there and he chowed it right down.
    1.0 Lesser (Lemmy)
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  10. #9
    Registered User Emily Hubbard's Avatar
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    No problem at all. Constricting doesn't crush bones OR suffocate, it stops blood flow. If you watch a snake kill live prey, it is dead long before it would suffocate, which takes a surprisingly long time. The squeeze stops the flow of blood to the heart and the prey basally has a heart attack. Much quicker. Nature can be terrifyingly efficient.

    So to answer you question, nope, nothing to worry about. Your snake is just probably a little smarter than the rest.
    0.1 - Normal ball python, Zola

  11. #10
    Registered User heyitssupergirl's Avatar
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    Re: not constricting before swallowing (f/t)

    thanks guys

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