Eating backwards

[OoohShiny]

My smaller BP, Tonks (chocolate enchi female, about 120g), has a weird habit of eating her mice backwards, and she does it so often that I'm now starting to think she's doing it on purpose. According to my records, she's eaten her mice backwards more often than she's eaten them head-first (I always stay nearby and keep an eye out in case of problems, but she manages just fine).

Today I offered her her mouse, she grabbed it by the head (she's a VERY enthusiastic eater, I love it!), and I thought Yay, she'll eat it headfirst this week! Then I watched as she very carefully worked her way from its head to its butt, and ate it backwards. I am now convinced she's doing it on purpose, lol.

So my question is, how dangerous is this? I always watch as my snakes eat, since Ana Gwyn got a piece of substrate stuck in her throat the very first time she ate for me and I've been nervous ever since. But Tonks really does seem to swallow her mice's butts without much trouble. And is it possible that this is a weird preference? She's also my BP who never sits in a hide but prefers to hang out right in the open, and is most active in the 1-2 days after eating instead of sitting quietly and digesting (I just fed her and she's now starting her third lap around her enclosure), so maybe she's just backwards all around.

[Igotsmallballs]

My smaller BP, Tonks (chocolate enchi female, about 120g), has a weird habit of eating her mice backwards, and she does it so often that I'm now starting to think she's doing it on purpose. According to my records, she's eaten her mice backwards more often than she's eaten them head-first (I always stay nearby and keep an eye out in case of problems, but she manages just fine).

Today I offered her her mouse, she grabbed it by the head (she's a VERY enthusiastic eater, I love it!), and I thought Yay, she'll eat it headfirst this week! Then I watched as she very carefully worked her way from its head to its butt, and ate it backwards. I am now convinced she's doing it on purpose, lol.

So my question is, how dangerous is this? I always watch as my snakes eat, since Ana Gwyn got a piece of substrate stuck in her throat the very first time she ate for me and I've been nervous ever since. But Tonks really does seem to swallow her mice's butts without much trouble. And is it possible that this is a weird preference? She's also my BP who never sits in a hide but prefers to hang out right in the open, and is most active in the 1-2 days after eating instead of sitting quietly and digesting (I just fed her and she's now starting her third lap around her enclosure), so maybe she's just backwards all around.

I wouldn’t worry about it to much. I’m assuming prey is f/t. One thing you could try is heating the head up with a blow dryer and see if that entices it more. Also make sure your cage is cluttered and husbandry on point.

[OoohShiny]

I wouldn’t worry about it to much. I’m assuming prey is f/t. One thing you could try is heating the head up with a blow dryer and see if that entices it more. Also make sure your cage is cluttered and husbandry on point.

Yes, always and only F/T, and I warm them up with warm water just before feeding. She's still eating small adult mice, but she's probably going to outgrow them in a couple weeks and I'm going to try her on rat pups. She's a fierce eater, so I'm not concerned about her eating in general, just want to make sure the backwards thing is okay! Admittedly my husbandry needs a little tweaking - I keep the house very cold, so keeping their enclosures warm enough is a challenge but I've mostly got it handled - but neither of my girls has any issues that I can see. I'm slowly but surely adjusting my husbandry to be more ideal, as I can afford it.

Tonks is just weird - when I got her, she was the one baby BP there that wasn't in a hide, which was what made me notice her. She was sitting around out in the open, just like she still does, so I think being out and about is just in her nature. Right now she's just finished her 5th lap around her tank, stopping for a drink of water each time she passes her water dish, and now she's digging a hole in her substrate. She is a very strange baby, but has a fun personality now that we've handled most of the fear out of her. The other day I had her at my niece's house doing her schoolwork, and Tonks curled up on her keyboard and stayed there most of the day while Niece worked! (Both of my BP's loooove my niece, she's 7 and a little animal whisperer. Ana Gwyn practically jumped out of my hands and onto Niece's neck the last time we saw her! I'm pretty sure she'll steal the heart of my new baby false ghost bullsnake when he gets here next week, too.)

[Igotsmallballs]

Also at that weight I would recommend switching to fuzzy rats.

[OoohShiny]

I know it's probably time - I'm actually having some trouble finding anywhere local that carries any rats smaller than small adults, since online ordering involves a high shipping cost. I may get her some larger adult mice for the next few feedings. But I'm getting my third snake in a week or so, who is still very young and on fuzzy mice, so I'll probably bite the bullet and place an order soon since I'll have to buy 3 different sizes anyway.

[Zincubus]

Yes, always and only F/T, and I warm them up with warm water just before feeding. She's still eating small adult mice, but she's probably going to outgrow them in a couple weeks and I'm going to try her on rat pups. She's a fierce eater, so I'm not concerned about her eating in general, just want to make sure the backwards thing is okay! Admittedly my husbandry needs a little tweaking - I keep the house very cold, so keeping their enclosures warm enough is a challenge but I've mostly got it handled - but neither of my girls has any issues that I can see. I'm slowly but surely adjusting my husbandry to be more ideal, as I can afford it.

Tonks is just weird - when I got her, she was the one baby BP there that wasn't in a hide, which was what made me notice her. She was sitting around out in the open, just like she still does, so I think being out and about is just in her nature. Right now she's just finished her 5th lap around her tank, stopping for a drink of water each time she passes her water dish, and now she's digging a hole in her substrate. She is a very strange baby, but has a fun personality now that we've handled most of the fear out of her. The other day I had her at my niece's house doing her schoolwork, and Tonks curled up on her keyboard and stayed there most of the day while Niece worked! (Both of my BP's loooove my niece, she's 7 and a little animal whisperer. Ana Gwyn practically jumped out of my hands and onto Niece's neck the last time we saw her! I'm pretty sure she'll steal the heart of my new baby false ghost bullsnake when he gets here next week, too.)

Try thawing slowly in the snake room then when feeding give just the head a good blast with a hairdryer- offer instantly whilst still warm ..

The heat pits should target the head ..



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[OoohShiny]

Unfortunately I don't have a snake room or a hairdryer, lol. I do intend to turn my spare bedroom into a "pet room" some time this year, but right now I like having my snakes where I can see them. When I get the bullsnake, I'll probably move the BPs into the spare room and let the bullsnake be my "display animal."

What I try to do is warm up the head in water before feeding, and I really thought yesterday that it worked, because Tonks nailed the mouse's head PERFECTLY. Then she did that cute thing where they move their jaw carefully along the prey a scootch at a time, until she had it by the butt, then ate it. So she DID have the head, then deliberately moved down and ate it backwards. IDEK anymore, she's just quirky I guess.

(Also, Ana Gwyn is great at eating headfirst, so whatever I'm doing works for her... I'd be more inclined to think I was making a mistake if both snakes were eating backwards but it's just Tonks)

[Spicey]

What I try to do is warm up the head in water before feeding, and I really thought yesterday that it worked, because Tonks nailed the mouse's head PERFECTLY. Then she did that cute thing where they move their jaw carefully along the prey a scootch at a time, until she had it by the butt, then ate it. So she DID have the head, then deliberately moved down and ate it backwards. IDEK anymore, she's just quirky I guess.

If anyone ever thinks that snakes don't have personalities, they should read about your Tonks!

[OoohShiny]

If anyone ever thinks that snakes don't have personalities, they should read about your Tonks!

SERIOUSLY. Both of my girls have fun personalities - Ana Gwyn is the cuddly puppy sweetheart, Tonks is the problem child who does everything "wrong" - eating backwards, refuses to use hides, always awake during the day. Today she even started a love affair with the zipper on my niece's Trapper Keeper. Weirdo.

[Spicey]