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Prey Drowning In Big Snakes
could be a fluke but was curious given my last feeding - so this involves feeding my scrub and i did everything that i normally do mind you but tonight’s feeding was a little odd and had me thinking; do big constricting snakes intentionally drown prey? because usually our routine is v simple, i put the head of the mouse near the entrance of their den, they smack it, and pull it into their lair - this time however it really seemed like they made an intentional effort to extend themselves and push their head/the prey into the swimming pool i have set up for them - didn’t seem accidental at all because the way the enclosure is set up, they would have to make the effort to do this; would’ve been more natural to take the prey inside their den or atleast at the entrance of the den so I’m curious
note: i exclusively feed f/t prey - so there’s never a real need to “kill” the prey item
Last edited by YungRasputin; 06-08-2022 at 04:45 AM.
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follow up additional question: is there any safety or medical concerns involving this for my snake? like this wouldn’t lead to respiratory illnesses would it?
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I don't think it's intentional. I've had snakes wrap up prey and end up in their water bowls before. They should be fine. Just do a water/bowl change quickly afterward.
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A lot of my snakes seem to eat in the water bowl, maybe they are cleaning off the meal or adding some moisture to their diet lol. All I know is it's very messy.
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I've had snakes occasionally end up in their water bowls with prey too- just accidental- they're so focused on the (already dead) prey, it's just where their wrestling match ended up.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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Re: Prey Drowning In Big Snakes
Originally Posted by YungRasputin
could be a fluke but was curious given my last feeding - so this involves feeding my scrub and i did everything that i normally do mind you but tonight’s feeding was a little odd and had me thinking; do big constricting snakes intentionally drown prey? because usually our routine is v simple, i put the head of the mouse near the entrance of their den, they smack it, and pull it into their lair - this time however it really seemed like they made an intentional effort to extend themselves and push their head/the prey into the swimming pool i have set up for them - didn’t seem accidental at all because the way the enclosure is set up, they would have to make the effort to do this; would’ve been more natural to take the prey inside their den or atleast at the entrance of the den so I’m curious
note: i exclusively feed f/t prey - so there’s never a real need to “kill” the prey item
While all the incidents I've observed appear coincidental, I'm not keeping any "BIG" snakes, & the more I thought about it, I think it's entirely possible that some species that evolved near water may intentionally use this method to help subdue their prey. As I recall, crocodiles are known for pulling prey underwater, & that gives them an advantage, so I don't doubt your observation. It still could just be a "one-off" though- time will tell & if you see this happen repeatedly, be sure to update us.
It very well could be instinctive, & even when snakes are fed only dead prey, they still mostly act according to instincts. (For example, rattlesnakes fed only dead prey long-term still bite their prey to envenomate it, even though it's not needed.)
Last edited by Bogertophis; 06-08-2022 at 01:07 PM.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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additional info i feel maybe is relevant: the pool they submerged their prey in specifically their soaking/swimming pool that they use to soak, etc in that’s separate from the water bowl they use for hydration - also, they weren’t submerged for the entire time of eating, it was kind of like, they took the mouse, extended themselves so as to submerge themselves then once they had secured the head and “dispatched” the mouse, and began the eating process, then they came back above the water’s surface - it seemed v much at the time to be an intentional act, not accidental like when my red tail boa caught her prey near pool and accidentally hit the water, she just kind of dunked a little but when realizing she got wet recoiled to dry land
as it stands this is the only time i have seen them do this so rightfully i don’t think any definitive conclusions could be drawn from this but it does have me curious and i was hoping to do more research into their wild behavior today pertaining to this - Merauke appears to be a coastal area which probably has water ways leading into the ocean so perhaps it’s a wild behavior? will definitely keep everyone posted if this becomes a pattern
Last edited by YungRasputin; 06-08-2022 at 02:13 PM.
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The enclosures for my retics, burm, etc. are large enough that prey goes in the door on the opposite side of the enclosure as the water bowl. It's usually the tub-kept snakes that are dunkers as their bowls are up at the front of the tub.
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update: it happened again only this time it was much more obvious - so, i do everything i do normally, and i opened the enclosure, did the little mouse dance and once he grabbed and coiled it i shut the enclosure - what took place there after is super weird
so i sit on my bed and stay still to make sure all the pythons eat - thought my scrub was already well under way with eating but when i looked at him, he was standing over the body furiously looking around
he then picked up the body and *slammed* it in the pool head first and then held it there for some time with an upper body coil - v much looking like he wanted to drown the prey item
eventually, he lets go and i was thinking, “damn, a failed feeding, better go get a bag and dispose of it” - nope, we weren’t finished yet - i grabbed a bag, smoked a cig and went back into my room and he was just standing over the pool with the “drowned rat” in it like a bulldog, snapping if i tried to take it away - i decided to let him have it and reassess in the morning (feeding was at 2A)
wake up to find no drowned rat and him happily soaking in his pool lol this has gone from what i thought was a fluke to something much weird and darker
Last edited by YungRasputin; 06-15-2022 at 10:14 AM.
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note: he was fed last, in a pitch black room, that had no noise or commotion - his weird behavior almost has no reason i feel - the feeding (where he initially grabbed the head and coiled it) also took place on the other side of his enclosure so this was v much an intentional act on his part, no doubt about that this time
Last edited by YungRasputin; 06-15-2022 at 10:19 AM.
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