Live feeding freak occurance

[Pecan'nPumpkinPython]

So,
I was feeding my snakes the other day and the pet store was out of rat pups. Usually when this happens I just feed my larger girls two rat fuzzys (if they want both of them) and the smaller ones just get one fuzzy and their regular meal the next week. This always goes without incident, except that they don't grab the fuzzy as quickly as the pup. Anyway, I put one fuzzy in with my biggest girl, Sweet Potato, and left the room. I heard the fuzzy crying and figured that she had just grabbed it. However, the rat kept crying...assuming that she had just bitten it and not eaten it I went into the room to investigate. To my horror, the fuzzy was in her mouth and she was attempting to eat it alive. This has NEVER happened to me before! I was horrified...the rat was just squirming and crying and she was steadily pushing it farther into her mouth! I didn't know what to do. She ate it and has had no problems since then (that was thursday). But I wanted to ask if this has ever happened to any of you before, and how I should have handled the situation. Please note: She will not eat pre-killed and like I said she hasn't ever done this before.

[recycling goddess]

it happens. the snake knows whether or not the prey item is one they need to constrict or just swallow whole...

[aeio540]

If the meal is small enough, the snake will on occasion swallow it whole. Especially something as small as a pup.

[frankykeno]

Pretty much the way my daughter's milksnake eats her rat pink every single week. Can't say it's a feeding I watch *shudder* Basically your snake isn't expending constriction energy on a prey that small when she can just gulp it down easily. Not pretty to see or hear from a human perspective but makes sense from a predator's point of view.

[kurgan]

I'm glad I can feed F/T and not have to see that (please note this is not a bash against anyone or feeding live and the rat dies whichever feeding method we use!)

[superdave76]

yep my male BP does the same thing,I worried at first but have gotten use to it.My female who is basicaly the same size will constrict anything for a long period of time to make sure its dead........even when i feed them the frozen type.

[Brett89]

I have a couple who will do that when fed something smaller like a rat pup also....it's weird and isn't pretty, but there's not much you can do about it.

[BigCeC43]

I hope mine doesn't pick up this habit as it grows. Definetly not somthing I'd like to see.

[Ladydragon]

well i don't have any of my pending ball's yet, but my yearling corn snake does that almost every meal. I've learned to just ignore the squeeks and walk away for a bit..

[West Coast Jungle]

I have an adult female and when she gats a pup she has done this on occasion. I crank the radio up nice and loud so my wife doesn't hear the noise. She takes care of the rats like babies and doses not like to hear them on snake feeding day. I think when they get big it is hard to constrict small food items so she doesn't even bother.

When the music is cranking in the snake room my wife knows it's feeding time and stays clear.