BP's Ambush Predators....

[Gocntry]

I see people on this forum explaining how Ball Pythons are "Ambush Predators",

Well I must have the Psycho Bunch , Now don't get me wrong I do have a hard to feed BP (Eggroll)

But the rest of the Crew is Nuts......

Here's Bitey, Knows it feeding time and hears me undoing the locks on her enclosure






Then When I remove the top of her enclosure, She's out and ready for the rat




Here's Hal, Knows I'm undoing the locks on his enclosure....




And he has no time to play Hide games.... He just comes and gets it




No pics of Bean, But she's the same....

So out of 4 BP's 1 acts normal, the other 3 are weird But I love 'em anyway

ps. if you cant see pics let me know, I'm using a new hosting service being that pics quit showing from google photos

[Bogertophis]

You've raised them very well. Perhaps they consider their entire enclosure as their "hide", or else they've just learned & adapted to their circumstances. I wish all BPs were this way.

[bcr229]

I have a few that come flying out, mouths gaping, acting just like a retic when it's feeding time. I've also learned that if they're not acting like that, they're not eating for me that day.

In the wild BP's are ambush predators. In captivity they've learned that food comes down from above like manna from heaven, and have adjusted their actions accordingly.

[Ascended]

I have a few that come flying out, mouths gaping, acting just like a retic when it's feeding time. I've also learned that if they're not acting like that, they're not eating for me that day.

In the wild BP's are ambush predators. In captivity they've learned that food comes down from above like manna from heaven, and have adjusted their actions accordingly.

Your obviously much more experienced than me with ball pythons so I have a question. I agree with the conditioning in captivity point. I have dont it, my garters who learned that three knocks on the tank ment food and went mental for food eventually with that conditioning for example. Also I have the ball python flying out thing for some.

But. What do you think about this possibility though?

Many predators in the wild, while being mainly a particular type of hunter, may take advantage of other types of nutrition on occasion.
For example, Its known that many mammal predators will scavenge on occasion or if needed.
So why not snakes, either scavenging or hunting rarely if needed?

I do have a one ball pythons that prefers food left in their enclosure overnight.

Just a question

[bcr229]

Snakes are vulnerable when feeding so that one could be overly shy.

I have seen ball pythons chase down live prey but for the most part they're patient enough to wait for it to wander close. My other snakes (various boas/anaconda, and carpet/retic/burmese pythons) will all chase down feeders.

[EL-Ziggy]

When BPs are “on” they can be just as voracious as any other snake but I think my boas hit their food the hardest of all my snakes.

[jmcrook]

The last year or two when my BP isn’t fasting he is one of the most vicious feeding animals here. He’s come flying out of the cage at me on more than one occasion. My boas are the most ambush approach feeders with my Suriname being my most sudden and hard hitting snake. All of my Morelia will actively come right out the doors at me to eat if I don’t get the rat in the enclosure fast enough.


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[bcr229]

When BPs are “on” they can be just as voracious as any other snake but I think my boas hit their food the hardest of all my snakes.

LOL I had a juvenile boa imperator come out of her tub so fast and hard that she missed the f/t feeder completely, and with nothing to stop her momentum she fell out and landed on the floor. I just gave her the feeder and then picked up the ball o' boa and put her back in her tub.

[Bogertophis]

LOL I had a juvenile boa imperator come out of her tub so fast and hard that she missed the f/t feeder completely, and with nothing to stop her momentum she fell out and landed on the floor. I just gave her the feeder and then picked up the ball o' boa and put her back in her tub.

What else can you do?

[Hugsplox]

The last year or two when my BP isn’t fasting he is one of the most vicious feeding animals here. He’s come flying out of the cage at me on more than one occasion.

Yea I've found if I try to just put a feeder in, mine is a little hesitant to come out, but if I sit it on top of his enclosure for about half an hour before feeding, let the smell get around, he's out trying to get up there to it and I have to be careful sliding the glass open. It's funny to me how some of them are just a nightmare to get to eat and others are like garbage disposals.

Also on that note, how it can change with age. I have a hognose that I had to assist feed when it was a hatchling, but now she's one of my best eaters.