So, I've noticed that my corn snake actually doesn't coil around his prey or even kill it before he eats it? He's been on live food because a - that's what the previous place was feeding him, b -he came with free feedings (today was his last free one), c - my family isn't keen on the idea of frozen mice in the freezer. So, he's starting to worry me. Is there any reason he might be eating his prey without killing it? I've seen him kill it first only once in the 10 feedings since I got him. Thanks
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Corn Snake Doesn't Coil his prey?
- Thread starter MissMarie
- Start date
hypnoctopus
Olivia Barron
Some snakes do and some snakes don't, but it's an excellent reason to get him onto frozen-thawed. I'm not sure what size he's eating right now, but when he gets to hoppers and up, they could do some damage to him, especially if he's not even constricting them.
My family doesn't like frozen mice in the freezer too, so mine all go in a big paper bag so no one has to see them.
My family doesn't like frozen mice in the freezer too, so mine all go in a big paper bag so no one has to see them.
rmfsnakes32
New member
My baby corns eventually learned to coil
hypnoctopus
Olivia Barron
And if your family really won't allow frozen-thawed, you can always pre-kill or stun the prey for him once he's eating bigger sizes.
Most of my snakes never struck or coiled their pinkies, but most of them do now that they eat larger mice. It's actually quite fun to dangle the frozen-thawed mouse for them and they leap up and grab it. I've even had them grab it with such force that the tail actually gets ripped off in my tongs. Pretty gross!
Most of my snakes never struck or coiled their pinkies, but most of them do now that they eat larger mice. It's actually quite fun to dangle the frozen-thawed mouse for them and they leap up and grab it. I've even had them grab it with such force that the tail actually gets ripped off in my tongs. Pretty gross!
Guruofchem
New member
My little one eats very daintily as well - just crawls up, nudges it to find the head, and opens wide. No drama, just dinner! She's on F/T pinkies, so no danger in doing it that way.
I would switch over to f/t soon, if he is still on pinkies he may not "notice" dinner is already dead.
As far as frozen mousicles in the freezer - get a small tupperware type container and decorate it with some designer duct tape, then put the mice [in a ziplock] in a brown paper lunch bag labeled mice and keep it in the container. If your family cannot remember your container is the decorated one and they open it, the bag labeled mice should stop them. If it doesn't that's hardly your fault lol
As far as frozen mousicles in the freezer - get a small tupperware type container and decorate it with some designer duct tape, then put the mice [in a ziplock] in a brown paper lunch bag labeled mice and keep it in the container. If your family cannot remember your container is the decorated one and they open it, the bag labeled mice should stop them. If it doesn't that's hardly your fault lol
One theory is that snakes are able to make some sort of judgement about whether or not their food has the potential of harming them, and they may not bother to waste the energy on coiling if it doesn't. I don't know how true this is, but I've observed nothing to contradict it. I've seen lots of baby mice get swallowed live, but each and every time I've fed an adult mouse, it gets "killed" by the snake even if it was already dead before the snake ever saw it.
Another possibility, when it comes to baby corns, is that whatever things are available to a baby corn in the wild are things that aren't dangerous to them, so they evolved to not develop a very strong strike & coil response until they are more mature, rather than it being something they really evaluate at each meal.
I think a lot of people who object to mice in the freezer are concerned about the germs they imagine will crawl from the mousicles and get in the ice cream. Oddly, these same people have no concern about the germs that might crawl from the raw chicken and get in the ice cream. It makes no sense, but you have to keep your family happy, so some things that help are multiple layers of (mostly) germ secure wrapping, including at least one opaque layer so no one will have to see the mice. Also agree on a place, preferably on the bottom shelf so people can't imagine mouse germs falling onto the people food, that is designated for the mousicles. I'm not sure how much any of these things actually do to reduce the possibility of mouse germs contaminating the people food, but it definitely seems to make people feel better about it.
Another possibility, when it comes to baby corns, is that whatever things are available to a baby corn in the wild are things that aren't dangerous to them, so they evolved to not develop a very strong strike & coil response until they are more mature, rather than it being something they really evaluate at each meal.
I think a lot of people who object to mice in the freezer are concerned about the germs they imagine will crawl from the mousicles and get in the ice cream. Oddly, these same people have no concern about the germs that might crawl from the raw chicken and get in the ice cream. It makes no sense, but you have to keep your family happy, so some things that help are multiple layers of (mostly) germ secure wrapping, including at least one opaque layer so no one will have to see the mice. Also agree on a place, preferably on the bottom shelf so people can't imagine mouse germs falling onto the people food, that is designated for the mousicles. I'm not sure how much any of these things actually do to reduce the possibility of mouse germs contaminating the people food, but it definitely seems to make people feel better about it.
Nythain
New member
I think more people against mousicles might be concerned with smell too... but who knows. Scientifically speaking, f/t is healthier for the snake, safer for the snake, and not much different than storing any other meat in the freezer. Also a bit more humane for the mouse, and a lot easier to bear consciously. A snakes gullet is a lot like a Sarlacc pit. Just imagine later when your snake that doesn't coil and kill starts swallowing larger prey, and you have to listen to it squeel for it it's life for a while after ingestion.
starsevol
Cohabbing is cruelty...
Sadly, that is pretty much what happens with pinks. They are designed to not smother under the mother mouse, and when swallowed usually die by being burned by the snake's stomach acid before losing consciousness.
Cervical dislocation is fairly easy, hold the body in one hand and use the other hand to firmly grasp the head and pull down. I can't do it, so I'm not the one to tell you how to not feel bad about it. I mean I know the snake has to eat and the mouse is going to end up dead one way or another I just don't want to do it, or watch it happen by feeding live. Buying frozen is so simple and then the whole getting dead part is done already, I say it's a win win really 
Mogey
city livin'-nature lovin'
I wouldn't worry about it too much in a young corn. Red still hasn't even attempted to throw a coil. He also has a habit of trying to line up his snout so he isn't in the dead center of the pink's torso, then gets impatient and strikes it right in the middle anyway.
I guess he would've had a rough time in the wild.
I guess he would've had a rough time in the wild.
Justine66
Cuddling with Colubrids<3
yeah, I agree with all the comments of the snakes learning to coil as the prey gets larger,
Sirius has never seen a live pinky/mouse and when he was on pinkys he was such a relaxed eater, he would strike, but nothing hard, and he never tried to coil it. just grabbed it and ate it.
but as he gotten bigger his feeding response has DRASTICALLY.. he now gets super excited whrni place him in his feeding bin, and by the time the mouse is unthawed and open the lid he flyswatter out at the mouse soo hard that I actually don't dare put my hand in his tub untilled after he's eaten.
lol he's turned out to be a ferocious feeder, but with the alter ego of a puppy dog.
he's THE biggest sweet heart, when it's not feeding time.. lol
Sirius has never seen a live pinky/mouse and when he was on pinkys he was such a relaxed eater, he would strike, but nothing hard, and he never tried to coil it. just grabbed it and ate it.
but as he gotten bigger his feeding response has DRASTICALLY.. he now gets super excited whrni place him in his feeding bin, and by the time the mouse is unthawed and open the lid he flyswatter out at the mouse soo hard that I actually don't dare put my hand in his tub untilled after he's eaten.
lol he's turned out to be a ferocious feeder, but with the alter ego of a puppy dog.
he's THE biggest sweet heart, when it's not feeding time.. lol