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Corn Went Balistic In Feeding Box

ShenziSixaxis

ShenziSixaxis

Sticking To The Ceiling
So I got my female classic out today to feed her two tiny fuzzies (I think they could be considered peach fuzzies because they were tiny and had only a little fur on them). Like normal, I put her in the shoe box I'm using and presented her with the first prey item with some long tongs. However, instead of realizing I had food, she went nuts trying to get out of the box in any way possible.

I managed to get her to stay in the box long enough to show her the prey. It had a bit of blood oozing from a wound on the neck that lightly coated the head of it with blood. For some reason, instead of eating it head-first like normal, she took it backwards. (I saw a video of someone keeping a python from doing that; is it dangerous if they eat prey backwards?)

So after swallowing the first item I presented the second to her; again, she went nuts trying to get out of the box instead of checking the food out. I put some cuts in that one unlike the first one (since it's suggested slit food helps with digestion and growing). She finally did get interested in it without my help, but she tried eating a back leg instead of the back end / head.
So because she wasn't getting it down after about 15 seconds of chomping on the leg, I gently pulled her away from it and presented the head to her. TOTALLY uninterested, even when I've got a bit of brain matter poking out. Since she was wilder in trying to get out of the box than before, I simply got her whole body in the box and shut it.

Well, it's been about five minutes since I shut her in and I decided to take a little peak, and she's got the second fuzzy half way down. I don't know what the heck made her go nuts. Was it the blood from slitting the prey (which is new as of this feeding), or has she REALLY gotten the idea that she gets fed in that box and was trying to find food?



Also, just to clear something up: the fuzzies I gave her today are literally the size of medium pinks; the only difference is that these guys have some fur. And before I gave her the second fuzzy, the second one had gone at least around 1/4 down her body, because I couldn't see where it was. The only thing I did different was put some slits in the mice.
 
I would just leave her in the feeding tub with both pinks/fuzzies and give her time to eat them on her own.
 
You're sure it's a female? Males are acting weird right now because it's spring and they are looking for females. If she's definitely female, could just be she wasn't particularly hungry or had other ideas than eating. If don't think it's the blood; if it was, she'd have gone for the food.

As for eating them backwards, won't hurt them at all. We call them butt munchers. LOL You don't need to intervene when she's eating. She will figure out for herself where to eat it from, eventually. Once you are using mice that have some fur, she will actually figure out which end to go to by checking the direction of the fur.
 
Should've just let her eat in peace, broheim. She would've eventually either figured out how to move her head or simply broken the leg and gotten it in. You worry to much; keep in mind snakes have been around billions of years with people helping them take their food the right way.
 
ShenziSixaxis said:
For some reason, instead of eating it head-first like normal, she took it backwards. (I saw a video of someone keeping a python from doing that; is it dangerous if they eat prey backwards?)
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Nope. I've got a few butt-munchers. In my experience, it's never caused a problem. Sometimes they get a leg kind of stuck outside their mouth.. But that's about as far as that goes.
 
I DID leave her alone in her box for about 20 minutes and she ate the little fuzzy normally. It's just that she was totally out of character today with feeding.


Sweetseraph said:
You're sure it's a female? Males are acting weird right now because it's spring and they are looking for females. If she's definitely female, could just be she wasn't particularly hungry or had other ideas than eating. If don't think it's the blood; if it was, she'd have gone for the food.
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I'm about 75% sure it's a she (by tail shape), and she's only about 4 months old.

jesserca said:
I wouldn't worry about it, I am fully convinced snakes have crazy days.
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I guess so. XD
 
My little Scout is a butt muncher, and my baby JCP actually tried to eat one sideways last week... he eventually realized that was a bad idea, LOL. Anyway, I'd agree with the other comments above - nothing wrong with eating a mouse backwards, and sometimes they just have weird moods. You should see what my ball pythons put me through with feedings. :mad:

Btw, have you considered feeding her in her enclosure? I feed all (16) of mine in their enclosures, and lay the mice on paper towels in the tubs with substrate... more than half have flat newspaper, so ingesting bedding isn't an issue for them. Just a thought!
 
P.S. My male ghost is definitely acting crazy this month, so you may also want to double-check the sex. :shrugs:
 
I may consider feeding her in her viv if she keeps doing this. I think I just made her mad 'cause I pulled her from her favorite hide at the warm side. XD

Also, I'll see if a local pet store does probing on corns. But would a 4 month old really go nuts at such a young age?
 
I would discourage you from feeding in the viv. You have the right idea feeding it in a box or tub. They get the idea quickly and feeding them in the viv will more than likely give you the snake that thinks your fingers are food when you reach in.
 
Next time, just put both fuzzies in at once and leave her until she's eaten both of them. She probably went nuts because she was disturbed when there was still food around.

P.S. Feeding a 4 month old two small fuzzies is power feeding. I'd go down to one.
 
bitsy, she was acting wildly before I even presented the food to her. I scooped her up like I normally did and she was calm, but as soon as she touched the box she started squirming like crazy.

Also, I said the fuzzies were the size of large pinks. I'm wanting to say they may have even been pinks that had just gotten to the peach fuzzy stage (even though I ordered plain ol' fuzzies :\) and that they weren't even in the 1.0 girth size for prey. I don't plan on feeding her more than 1 if it's within the 1.0-1.5 rule of thumb.

I would discourage you from feeding in the viv. You have the right idea feeding it in a box or tub. They get the idea quickly and feeding them in the viv will more than likely give you the snake that thinks your fingers are food when you reach in.
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I agree, but I can't put the box on the floor of my room because there isn't really any floor (and outside my room are a few nosy dogs and a mother who insists on having their curiosity sated) and all surfaces are at least 3ft off the ground. Hopefully this was just a one time deal.
 
chuk_138 said:
I would discourage you from feeding in the viv. You have the right idea feeding it in a box or tub. They get the idea quickly and feeding them in the viv will more than likely give you the snake that thinks your fingers are food when you reach in.
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That's a myth... I have 16 snakes, all of whom have always eaten in their enclosures, and not one has ever mistaken my finger for food. Unless your finger smells like dead mice, they can tell the difference. :D
 
Also, isn't it bad to be moving them around immediately after a meal? I don't handle mine for 2 days after feeding, and just think it's risky to move them with a full belly. JMO, of course!
 
Nope, gently moving them from tub to tank then leaving them in peace, is fine. The "no handling for 48 hours" guideline refers to taking them out for playtime or exercise.

I've used that technique for my bunch for years and never had a problem.
 
I don't know where everyone has gotten the idea that the preferred method of feeding baby cornsnakes is to tease-feed with tongs. Just put them in the feeding container and let them eat in peace!
 
Nanci said:
I don't know where everyone has gotten the idea that the preferred method of feeding baby cornsnakes is to tease-feed with tongs. Just put them in the feeding container and let them eat in peace!
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I actually tried not teasing mine with the tongs and a mouse. She looks at me like I wasnt doing my job. I think I have a snake with a sense of humor. Either that or she is very demanding.
 
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