• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

snake wont constrict

D

dsmr5456

New member
Ok guys. I've got a question I have a feeling I will catch a lot of flak for...but my Chinese beauty is having problems with constricting. She's moved up to hoppers and she's been on frozen thawed before. I'm trying to get her to constrict.

My reasons however I believe are pretty valid. I have a ball python who will only eat live. Ever. He eats 3 live. I've tried prekilled...scented. following up with prekilled after live. Brained, slit. I mean everything. He went 8 months without eating. The reason I want her to be able to eat live is because I can't keep live rodents and I want to have a snake that will eat his mice if he refuses. That way I can save the frozen in the freezer if he does not eat and don't have to go through the trauma of killing the poor things.

Now when I went to feed her her first live she missed several strikes because she's not used to her food being alive. She started to constrict but then just backed into a corner and held the mouse still. After a couple minutes of the struggle I separated them. How can I get her to learn to constrict? She wouldn't go for the mouse again and I have the little thing in a separate container for now :(
 
No flak to be caught here, but this forum is for corn snakes. While many members have other snakes as well, you might want to try a forum dedicated to the snakes you are having problems with.

I hope you find the answers you are looking for, and the best to you and your snakes!
 
You could try to get the Chinese beauty to strangle her frozen thawed mice by moving them like a real mouse would. Usually triggers their instinct.
 
KvanAalten said:
You could try to get the Chinese beauty to strangle her frozen thawed mice by moving them like a real mouse would. Usually triggers their instinct.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I've been trying. Giving them a wiggle...small "tugs". She just holds on. They're very similar to corns. Just a more racer like personality. I didn't know if sometimes snakes needed to struggle for a bit with their first mouse or what...because she is a constrictor for certain.

And thank you. I honestly wish there was a better forum for beauties. I've been here on and off since my corn medusa escaped. Generally there is great advice here and I was coming for hopefully more of the same
 
She was acting really silly though. Slithering around with a half open mouth. No real striking or ambush approach. Her hunting skills leave much to be desired lol
 
My boyfriend has a ball python who would never eat anything besides live. He had him for YEARS. He would also go on a feeding strike from November till February or even later. Every...single...year. Then, on a whim, he ordered a couple frozen chicks and gave him one. BAM! It turns out that Sammy LOVES chicks and couldn't care less if they are frozen.

So you might want to try that on your BP!
 
Snakes in all species can loose their instinct to constrict when being brought up on frozen thawed. I have adult beauties that still constrict every time and a few that never constrict. Same with corns some do and some don't.
I understand why you feed live to your ball python. A somewhat common problem with BP's. What I don't get is converting a FT eater to live. I would think there will be times that both wont eat and you still have the live mouse to deal with. Being in "blue" etc.
Sounds like you have tried most tricks with the BP. Have you tried scenting with used gerbil shavings/poo/urine ? Gerbils are closer to what they feed on in the wild. Take the FT and put it in a bag with the used shavings and let it "scent" for a couple of hours then do the "zombie dance" with it. I even used it on a beauty that refused to eat for months.
 
If the ball refuses, I would kill the mouse then give it to the beauty. Cervical dislocation is not difficult on mice and it's very quick. I've had to do it before. It would be safer all around.
 
^^^This. Prekill the mouse, and the beauty won't be in danger.
 
dsmr5456 said:
. I'm trying to get her if he does not eat and don't have to go through the trauma of killing the poor things.

She wouldn't go for the mouse again and I have the little thing in a separate container for now :(
Click to expand...

I got the impression the OP didn't want to go through the trauma of dispatching the poor mouse ?? If not then ^^^^ too.
 
Prekilled was mentioned in the OP so I figured the OP had done it before. It's actually more humane that having the snake kill it IMO.
 
I have prekilled before and I absolutely hate it...I don't even really like watching the ball python eat because of it. And thanks Nancy. I'll definitely try the chicks. I'm not sure it will work as it really seems it's just more me being around that he doesn't like. He wouldn't take live even holding them by their tales with him inside or outside his hide. I think he's just too shy to have me that close to him
 
Also...I don't wanna convert her full time. Just comfortable knowing she can handle herself when he decides not to eat
 
First off, it sounds as if your beauty is still a young snake if she's just moved to hoppers. My experience with corns tells me that her hunting and constricting behavior will likely improve with age. Also, a well-fed snake fed frozen thawed has already learned that it doesn't need to constrict it. That doesn't mean it doesn't know how. Skip a meal and then see how she constricts her next meal, especially if you wiggle it even after she has caught it.

Also, encouraging a snake that is eating F/T to eat live may give you a result you don't want...your beauty may start refusing F/T. I've personally seen several of my corns refuse F/T mice after getting a live.

My advice to you, since you say you can't keep live rodents, is to have to learn how to dispatch any uneaten mice. I know it's tough, but everyone has to do things they really don't want to at some point or another. Killing the odd mouse isn't the worst thing, IMO.

But definitely give Nanci's suggestion a try and give your beauty some time and cross your fingers that she doesn't end up preferring live as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top