Had a scare last night

[ashesc212]

Last night I asked my boyfriend to feed Weaver. Well - apparently he wasn't listening to me the day I told him that the mouse should be no bigger than the widest spot on the snake's body. Anyway, he feeds Weaver the LARGEST mouse in the frozen collection which is twice as big as all the others, and WAY too big for Weaver. I come out when it's too late and Weaver already has the head in his mouth. I didn't know what to do and I've never owned a snake before. Foolish me thinks that if I offer him a smaller one he will let go of the first one. Well as you probably know, that didn't work. Then I risked trying to take it out of his mouth, I learned that that is not a good idea. Weaver started rattling and he's not even a rattler with a rattle. I was in shock. After an hour or so, he finally swallowed it and then blood started coming up his throat like vomit. :shock: I panicked and didn't know what to do. I thought it was an internal injury...well, as it turns out, I think it was just from squeezing the mouse so much because he was fine after and slithering all around his cage. Anyway - I was petrified.

So - what do you do if your snake latches on to food that's too big? I know my bf won't offer a big one again because he had to hear about it for an hour or so! But - just in case!

 

[PastorAaron]

Man, that's a scare.
If the prey item is WAY too big (happened to me with a new snake once just because I wasn't used to his size yet) the animal will usually just give up and leave the prey item laying in the cage.
God Bless,
Aaron

 

[ashesc212]

Why do I have to have the persistant snake? Seriously, it took him about 45 minutes just to get beyond the front two feet and then after that it took him 15 minutes to finish. I feel so bad about it. I wish he would have given up...

What I don't understand is how he can still be hyper after eating all that food. He was slithering around his terrarium, exploring...I was thinking, if that were me I'd be sitting on the couch with my new gut hanging out in pain lol.

 

[PastorAaron]

That's colubrids for you. Dahlia, my Biggest Argentine (9-10 ft and 45 lbs) eats 8 lb rabbits and she just curls up in her hide and sleeps. My fox snake eats till he's stuffed, then wants to come out and play. If I open the cage to check on him he'll come right out!!
God Bless,
Aaron

 

[bmb527]

They can take food as big as 2.5X their widest point from EVERY source I have read. That may be a touch much, but, it gives you an idea of what they can eat. My snakes won't even try that hard if it is toooo big. They will grab it from me, then realize it is too big and ignore it from there. HTH
Bill

 

[zimbabwepegasus]

They can take food as big as 2.5X their widest point from EVERY source I have read

Did you mean 1.5x? That's what I've generally seen...

 

[PastorAaron]

I think 2.5 is like absolute MAX that they can take. I would NEVER make the decision to feed something that would endanger my animals.
God Bless,
Aaron

 

[zimbabwepegasus]

Ok, thanks for the clarification PA!

I hate upgrading food, I always feed two before bouncing to the next size. My poor little cornsnakes always look like their brains are gonna go flying out their little skulls... i can't watch.

 

[ashesc212]

Ok, thanks for the clarification PA!

I hate upgrading food, I always feed two before bouncing to the next size. My poor little cornsnakes always look like their brains are gonna go flying out their little skulls... i can't watch.

You can feed them two in one sitting?

 

[PastorAaron]

Especially colubrids...most of them will go into rodent dens and eat the whole family...so to speak.
God Bless,
Aaron

 

[wigglesworth]

lol
i'm ashamed to say Noodle ate 3 fuzzies on a few occasions before we eventually upgraded to the not so small looking 'small mice'

there's a chance we could possibly move up another size now, on normal guidelines, but as it is the mice look big compared with my little babies head