feeding behaviour

[Vighorr]

My little burm eats well once she was settled in, started on mice but once the store had appropriate sized rats she took 'm right away.  But she acts strangely during feeding.

When offering food, she does everything a snake would do (follow & smell the prey), except striking/constricting.  Moving the prey around doesn't trigger a strike.  Once I leave the food in the cage, she gets interested in me until I close the tub and move away (shy eater?).  Then she's back focussed on the prey and grabs it without constricting.

She starts eating without looking for the head, more like: "let's see how this works out!"  Her first rat (quite big for such a little snake) she ate ass first, head last.  My first thought was "No way, this won't work".  She quickly replied "Wanna bet?" and got the job done before I could even replace my camera batteries to capture it.  Second rat week after went down the right way, but only cuz chewing on the back of the rat for a few minutes didn't work out and the head appeared to be her next try.

The lack of constricting (maybe already realizing she's getting dead prey?) and the not-looking-for-head thing, is this strange or just unharmful individual behaviour?

Cheers

[Donnie_K]

First off,what temperature are you getting the rat to?  And how far away is your hand from the rat? Sounds like she may be picking up your heat signature.

[Vighorr]

Don't have a tempgun, but I hold it close to a hot lightbulb right before offering it, think I'll look for one in the pet store or order one on the internet.  I use a 1' forcep to keep my distance.  Her normal disposition is ok, still quite the nervous type and she definately likes her privacy, both during feeding and resting.

[Donnie_K]

I had the same problem years ago when I first started feeding frozen thawed. You want to make sure the rats nose is the warmest part of the body. Try after it's thawed putting it in a ziplock waterproof baggy and put it in hot water to get it good and warm, and pick up some 24" hemostats instead of those little 12" plastic tongs. I think she's smelling the food but seeing the heat signature of something far too large to be food.

[Vighorr]

Thanks Donnie.  Will get the nose temperature higher than the rest next feeding.  Just measured the forcep, it's actually a 16'' steel one that was a leftover tool from my T collection, but will check the store for a well sized hemostat.  Other than that, she's doing great and starting to get some size on her.

[smilts]

I may be the only one but i thaw mine out in hot water...  But I have one boa that refuses to eat or contrict or anything untill Ive left the room.

[Vighorr]

She ate today.  Didn't want to feed her today cuz she's not in her new tub very long, but tried to see if she was hungry and moved a small rat that was meant for my retic in front of her.  She struck it very hard and coiled very quickly, and after constricting she went straight for the head.  Don't know what suddenly triggered this strike, rat was not treated differently, but she finally did it and I'm pleased with it 

[Donnie_K]

That's awesome! Did you have the rat warmer this time? or the longer hemo's?

[Vighorr]

Nothing different, same temp & feeding tool as it was meant for my retic, only difference is the new larger tub.  Just wanted to see if she was hungry and then she pulls off this stunt.  Nothing wrong with this snake, just gettin' her moves right!

[Donnie_K]

lol, well that's good news!