Gentle Eating

**mysteryman** · 23-Mar-11, 05:33 PM

Probably not even worth asking (but if i don't how will i learn)

i've seen vids and pics of snakes that when eating don't do the whole aggressive lunge and constricting deal, these vids have people feed off of their hands or the snake just comes over to the food and goes to swallow straight away.

is this type of behaviour a trained response or just linked to each animals personality or temperament

i only ask because skittle (my spotted) is so aggressive.
i don't dangle the food with my hands or tongs. i drop the item in the tank within view and just wiggle it a bit with some wire before he jumps at it. even when i don't wiggle it he still lunges and goes for a wrestle before eating.

there is probably nothing to do about it, it's just sometimes you see a pic or a vid and think "i wish i could do that" or "i wish mine didn't seem like such a skitz" when it's dinner time.

Thanks Yall
Pete

**Jason** · 23-Mar-11, 05:54 PM

It's individual, i have some that go nuts and others that will gently take it from the tongues/hands etc. I've had some gentle feeders turn into crazy feeders and vis versa over time

**driftoz** · 23-Mar-11, 05:59 PM

its just the animal i have a male and female NT woma the female will strike and constrict and male will just slowly go up and open his mouth and take the rat. even got it on video last night while feeding him lol

**JoshuaAtherton** · 23-Mar-11, 06:01 PM

haha, yeah...
I think it comes down to the individual...

It is I say, really cool to have a snake that eats off your hand.
I only do it to my female coastal, she's so gentle...

even though my darwin is small, she attacks anything that moves at feeding time,
and the male coastal, well... I wouldn't take my chances... he is aggressive too, but heaps bigger.

**Tahlia** · 23-Mar-11, 07:04 PM

All but one of my snakes strike and coil when they get fed, my adult coastal has only struck at her food once, and I've had her for 8 months. She gets fed every week because she needs to put on weight after her previous owner neglected her. Most times she's fed, she sniffs the rat for about 20 minutes before she goes in to eat it, and she just very gently opens her mouth and swallows the food. Sometimes after she's done she goes and wipes her mouth on her rock, even though she didn't make a mess... its funny when snakes act like princesses lol

**mysteryman** · 23-Mar-11, 09:56 PM

Yeh i thought that might be the case, i guess i'll keep watching everyone elses vidoes.

Thanks for the replies dudes / dudettes

**saximus** · 23-Mar-11, 10:24 PM

On the opposite end does anyone have videos of aspidites feeding? I heard they have a mad feeding response but never seen it

**Hooglabah** · 23-Mar-11, 10:32 PM

@saximus
Hahaha I'll get you one of mine he is a 50/50 gentle feeder/ psychotic.
It depends on if I make his rat move or not, if it Just thrown in there he will take an age to eat it, if I give it a bit of a wiggle he smahes it, sometimes I think if it where live the impact would kill it well before he could constrict.

**saximus** · 23-Mar-11, 10:38 PM

Haha yeah that's exactly what I want to see. What is he? My Jungle is pretty violent but I'd heard they were just crazy

**Tahlia** · 24-Mar-11, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by saximus

On the opposite end does anyone have videos of aspidites feeding? I heard they have a mad feeding response but never seen it

A BHP in the local pet shop apparently launched itself out of the enclosure when it saw its food

wish I could have seen it, would have been pretty cool even though it was only about 2 years old

BHP Feeding videos
Snake feeding Video by Megin & Dutchess Brimstone - Myspace Video
YouTube - Myra in feeding mode
YouTube - Hank (My pet snake) being fed

**sarcastocrat** · 24-Mar-11, 05:10 PM

I wish I could get a snake that you could hand feed! Mind you, as soon as you become complacent with it, the little bugger might just decide to take one of your fingers with that rat or mouse!

**adz83** · 24-Mar-11, 05:25 PM

all mine go nuts as soon as i walk in the the snake room with food except for my bhp.....he is so calm at feeding time,very rarely does he launch and constrict,i still wouldnt try feed him out of my hand though

**saximus** · 24-Mar-11, 05:35 PM

Haha yeah I don't think I could every trust them. My Jungle boy still makes me jump at how aggressively he grabs them sometimes. I think anyone who sees that would think twice about hand feeding.
Thanks for those vids Tahlia. I was expecting something more ferocious actually...

**Tahlia** · 24-Mar-11, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by saximus

Thanks for those vids Tahlia. I was expecting something more ferocious actually...

I was expecting better too, but I couldn't find many videos with BHPs feeding. I was surprised there weren't more. I once held a rat in my hand and rubbed it on my coastal's nose, but she didn't do anything, so I left it on a rock for her. Probably won't do it again though, if she decides to bite me it wouldn't be fun... a large head and 7 feet worth of coiling biting snake... no thanks