Gentle Eating

[mysteryman]

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]

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]

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

 

[Snake-Supplies]

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.

 

[Snakewoman]

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]

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

Thanks for the replies dudes / dudettes

 

[saximus]

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

 

[Hooglabah]

@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]

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

 

[Snakewoman]

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 :shock: 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]

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]

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]

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...

 

[Snakewoman]

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

 

[-Katana-]

Flame has a highly aggressive feeding response.

I feed her with rubber tipped tongs and not a lot could induce me to hand feed her.

 

[Serpentess]

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

Geeze, read some of those video comments. Some people are clueless. Haha.
Thanks for the links.

 

[longqi]

We have one burmese that will feed directly of the palm of my hand being extremely gentle and careful while it picks the food up
But
every now and then it will push the food off my hand and then hit it and constrict

 

[saximus]

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

Haha yeah that would be an awkward position to find yourself in I'd think.
I'll have to get someone to video my Jungle next time and see if people think that's as aggressive as an aspidites

Sounds like he knows not to bite the hand that feeds Longqi

 

[Snakewoman]

My mother has a jungle python who has a great aggressive feeding response, but then, he aggressively bites everything, he reminds me of a sewing machine.

 

[Mace699]

actually i have a female jungle that will smash a mouse but is still a bit fearful of the rat smell sometimes she'll slide right up and just swallow it other times you'll have to put it in her hide and she'll swallow it after she susses it out bit funny as all the other guys espesially the MD's absolutely smash there food with an amazing amount of force.