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I.Like.Stuff

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Would it be ok to amputate mices front legs before we fed them to our pythons?
All 4 of my snakes, all roughly 5-6 months old seem to have trouble getting thier mouths around the front legs. They always seem to stick out at a stupid angle and really get in the way.
I figure there is not much meat on them, will they really miss that much calcium from a few bones?

They are all recently on weiner mice but had the same problem with thier fuzzies.
Does anyone else have this problem?
 
i've never had this problem but my snakes all work there way around the leg's to fit them in.
Do they still eat the mouse eventually or do they discard after trying?
 
Upto you really? I cant see why you would need to do it. Yeah it looks odd but its nature. Are all snakes from the same clutch? You have to think logically that they are infact wild animals and in the wild they eat what they can when, where and how. Dude they will be fine. But by all means try some surgical intervention on your defrosted mice and inform how they go with it.
 
I wouldn't bother, the snakes will work it out. But you can if you want to - but not if you feed live!

:p

Hix
 
Sounds like you are feeding slightly too large food items, i'd feed more quantities of smaller sizes.
 
I would leave the mice as they are.

I don't think they really get in the way, it just looks a bit awkward. Snakes can eat all sorts of things, and mine frequently eats hers backwards, sure, it takes a lot longer, but as long as it goes down, and stays down, it doesn't matter how awkward they look!
 
Snake's are eating machine's they will work it out eventually just leave them be and they will be fine
 
No worries, Its 2 diamonds from same clutch, and 2 bredls from different mothers,
They always finish it, they just sometimes get stuck on the arms for several minutes before working it out.
Dunno if we will try amputation or not just wanted some opinions.
Thanks
 
Do you "relax" the mice before you feed them? Sometimes they are still a bit stiff with rigor mortis after thawing, and I always flex them a bit and stretch them so they're as flexible as fresh-killed. Makes them much easier for the snakes to swallow, especially if the food animals are on the larger side. Give it a go...

Cheers, Jamie.
 
I'd be a bit careful, make sure you don't leave sharp ends of bones exposed.
 
Leave the arms on IMO, I've had snakes that will refuse food if the prey item has been cut open etc. It also sounds like a bit of extra trouble that you don't really need to go to, would be easier just to feed smaller items.
 
For very small hatchlings, like my GTS, is makes it much easier for them to swallow if you cut the legs of the pinkie. However i wouldnt worry with larger snakes...

Cheers Alex
 
Sounds a bit messy and unhygenic too in my opinion, they'll bleed won't they?
Or is the blood all congealed by the time they've been frozen and defrosted?
 
Rennie said:
Sounds a bit messy and unhygenic too in my opinion, they'll bleed won't they?
Or is the blood all congealed by the time they've been frozen and defrosted?


In fact it's probably messier after they're frozen and thawed. Freezing destroys the cell walls and consequently they all leak their contents. Leaving the skin intact after thawing means you don't have to deal with an oozing mess.

Incidentally, the freezing process is what destroys the unwanted microbes etc. in the snakes food and makes it less likely to give your pet a disease.
 
I.Like.Stuff said:
They always finish it, they just sometimes get stuck on the arms for several minutes before working it out.

Only several minutes? This is just normal snake eating behaviour!!

If it got stuck on the arms for an hour I would be concerned. Just leave them as they are, it's probably better for the snake.
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Thanks for pointing that out Nina, a few minutes is nothing.
I have one childreni who frequently gets so excited at feeding time, she grabs the mouse by the side, instead of an end and takes a few attempts and over an hour sometimes to swallow. She will even get so frustrated (I believe) that she will "throw" it around the cage, raising up and whipping side to side, beating it on the walls of the cage. I felt sorry for her and tried to take it off her and offer it to her front on again a few times, but sticking your hand in her cage is a bad enough idea at any time, let alone feeding time, and trying to take the food out of her mouth is just impossible without my finger becoming food :evil: . I'm just glad she's only small and not an olive, water or scrub!
 
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