Feeding Question

[Willcrtn]

My spotted python seems to go for the back of the food instead of the head. Is my snake broken or is this normal

 

[kittycat17]

May be the norm for your snake but I find my snakes (coastals) tend to eat backwards when the meal is to small


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[pinefamily]

As long as it gets the food down, and is healthy pooping and shedding regularly, I wouldn't worry.

 

[Willcrtn]

It attempts to eat it backwards, then seems to get annoyed and leaves it and tries again. I end up just spinning it around for him. But I have only had him for about 3 weeks and it has fed 3 times, laid cables after each feed and shed once. So it seems to be healthy and happy.
Was just curious if it could choke on it going backwards

 

[dragonlover1]

haha 1 of my pygmy banded seems to bite the tail a few times before he works out where the head is

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Perhaps it could have something to do with how you're presenting the food item to the snake? I hold my hoppers and tear the skin on their nose with my tongs, then hold them behind the shoulders and present them head first... As soon as they scent the torn nose, they smash them, no hesitation. I pretty much feed mine exactly how this guy does, works great for me.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Think about this with some logic. Frozen food loses its scent over time, where is the scent stronger?

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Think about this with some logic. Frozen food loses its scent over time, where is the scent stronger?

???

 

[GBWhite]

The scent is stronger at the rear.

 

[Bl69aze]

Think about this with some logic. Frozen food loses its scent over time, where is the scent stronger?

My snakes have never gone for anything but the head I let it sit and soak up the smell in its packaging but so
Idk

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

The scent is stronger at the rear.

Not when you tear the nose it's not. Hence why I mentioned to do so.

 

[GBWhite]

Derrrr...It's answering the OP's original question. Besides as PF mentioned it's irrelevant whether it takes it front on or back on as long as it's feeding.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Not when you tear the nose it's not. Hence why I mentioned to do so.

I'm not a snake so I dont really know. Most snakes take prey from the head by instinct/ease of getting it down. I'm not for damaging the food before I put it in, if they prefer to eat tail first and it doesn't cause a problem why be concerned?

???

This my friend means absolutely nothing to me. If you disagree then say so.

 

[Yellowtail]

I present the food head first and puncturing the head is really only useful for difficult feeders but it is not unusual for young snakes to re-position and swallow the reverse way, even had them swallow a mouse sideways with it bending in the middle. Mature snakes generally work it out and I guess this is hardwired because there is some danger swallowing a large animal backwards with the claws and teeth likely to cause internal injury. If an adult python is swallowing rear first there is not much you can do, not easy to get a rat away from a hungry snake.
I removed the tails from some rats to experiment with them as hatchling food and found the adult pythons that ate the tailless rats were confused as to head/rear so it is more than smell, but they seem to work it out with rabbits.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

I present the food head first and puncturing the head is really only useful for difficult feeders but it is not unusual for young snakes to re-position and swallow the reverse way, even had them swallow a mouse sideways with it bending in the middle. Mature snakes generally work it out and I guess this is hardwired because there is some danger swallowing a large animal backwards with the claws and teeth likely to cause internal injury. If an adult python is swallowing rear first there is not much you can do, not easy to get a rat away from a hungry snake.
I removed the tails from some rats to experiment with them as hatchling food and found the adult pythons that ate the tailless rats were confused as to head/rear so it is more than smell, but they seem to work it out with rabbits.

Interesting observations. I have a freezer full of tailless rats as the tails are used for assist feeding BHP hatchies. I cant say I have noticed any confusion from any adult BHP's eating rats without tails but it could be that I didn't pay attention. Will be watching more closely in the future.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

This my friend means absolutely nothing to me. If you disagree then say so.

This wasn't disagreement, this was please elaborate...
I tend to think certain prey items are meant to go down a certain way And a little encouragement doesn't hurt... but every animal is an individual and will do things its own way. My female ELN for instance will always manipulate her feeder insects like roaches so she takes them head first whereas the male aways will manipulate roaches (woodies) and take them backwards... all turtles will take shrimps and yabbies tail first for obvious reasons... the laws of physics just suggest that a snake swallowing a rodent head first makes life easier... and it probably safer? And if taking a nano second to tear the nose skin encourages That, for a seemingly confused snake? Not a big deal?? Either way, like you said, if it works it works, as long as they're eating.

 

[Bl69aze]

Interesting observations. I have a freezer full of tailless rats as the tails are used for assist feeding BHP hatchies. I cant say I have noticed any confusion from any adult BHP's eating rats without tails but it could be that I didn't pay attention. Will be watching more closely in the future.

This wasn't disagreement, this was please elaborate...
I tend to think certain prey items are meant to go down a certain way And a little encouragement doesn't hurt... but every animal is an individual and will do things its own way. My female ELN for instance will always manipulate her feeder insects like roaches so she takes them head first whereas the male aways will manipulate roaches (woodies) and take them backwards... all turtles will take shrimps and yabbies tail first for obvious reasons... the laws of physics just suggest that a snake swallowing a rodent head first makes life easier... and it probably safer? And if taking a nano second to tear the nose skin encourages That, for a seemingly confused snake? Not a big deal?? Either way, like you said, if it works it works, as long as they're eating.

They take it down head first so they legs can fold down (towards their tail) without forcing or breaking anything, when they go tail first, they are risking the claws scratching the inside as they will be facing the sides of snake, rather than towards the foods body.

It’s also the same that they don’t crush the bones when constricting as this can cause shards and potentially extra bones poking about that shouldn’t be.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

They take it down head first so they legs can fold down (towards their tail) without forcing or breaking anything, when they go tail first, they are risking the claws scratching the inside as they will be facing the sides of snake, rather than towards the foods body.

Yes, this was my point.

 

[kittycat17]

I’ve found that they only tend to take prey backwards when there eating to small a meal


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[Yellowtail]

Interesting observations. I have a freezer full of tailless rats as the tails are used for assist feeding BHP hatchies. I cant say I have noticed any confusion from any adult BHP's eating rats without tails but it could be that I didn't pay attention. Will be watching more closely in the future.

Hmm, and I thought feeding hatchlings rat tails was my little secret?