angry snakes after feeding!

[cronullaben]

hi, i have two diamonds and two coastals that i have had since hatchlings they r 3 years old now and they r pairs and share the same enclosure 2xdiamonds,2xcoastals. i always feed them seperate and wait about 15 mins before putting them back in the enclosure together. for some reason this afternoon after i had fed them when i put the females back into the enclosure the males attacked the females they have never done this before. could it be something to do with breeding cycle or change of weather. thanks hope you can help...

 

[cronullaben]

maybe there just getting older and need there own cage?????????

 

[congo_python]

You should be keeping them seperate anyway, especially the diamonds from the carpets and it may also be the males mistaking the females for a male in a combat response, so keep an eye on them!

 

[cronullaben]

thanks for the reply but please read properly the diamonds share with each other and the coastals share with each other not the diamonds and the coastals.

 

[dobermanmick]

How long are you keeping them seperate after they finish eating ?

 

[cronullaben]

thanks for reply but please read.about 15 mins and as i am looking at them now they are coiled up together.

 

[dobermanmick]

Sorry mate
I leave mine for at least an hour before i put them back together
I think they need awhile to get out of feed-mode before they are put back together
Also the Females will still have the smell of rats on them so maybe this evokes a feed response from the males ?
My males are hunting all the time at the moment hungry buggers !

 

[munkee]

Do they constrict their prey item when they feed? I noticed this just once with the spotteds, they live together and I had just fed the female separately and after putting her back in the male pocked his head out from his hiding spot tasted the air around her and then bit her and constricted for about one second and then let go. My guess is the female smelt of rat/mouse and the male was hungry (bite first ask questions later). Mine had never done it before and not since then. Thats my guess anyhow I've heard people using a fine spray of water to reduce the scent but I don't directly know anyone who does it.
How this helps Cheers

 

[Snake_Dude]

the same thing has happenned to me. I personaly think that they were all stirred up and excited from the food they had just received and atacked only because the other snake that was put in the tank still smelt off the rat it had just been fed.After this insadent i waited a day or so after feeding before reintropducing them and had no problems what so ever.

s:they were dimonds as well.

 

[cronullaben]

thanks for replys i was thinking pretty much the same the only thing that through me was i have been do the same thing for 3 years and they never attacked like that before.Maybe older and bigger means more hungry and tougher. Anyways thanks to all for replys.

 

[Vat69]

I agree with what everyone's said about the snakes smelling like a prey item and still being antsy from feeding.
I seperate my diamonds while feeding also but I always make sure to wipe them down with a moist cloth before I put them back together in an attempt to get rid of as much rat smell of them as I can.