back to front python

[gruntbox69]

I have a 16 month old coastal carpet python who likes to eat his rat starting from its ***
its funny to watch but takes twice as long for him to eat it all up.
he does strike the rats face and coils it up to kill but lets go of the face and moves around to the rats *** and eats for the wrong end.
has any one else come across this and how did you correct it.:shock:

 

[opalwood]

Hello - one of Bredli does exactly the same thing and it has never been a problem .....it looks very odd and appears to be a lot of unnecessary work but she copes

 

[dragon170]

I've had snakes do it once or twice. Are you telling us it does this every feed that sounds different any pics?

 

[gruntbox69]

not every feed only the last 5 or 6. got no pics but i will post one next feed

 

[cracksinthepitch]

Oh dear gruntbox your snake has a fetish:shock:

 

[Khagan]

Yesterday i fed my spotted and he tried to eat his fuzzy mouse 1st via the stomach then had a few attempts at eating it by the rear leg before finally realising 5 mins later he should eat it head 1st. Made me wonder how he would do in the wild with such stupidity =P.

 

[natrix]

My boy bredli does that about 50% of his feeds.

 

[andyscott]

I have a BHP that dose that every time, I have never seen her eat a rat head first.

 

[Helikaon]

they are just a little special

 

[slim6y]

I wished mine had an excuse like eating it backwards for taking so long... But I have a spotted that gives its rats the kiss of life... plays with it, nudges it, takes the rat for a walk, plays with it some more, stops and has a cup of tea with it, plays with it again, kisses it, walks away from it (I assume they had an argument) so I re-join them, and the process starts over again... Except eventually he must get so bored that he eats it.

I used to take him out of his cage to feed him. But waiting over an hour and a half for him to eat just isn't plausible!

 

[Aslan]

slim6y - I have a Diamond that does the same - I think he's a little 'special' - definately a high-needs reptile

I also got sick of the long wait and effort (my record is 2hrs 15mins) but have developed a new method that seems to work quite well...

...I give him a 'sacrificial' small mouse to constrict - then when he starts going into his usual procrastination I offer him a small/medium rat headfirst - push it right up to his mouth - and he usually opens wide and swallows it down. Costs me a mouse - but definately worth that spare 2 hours

 

[jessb]

I wished mine had an excuse like eating it backwards for taking so long... But I have a spotted that gives its rats the kiss of life... plays with it, nudges it, takes the rat for a walk, plays with it some more, stops and has a cup of tea with it, plays with it again, kisses it, walks away from it (I assume they had an argument) so I re-join them, and the process starts over again... Except eventually he must get so bored that he eats it.

I used to take him out of his cage to feed him. But waiting over an hour and a half for him to eat just isn't plausible!

LOL that's exactly what our hatchie Stimmie did last night. She usually scoffs down her pinkies within about 3 minutes and fuzzies within about 5, but last night she did the whole 'playing with it' thing for ages. She couldn't seem to find the fuzzie's head and started trying to swallow from the side of the neck or the middle of the back! At one point I was sure she was going to start eating fom the bum. My 3yo daughter was watching the feed with me and she kept saying "Silly Bonanza, what's she doing?". Once she worked out where the head was, though, it was all systems go!

 

[slim6y]

HAHAHA Special - high needs reptile haha!!!

Yes... I am glad I am not the only one with special - high needs pythons....

I think I will try the mouse and rat trick... I am worried it will just give him a new friend to play with and twice as many arguments!

 

[gruntbox69]

yeah whats the go with the nugget chewing mine does that too.

 

[jake61]

maybe try a drop of mouse maker on the tip of the nose this worked for me. one of my bredls would do this **** eating thing with pisces [blood running from nose] mice but would eat a local commercial breeders [clean] mice head first everytime. has anyone else seen this.

 

[wiz-fiz]

You know how u get some "Special" people?
Well is it diff with other animals.
Of course there are going to be some "Special" Snakes.
just leave the rat/mouse in it's enclosure and let it do the thing without you watching.