???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 soThink about this with some logic. Frozen food loses its scent over time, where is the scent stronger?
Not when you tear the nose it's not. Hence why I mentioned to do so.The scent is stronger at the rear.
Not when you tear the nose it's not. Hence why I mentioned to do so.
This my friend means absolutely nothing to me. If you disagree then say so.
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.
This wasn't disagreement, this was please elaborate...This my friend means absolutely nothing to me. If you disagree then say so.
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.
Yes, this was my point.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.
Hmm, and I thought feeding hatchlings rat tails was my little secret?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.
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