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My 9 foot(2.7 metres) long and 8 kg heavy, 8 year old Bredli python girl hasn't had any food for one entire month (why is another story) and I only had a 12week old rat in the freezer which she swallowed in record time and it was clear to me that this didn't fill her up. Next thing, she headed towards my guinea pig cage and checked out every gap to get in. So I rushed to the pet store and bought the biggest frozen rat they had - an extra-large rat male for $24. Defrosted and presented, my Bredli girl stroke straight away and strangulated and constricted him. Then, she spent two hours without success, trying to swallow that rat.
She started swallowing him mid-belly ... then by bending his back ... twice, she swallowed his entire tail and nuts and then got stuck because his two rear legs were in the way. For two hours she tried it in every possible manner, except by starting out with the head. His whole body was full of her spit, except the head - the only way by which he could easily fit into her throat. I attempted to take the rat off her so I could place his head in front of her mouth, but she protected her prey and constricted him as soon as I wanted to pull him away. After two hours, she gave up and hid in her resting box, leaving him behind. She must be still very hungry - and now, on top of it, depressed about her failure.
How can I help her to figure out how to eat such a big rat? I have read that other snakes of her size eat rabbits and full-size chickens easily.
She started swallowing him mid-belly ... then by bending his back ... twice, she swallowed his entire tail and nuts and then got stuck because his two rear legs were in the way. For two hours she tried it in every possible manner, except by starting out with the head. His whole body was full of her spit, except the head - the only way by which he could easily fit into her throat. I attempted to take the rat off her so I could place his head in front of her mouth, but she protected her prey and constricted him as soon as I wanted to pull him away. After two hours, she gave up and hid in her resting box, leaving him behind. She must be still very hungry - and now, on top of it, depressed about her failure.
How can I help her to figure out how to eat such a big rat? I have read that other snakes of her size eat rabbits and full-size chickens easily.