Live feeding question...

I was wondering...

Since the hognose is not a constrictor and is not overly venomous, if at all, is it a little disturbing that they eat live feeders kicking and screaming all the way down??

I have a very picky male that only eats every few weeks, so I thought I would try live instead of the usual f/t. I picked up two live mouse pinkies and grabbed some live rat pinkies for my female. She went right after them, but obviously they were alive as she ate them. They wiggled and squealed all the way down, and even after being swallowed. Is that normal, and is it hazardous?

My male still wanted nothing to do with the live pinky mice!

It's fine though FT is preferred. It doesn't appeal to some based on the visual effect but with pinkies being the food item, I don't see a problem with it. The sooner you can get them on FT the better, especially if they don't constrict when they move up to larger prey items that could cause damage.

They both have been eating f/t since they were hatchlings, but my male is stubborn about eating. He only eats every few weeks. So I thought I would try live one time. I picked up the rat pinks for my female just out of curiosity if she would take live after eating f/t for more than a year now. I prefer the f/t feeders, they are much cheaper than buying live all the time. I was just hoping I could get my male to eat more regularly.

Oh ok. I can see that point of view. Is your male holding weight? Still growing and gaining weight? He may be fine eating at the interval he does. Just realize he may just not be hungry as often as other snakes that you have experience with.

He isn't losing weight, but he doesn't seem to be making much in gains either. I'm not sure of their weights, but my female is nearly twice his length and girth....they are the same age. I know the females are naturally larger animals, but I would have figured they might be a little closer in size.

They are 14 months old and my female is around 21-22 inches and the male is 11-12 inches in length. I believe they were around 7 inches when I got them back in July of '06.

This just might be in his personality. He doesn't like to be handled, while my female loves being held.

Rob,

It isn't odd as far as size, in hogs the female may be 3-4 times the weight of a male. I'd say one of the most extreme gender differences by size. You will see yours seperate even more so size wise.

Originally Posted by romad119

Rob,

It isn't odd as far as size, in hogs the female may be 3-4 times the weight of a male. I'd say one of the most extreme gender differences by size. You will see yours seperate even more so size wise.

Agreed. First time I ever saw a male (I bought my female when she was adult already) I couldn't believe the storekeeper when he said the male was an adult - I was convinced it was a juvenile.

I think male snakes of any species (so I have heard) tend to eat less than females. My male crawl cay boa only eats once every 3 weeks (sometimes 2 1/2) - try and give it to him before and he just refuses. Sometimes he used to take it just to please me but next time I look it was dropped on the ground