Do Snakes typicaly play with their food??

[Leighanne]

I tried to feed Lickity again last night with no success. She has wasted 5 or 6 Mice so far. Pain in my butt. I opened the lid last night and she was looking very energetic and explorative wandering around everywhere. I had the Mouse by the tongs and dangled it in front of her and she just looked at it and kept going where ever she was going. lol

So I left the Mouse in the tank with her overnite. I feed right before I crawl into bed and remove it as soon as I wake up. She has only eaten once for me this way and I've tried it a few times. So as I'm falling asleep last nite I hear two loud thuds at separate times of her banging her body against the tank. I figured she was eating it. When I woke up this morning I found that she just drug the Mouse to the other side of the cage. Now I know Cats play with their Prey but was oblivious that Snakes did! Whats going on you guys?? Any ideas? :shrug01: Side note: I feed FT and could it have anything to do with Breeding time? Is it breeding time? Shes acting pretty goofy!

[Melinda]

I've not seen any of my snakes play. I really don't think they have that mental state of fun and play. I only see hungry, scared, grouchy, full belly and possibly a bit of exploration or escape.

She probably moved the food around by her body while she was exploring/trying to escape.

[LadyOhh]

I've had animals kill prey just on instinct and not eat it... They just weren't hungry, or too stressed out for what ever reason to not eat.

It happens... I agree with Melinda... It's not "play"

[NorthernRegius.com]

How old is Lucky?

My 2 year old female Spider hasn't been totally tricked into eating through this winter. She has been sporadic. She is also very active at night, looking for a mate no doubt (next year we'll see).

When my snakes hit winter fast, I reduce offering to every 10-14 days. If they eat a meal, I then go back to their normal feeding interval. I know what a PITA it can be to waste a rodent, but during winter it can happen. Best of luck with Lucky- Deb

[Scott Nellis]

but I have one male ball python that seems to enjoy pushing and nosing his f/t medium rat all around the cage. By the time he's decided it's food and starts swallowing, up to 30 minutes may have gone by.

Scott Nellis

[The BoidSmith]

Do Snakes typicaly play with their food??

Not-a-chance! Although the opposite holds true. Don't you dare leaving an adult rat, gerbil or hamster with your snake. Their supposed food will "play" with them to the point of inflicting severe wounds and eventually killing them.

Regards

[Leighanne]

Ok, ok, it was to early in the morning for me to think clearly about the situation, but it looked as if she was playing with her food. lol She tagged it twice then let go. Gggrrrrr!! I am feeling the emotional frustration to. She was a little underweight when I bought her and Piccolo wanted to starve himself so her not eating is upsetting. What a smack in the face from her to me! :rolleyes_

I don't have scales so I can visably tell she had been gaining weight, theres no more wrinkles, but I would like for her to keep eating. I've been trying ft small Mice, and she is between a year or two old. Thats my guesstimate. If they are supposed to grow a foot a year and shes about a foot and a half my educated guess is under two years. :shrug01:

No offense intended NorthernRegius but its Lickity not Lucky. lol Well shes not wrinkly and looking good still so far. I think I will give her another month of these games and then I'll try a live small Mouse to stimulate her senses since she really should be eating for me. What a pain in the butt if she decides she likes live better! The cricket keeper full of Mouses and having to care for them. Thats getting into to many Rodents for my liking! Gggrrrrrrrr! :angry:

[Cat_72]

Kristin, growing a foot a year is an estimate, different snakes grow at different rates..and I just measured one of my month-old hatchlings....and it is approximately 14 inches long. You have to consider that they don't start at zero and work their way up.....

[Leighanne]

Maybe a year old then? :shrug01: I can't give any approximates since she came from a Pet Store.

[Seamus Haley]

Leighanne, how many... of these anthropomorphisms and mistakes do you need to step into with both feet before you reccognize your own ignorance and do the right thing by rehoming every animal in your care?

You're not keeping species that have a high learning curve for most people. You're not doing anything new or exploratory with captive husbandry. You're just making mistakes that people stopped making sixty years ago because they learned that this kind of crap killed animals and you stumble from one idiotic error to another like a drunk crashing through a crowd and it just doesn't seem to sink in that you're doing things wrong over and over and over and over... How many animals do you need to have die, how many dumb screw ups does it take before you look at yourself and admit that you're not in a position to keep these species healthy?

You don't seem to know *anything* which would be okay if you showed even the slightest hint that you were actively learning and improving or at least understood that your ignorance existed to begin with and approached keeping with the right attitude. Frankly, you come across like an addict, obtaining new animals even though you can't or won't care for and learn about the ones you're already neglecting.

Give every reptile you have to someone who knows what they're doing and don't obtain any more of them until you've fixed YOUR inability to do right by them.

[Leighanne]

Ok Seamus, thats it! How about instead of rambling like an idiot YOU tell ME WHAT is it I'm doing wrong???! Tell me what exactly is wrong and I promise because I'm a good Mother I will think about rehoming them if your post is actually legit instead of herendous accusations. In THIS post. You can't just go back 400 hundred posts ago when I was NEW at this and take a bunch of my new learner posts and use them against me, so in THIS post what is wrong?? I'm not learning. Thats just the stupidest statement I've heard all freakin year! You remind me of one of my snobby old Lady Customers that THINK she knows it all when in fact she doesn't work here and has not a clue. Its fools like you that keep us "new" people from posting and learning!!!! Thanks for giving me the option to learn idiot!!

[Leighanne]

Seamus come out and play. Its not nice to not answer when called out. lol I asked you what exactly it is I am doing wrong with Lickity?? Out of the 15 animals I've owned all together only three have died. I have pretty good statistics don't you think?

[Cat_72]

That means 20% of all the animals you have owned have died.

In all reality..that's NOT a good statistic, Kristin.

[christopher66]

Not really,thats 1 out of 5 .
Those are not good odds.

[Leighanne]

In reality thats actually pretty good and also given the situations and how they died. Piccolo, ok that really wasn't great at all. The Scorpion Shao Khan died of old age I believe, and then one Rat who I had only had for two days. You guys no offense, but this an arguement between Seamus and myself. I want him to reply. I want to know, I want the proof of my not learning anything and how I am doing so terrible with Lickity. That must of been who he was refering to. Tell me Cat, Chris though because I am interested now. How many critters have you owned and how many have died? We are aware that they DO die.

[Cat_72]

You know, I honestly couldn't tell you how many critters I have owned. Between the rescue work I have done and the babies I have raised...there's a lot. I've lost a small share of the rescues that were just too far gone by the time I got them. A person breeding animals is always going to lose a few hatchlings or neonates, for whatever reason. If you want to count all of those, my success rate is still much higher than 80%.

As far as animals that I have kept and are MY animals.....hm. I lost my 20+ year old TB gelding a few years back.....that's the last I can remember.

[christopher66]

Its this non-chalant attitude you have that upsets people Kirsten.
I have delt with and seen more death in the animal world then you will ever be able to fathom.
And no i have never lost an animal in my care due to " improper husbandry ".
How are the plants in your house doing too by the way ?

[Leighanne]

Not much of a plant keeper. I don't get why you brought up plants?? The only death in this house I really blame myself for is Piccolo. So Chris you think I am wrong in thinking that? I guess I am a non chalant person if thats what you want to call it. I would of personally called myself high wired high stress, a perfectionist. I want a reason, an actual reason as to why I am SO terrible. I'm not getting it thats for sure.

[Leighanne]

Also Chris of course I couldn't fathom it. I am not a breeder and have no desire to be one.

[christopher66]

Im not a breeder either .