FaunaClassifieds - Do Snakes typicaly play with their food??

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Do Snakes typicaly play with their food??

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!

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.

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"

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

I wouldn't call it play...

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

Quote:

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

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:

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.....

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

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.