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Really worried about tonight's feeding. Weird things.

Cassie16

Cassie16

New member
I went to feed my snow corn tonight, and a series of weird things have happened.

He has a branch that suctions to his tank.It''s his favorite place to hang out. I feed him in the viv, but I place magazine covers over the aspen so that it's entirely covered. (I save every single magazine I've ever read, so I have a ton. It prevents him from ingesting substrate, and it's kind of fun seeing a snake eat off of a celebs face. Tonight it was Heidi Klum, but I digress). Anyway, he was on his branch when I put the mice in. As soon as he saw them, he came slithering after.

The first thing that really bothered me was his reaction to the mice. He went up to it, poked it with his nose, then lurched back,as if scared/shocked. I'm assuming maybe they were hotter than he expected? I'd been thawing them for a while in warm water. I lost track of time, so I threw another cup of water in the microwave for a little so I could he could eat them warm. It wasn't boiling water, but there is a possibility the mice where a little warmer than normal when I plopped them in the viv. Has anyone observed this before? What if the mouse was too hot? Will this have any repercussions? I'm very concerned.

He attempted to bring the fuzzie up on the branch, but ended up eating it with half his body on the branch, and the other half on the floor of the viv. At one point, there was a huge gush of blood. It was all over his mouth. This startled me even more. I have not seen this before, and my first thought was that he was somehow bleeding. It really freaked me out. What's up with that? Is that normal? He looks fine, and his mouth does not have any lacerations, so clearly it was the mouse, but why such a huge gush of blood?

He came down from the branch, moved around his tank for about five minutes, located the other fuzzie, and is now starting on it.
 
I just want to clarify, I didn't intend on eating the mouse with my snake after warming it a bit, as it sounded. I had two margaritas tonight at Chilis, so that's my excuse. lol.
 
I've had several experiences where I thawed a mouse in scalding hot water, and after my snakes constricted them they burst at one place or another, causing mouse blood/guts to come out. Maybe that's what happened?
 
I think that must have been it, Vicky. It's the only explanation. He doesn't constrict, though, but I guess the pressure of being squeezed into his throat could have done it. He reminded me of the joker with all that red around his mouth. lol.
 
I've had that happen before too. Maybe because I had the mice in the freeze for awhile and they had degraded a bit. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Cassie16 said:
I feed him in the viv, but I place magazine covers over the aspen so that it's entirely covered. (I save every single magazine I've ever read, so I have a ton. It prevents him from ingesting substrate, and it's kind of fun seeing a snake eat off of a celebs face. Tonight it was Heidi Klum, but I digress).
Click to expand...

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I lost track of time, so I threw another cup of water in the microwave for a little so I could he could eat them warm. It wasn't boiling water, but there is a possibility the mice where a little warmer than normal when I plopped them in the viv. Has anyone observed this before? What if the mouse was too hot? Will this have any repercussions? I'm very concerned.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the mouse wasn't in the cup when you put it in the microwave...right? I use a Temp Gun to check the temp of the mice before I feed. I usually aim for somewhere in the 90's; that's the typical body temp of a living mouse anyways.

At one point, there was a huge gush of blood. It was all over his mouth. This startled me even more. I have not seen this before, and my first thought was that he was somehow bleeding.
Click to expand...

This is not a regular occurrence to my knowledge, but its not uncommon either.

If you don't have a name picked out yet, may I suggest "BLOOD BATH!!!":devil01:(exclamation points must be included in his/her name if this name is adopted)?

But on a more serious note, your fine, and so is your little fella. If the mouse was in the microwave it could possibly explain the exploding mouse.
 
What Vicky said. The mouse was probably overheated (or frozen for too long), which caused the mouse to explode. I had it happen one time with a pinky, but it happened prior to the snake getting to it. It was disgusting, to say the least. Fortunately for us, they don't seem to care if their mice explode for the most part.

I would suggest just using the hottest tap water you can, instead of heating the water in the microwave. For a weaned or adult mouse, I usually just leave the mouse in hot tap water for 10 minutes or so, and 5 or so minutes for a single fuzzy or pinky. It really doesn't take long to thaw them in hot tap water.
 
To be honest, any mouse that goes down the hatch and stays down, is a Win!

I'd go for hot tap water next time as well.
 
Sounds like the mouse exploded in his mouth because it was so hot.

this is what I do: I take a bowl and put cold water in it.. then take a cup of water and put in microwave for two mins.. take it out and dump it in the cold water. I have the mice in a sandwich bag which I put into the bowl with the hot/cold water and thaw it out by submerging the mice and holding it down with the cup. I leave it there for about 10 mins and then go back.. take out the plastic bag with the mice in it and gentle squeeze to see if they are thawed out all the way through.. I then give it to the snakes. They are a little hotter than luke warm when I feed it to them.
 
This is what I do: put mice in a bowl, put bowl under barely-running hot water for a while, when the mice are completely thawed, remove, fluff with paper towel, feed. I want the mice to be about 100F when I feed them to the snakes.
 
I've had an adult mouse kinda burst it's belly when we heated it. Disgusting, but the snake didn't mind (I was patting it dry at the time...I'd thawed directly in hot water because I was out of baggies).

And we have one snake that persistently headbutts/faux strikes her food before finally taking it. I think we did feed her one that was a bit too hot back when we first got her, so she always checks the temp before digging in now ;)
 
BigByrd47119 said:
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:



Just to clarify, the mouse wasn't in the cup when you put it in the microwave...right? I use a Temp Gun to check the temp of the mice before I feed. I usually aim for somewhere in the 90's; that's the typical body temp of a living mouse anyways.



If you don't have a name picked out yet, may I suggest "BLOOD BATH!!!":devil01:(exclamation points must be included in his/her name if this name is adopted)?
Click to expand...

I didn't put the mouse in the microwave. I can't stand dried food on the sides of a microwave, let alone mouse guts. lol.

I actually am thinking of changing my snakes name, but I don't know if I'll go with "BLOOD BATH!!!" haha. The exclamation points remind me of my hometown; when I was six or so, whoever was in charge of the city decided to officially change the town's name from plain old, "Hamilton" to "Hamilton!" It was so ridiculous, and after about a year, they changed it back.

It's kind of hard to make a snake's name stick, I've found. Since you can't exactly call a snake like you can a dog, I find that I don't use the name enough. It was originally "Pyry" (pronounced pie-ree), but when I type it out, my autocorrect always changes it to "Pyre", which is not fitting for a snow morph at all. I've been thinking of the name "Pangaea" (Pan-gia, it's the name of the original continent on Earth, before it split up into the Americas, Europe, etc.) But then I'm thinking I should save that name for the future. If I ever get a snake with a pattern where the saddles connect (I thought I've read that they have those- unsure of the name, though), Pangaea would be way more appropriate. I could then have snakes called, "Pan" and "Pie", and that would be rather cute. Ok I've gone off on huge tangent now.

To everyone else, thanks so much for reading this and providing input. It's good to know that nothing abnormal occurred. I also think it's pointless for me to put the water in the microwave if hot water will suffice just as well.

And how do you take the temperature of the mice, Nanci??

Also, it seems as if some people thaw in plastic bags and some thaw the mice "naked". Is one better than the other? I don't thaw in plastic bags, and so the mice are wet when I feed them.
 
Cassie16 said:
And how do you take the temperature of the mice, Nanci??

Also, it seems as if some people thaw in plastic bags and some thaw the mice "naked". Is one better than the other? I don't thaw in plastic bags, and so the mice are wet when I feed them.
Click to expand...

I use a Digital Temp Gun like you would find at any local hardware store.

When I was first buying f/t mice I got them from PetSmart, which means the mice were "Arctic Mice." They come in little baggies already and the directions suggest that you keep them in there. However since moving on to bulk I have stopped using baggies. I simply wipe them down a bit.

I think the biggest reason they suggest you use baggies is because many new owners will feed in the tank/tub/Viv. A wet mouse is far more susceptible to picking up substrate causing the snake to ingest it as well as the mouse.

Cool names by the way. Pangaea would be an awesome name for a Miami! Of course I just love Miami's in general so any name would be fine so long as its a Miami! Oh bother, we are off topic again...
 
BigByrd47119 said:
I use a Digital Temp Gun like you would find at any local hardware store.

When I was first buying f/t mice I got them from PetSmart, which means the mice were "Arctic Mice." They come in little baggies already and the directions suggest that you keep them in there. However since moving on to bulk I have stopped using baggies. I simply wipe them down a bit.

I think the biggest reason they suggest you use baggies is because many new owners will feed in the tank/tub/Viv. A wet mouse is far more susceptible to picking up substrate causing the snake to ingest it as well as the mouse.

Cool names by the way. Pangaea would be an awesome name for a Miami! Of course I just love Miami's in general so any name would be fine so long as its a Miami! Oh bother, we are off topic again...
Click to expand...

Oh no, now I'm going to be tempted to go out and buy a temperature gun. I need to stop getting on these forums. It influences me to buy too many things for my snake. lol

Arctic mice is actually the brand I'm using. They're kind of expensive for what you end up getting. I need to start ordering in bulk, I just don't know how long I'll be on fuzzies, and if it will be worth it. I guess once my scale comes in I'll have a better idea.

I didn't notice on the box that it directs you to leave them in the baggies. Probably because I was too amused by the fact that the box reads, "not for human consumption!" as if that's been a problem in the past.

I just looked up the Miami phase, they are really neat looking! The more corn snakes I see, the more I want another one. And another. These things are addictive..
 
I'm totally with u on the point about them being addictive. I hav just 1 corn snake right now. An amelanistic butter corn called 'Popcorn'. I've had her 4 about 2 1/2 weeks so I'm new 2 the snake world, but already I am dying 2 get anuva 1. She is my snake technically so the next 1 will b my hubby's 'technically' ;-) lol. I'm gonna hav 2 wait a while yet anyway cos we really don't hav the space 4 anuva enclosure yet. When we get our own place then I'll work on my hubby again :p lol.
 
Just last week i was feeding my own boa and put one of the thawed out frozen mice in her feeding tank with her.
She nudged it and then went after it, and wham, all of the insides of the mouse came out.
It was really nasty and my snake let go like "eww its leaking".. but after I put a blanket over her feeding tank and got everyone out of the kitchen (we are feeding them in the kitchen for now), she ate it right quick.
 
toxiclight said:
Welcome to the world of cornsnakes ;) They're like pokemon...gotta catch (have) them all :D
Click to expand...

Sorry for the double post.

But THIS.
This this and more this.
Every time i see another corn snake im like "omg that is so awesome, WANT".
But i try and hold back knowing that im going to have enough on my plate when the weather clears enough for the shipping of the two im getting this week.
Its just one of those things. :rolleyes:
 
haha, what a prissy girl! I can't say I blame her, though!

I've noticed sometimes the mice get bloody little noses after they thaw a bit. That part actually makes me a bit sad for some reason. I guess I like to think of them as "slabs of meat" much like anything I would eat, but the bloody noses makes me admit that they're still whole.

Actually, I'm going to go so far as to say that I think the frozen mice are adorable. (except for when they're exploding..haha) I always mentally "thank them" for their services. I can't help it. They've got fuzzy little whiskeys and pokey little noses.

I don't know how anyone could feed live. Aside from the obvious debate, I think I would cry my eyes out having to witness that.
 
I'm sooo with u cassie. My corn is still young & so she's eating pinkys right now & everytime I take 1 out of the freezer 2 defrost I kinda look @ it's lil nose & lil tail & think 'aw! I'm so sorry lil pinky mouse'. I, like u, wud hav a real problem feeding live mice. It's probably partly because I actually had pet mice a few yrs back. I hav 2 tell myself th@ I eat meat & so does my snake so feeding her is no different than feeding myself. End of the day I want popcorn 2 b happy & healthy & vegetarianism is not an option so feeding her mice is just a fact of life. Oddly I find it fascinating 2 watch her eat tho :-/ lol. Yeah I'm a bit weird aren't I?! Lol :p
 
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