Another wild corn Q

*How* do wild corns eat?? I have three juvis, and none of them go into any kind of kill-mode when fed. They just kind of slither up, grab, and swallow. Do wild corns constrict, or what? They don't seem strong enough to kill by constriction.

- Victoria

Some very few babys dont constrict in the wild, I have never seen an adult that didnt. But im not saying there couldnt be one out there.

Believe me, they're strong enough. I think that most corns can tell a dead mouse when they see one, and don't bother to constrict it. If you want to see them constrict, you can try wiggling the mice around, and make sure they're warmer than room temperature. You may trick the snakes into thinking the mice are alive, and get to see some constriction.

Do you guys think it's likely that corns may scavange off of recently dead prey in the wild? I had 2 w/c corns, both took f/t pinkies right off the bat, no problem. No constriction either.

The snakes do know if their prey is dead or not...I fed my okeetee a live fuzzy rat one time, and he immediately knew what it was and constricted. He doesn't do that with dead rodents.

They might eat just dying on the spot but i doubt they can find dead prey that has been dead for ahwile and its not a very healthy meal so i doubt they would eat something older that a day.

I bought my amel. stripe as an adult and he consticts f/t mice until the juices come out!

I think it has as much to do with the size of prey as it does with the livliness of it. Think about it...a snake comes accross a mouse's nest. Is it really going to constrict the pinkies one by one, or just eat them like popcorn? Now, if mom comes home while the snake is still there, you better believe there's going to be some serious squeezing going on!

Some of my juveniles that never constricted pinkies or fuzzies, squeeze all their food items now that they're eating hoppers, weanlings, and adult mice. That's why I think it has to do with an ingrained reaction tot he size/type of the prey.

Just a thought.

I've seen a northern watersnake eating a fish so dead it was white and decomposing. And I remember feeding some long dead mice to mine as a kid. Not quite rigor-mortis dead, but dead enough to smell. Kaufield speaks of a similar experience in his books. Unlike him, I would neither do it, or suggest it now.

A wild corn probably would not waste energy constricting something that could not bite or scratch them. (like a small pinkie) But if the snake is targeting a grown mouse or bird, the corn could be seriously harmed or injured by a thrashing animal with big claws or teeth. That would make the snake need to imobilize it's prey imediatly, using constriction.

the Hillbilly just say that?