Startled snake while eating?

[Amanda47]

Just wanted to share since this kinda scared me:

Short version- While eating, my yearling stopped moving with his mouth wide open and didn't move again for a long time. I thought he died mid-meal. He didn't.


Long version- I have a one year old snake, had him since he was four months. He's never had a problem eating, has taken every meal offered and ate it quickly.

Just now, I fed him a thawed fuzzy. He grabbed it and started eating like normal. About halfway through, he stopped with half the mouse sticking out. He was VERY SLOWLY working the mouse down, so slowly I couldn't really see him moving.

I thought I had startled him (I feed him in a separate uncovered container and sit nearby until he's done, always have) so I moved away about six feet and turned off the lamp.

At least five minutes after he stopped swallowing, I went closer to check on him. The mouse was just past his head and sitting in his throat area, but his mouth was still wide open and he wasn't moving.

I thought he died or something (suffocated?). He wasn't moving and wasn't closing his mouth. I touched his back end, and he didn't move. I didn't want to make things worse, but wanted to be sure he was alive, so I blew on him a little and he closed his mouth a little.

I decided to put him, feeding container and all, back into his viv. He finally closed his mouth (that was the worst part) and moved a bit when I picked up the container. I covered his viv with a blanket. I checked on him thirty minutes later and he was moving around like normal, mouse in his belly where it should be.

I guess I startled him while he was eating, I wasn't paying attention to when he stopped moving. Freaked me out seeing him not moving with his mouth open like that. I thought he choked on it or it was too big. I don't know if they can breathe when they have a mouse in their throat, or how long they can hold their breath. But he seems fine now.

Anyway, that's my story, in case it ever happens to anyone else :eek1:

 

[BSLMichael]

Lol! that's cute. Most-likely, yeah you started him. He froze in hopes that whatever the "threat" was, wouldn't see him.

 

[AliCat37]

It sure can be scary when they do that!!
Mine usually start backing up and chuck the mouse back up (not really a regurge, like a spit up) if I scare them. Once they are older, and they're busy killing their dead mice, I can actually pick them up and they get all defensive and try killing my hand and eating faster lol

 

[hypnoctopus]

It sure can be scary when they do that!!
Mine usually start backing up and chuck the mouse back up (not really a regurge, like a spit up) if I scare them. Once they are older, and they're busy killing their dead mice, I can actually pick them up and they get all defensive and try killing my hand and eating faster lol

My older ones will do that too! If I touch them while they're eating, they'll roughly push my hand away with their body. And if I pick them up, they'll coil really tightly around my fingers, like I'm their prey too.

 

[Chip]

Don't do that!

 

[proileri]

My older ones will do that too! If I touch them while they're eating, they'll roughly push my hand away with their body. And if I pick them up, they'll coil really tightly around my fingers, like I'm their prey too.

My snake has shrugged me off a couple of times, but I thought I've always imagined it. That is, until I saw a couple of rat snakes at zoo getting fed, and after feeding they rolled around the cage and shrugged each other.

Once I was actually trying to gently push my corn back into the cage after giving her a mouse on tongs, she wrapped around my hand and actually dropped the mouse to inspect the new 'prey' that had appeared. Apparently she decided that the hand was still a NOPE and returned to the mouse, but I didn't want to force her off and she finished the meal coiled around my arm. After swallowing the mouse she slithered off. But yeah, coiling tighter if the prey moves during feeding seems to be an instinct.

 

[ftcso]

My older ones will do that too! If I touch them while they're eating, they'll roughly push my hand away with their body. And if I pick them up, they'll coil really tightly around my fingers, like I'm their prey too.

I had this experience for the first time a few days ago! I just decided to try going from a fuzzy mouse to a hopper for the first time since I've had my snake. Once she began feeding and got down to his arms, she was positions JUST RIGHT, or WRONG, so that the mouses legs were held open in a hug position and wouldn't bend back so she could swallow it! I watched her struggle for what seemed like hours trying to get the two legs to go backwards and finally decided to intervene. I was already sitting right by her at the table so I lifted my hand and attempted to fold the mouses legs. She rustled her tail for the first time (I think she was frustrated with the mouse at this point lol) and moved backwards so I placed my other hand behind her to catch her. She pressed hard against my hand and kept trying to get the arms to go back. I got my finger to the mouse and started pushing on the arm, causing her to lift the mouse up in the air and do a 180 the other direction! She went over the hand I had behind her then immediately turned around again, wrapping up my fingers and squeezing like I never felt her do before. She froze in that position and I decided to try the mouse again. She didn't move at all and this allowed me to (WARNING) "break" the mouses arm! She gave it another go immediately and was able to make it past the other arm as well! I tried to free my other hand so she could eat in peace but she REFUSED to let go at all, even with the gentle prying of my free hand. So I let her finish up, which she did rather quickly, and she remained on my fingers as I carried her back to her little spot.

Needless to say it was the most interesting feeding experience I've had so far. Haha. I suppose to relate this to OP, snakes can be VASTLY different in temperament and perhaps your snake leans more to the side of caution when something doesn't seem right. I've read of other people describing something to the effect of "my snake refuses to continue eating if the wind even blows."

I'm sure he's fine. Just extremely cautious! For a clear mind and a healthy snake, see a vet. Perhaps even a quick call to a long time breeder could settle the question of "Does this ever happen?"

 

[rachow]

I took a zoology class a few years ago where I learns that when a snake eats, their glottis (opening to the trachea), actually comes out to the front of the mouth so that they can breathe even when their mouths are full of food. Maybe once he's bigger and less afraid, you can try to sneak a glimpse of it. I've seen it. It's pretty interesting. It looks like a tiny straw right on the bottom of their mouth. The snake and the mouse have to be in the right position, and if your little one stresses out too much, it might not be a good idea to try, but now you know. Evolution has designed them so that they "can't" suffocate while eating. Although I'm sure there are things that can interfere and cause a fatal accident.

 

[proileri]

I took a zoology class a few years ago where I learns that when a snake eats, their glottis (opening to the trachea), actually comes out to the front of the mouth so that they can breathe even when their mouths are full of food. .

Yep, glottis is basically an elongated trachea. It's fun to think that it's actually the same arrangement as with humans: the windpipe is in front of the gullet - and that snakes actually have a smarter version compared to humans, where they split at midpoint so humans can easily choke on their food :rofl:

 

[weerogue]

I fee mine in a separate container aswell and just leave her to it, but everytime I move she will freeze for a minute or 2 then carry on once she realises u are no threat don't worry perfectly normal

 

[Chip]

...so that the mouses legs were held open in a hug position and wouldn't bend back so she could swallow it! I watched her struggle for what seemed like hours trying to get the two legs to go backwards and finally decided to intervene.

In my experience, it is best to leave them alone while they eat -even if they are taking the prey item backward. They will almost always eventually get it, or just back out and try from the other end.

 

[Justine66]

yeah I'm gunna agree with chip!
I have had the exact same experience with the 'fatal super mouse arms" lol
and I did start to panic in my head but I held off and eventually after what seemed like forever he got it down his own..

they arnt as delicate as we tend to think,

 

[ftcso]

I feel like constantly being "hands off" in the way that I handle my corn will result in my corn developing a "hands off" attitude. I feed him in my hands all the time with NO issues, and I try to "startle" it every now and again to reinforce the "that-was-scary-but-nothing-really-happened" state of mind in hopes it may "harden" them up and I can move about freely without them fearing for their life every time I make a move. I certainly don't constantly stress them out and although all this may be unconventional... it's the exact same thing we've done to dogs and cats.

:-offtopic: Are there any corn breeders that focus on temperament?

 

[hypnoctopus]

:-offtopic: Are there any corn breeders that focus on temperament?

A member on here, Shiari, has a line she's working on called 'Sweetcorns' which are bred for sweet temperament.

 

[antek55]

yea i noticed my snake freezes up to when i go and look while he eats.. so dont look at him anymore.. i just continue cleaning his tank untill hes done then put him back. i feel like hell get nervous and throw everything up lol