stupid feeding errors......

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Posted by amy on April 08, 1998 at 00:18:51:

The past 3 hours have been very eventful for me. I made my trip to the rat store to buy food for my snakes. I bought my usual amount of animals, 2 medium rats, 2 mice and 1 large frozen rat. I got home, and started feeding my animals. My kingsnake, I feed in his cage. I fed him the first mouse, no problem. I fed him the second mouse, he struck, missed, latched onto the plant that's in his cage, and attempted to begin eating it!
After laughing at him, and informing him that he was not a vegetarian, and, even if he was, the plant was fake, I touched him near his tail, and he let go.

I should have taken that as an omen of worse things to come...

After feeding the kingsnake, I got my large boa out of his cage, and put him in the container I always feed him in. It is a large, 33 gallon rubbermaid container. I put a towel on the bottom, trying to 1) give him some type of traction and 2) try to keep him off the not-so-warm plastic. I thawed his rat, put it in there, and closed the lid.
I have fed him in this manner several times, and never had a problem. After about 15-20 minutes, I opened the lid, to check on him. He was just then getting around to paying any attention to the rat, so I closed the lid again.

I gave him another 20 minutes, then checked him again. I was annoyed to find the rat still sitting in the container, and it took me a minute to realize that not all was right...

I realized that although the snake had not attempted to eat the rat, he was in the process of eating the towel. After staring in complete disbelief for a few seconds, I ran up to my brother's room, to get my friend.
didn't even tell her what was wrong, it was rather difficult, at the time, to put it into words. I didn't think she'd believe me..."mindy, my boa is eating a towel". sounds too absurd, so I just grabbed her, and ran back downstairs.

She got ahold of one end of the snake, I got the other, and gently put some pressure on the towel, to see what would happen. The boa opened his jaws a little, and the towel slid right out, I was barely pulling on it at all...

I checked the boa, and he seemed to be having problems getting his jaw realigned. In fact, as I write this, I still don't think it is back where it should be. The snake, right now, is back in the container I feed him in...sans towel.
If his jaw isn't back to normal by morning, he will go to the vet. well...he will probably go to the vet even if his jaw is normal. I can't say that I have ever, in my entire life, had any experience with a towel eating snake.

Guess there is a first for everything. First, my kingsnake attempts to eat a fake plant. Then, my boa tries to eat a rather large towel.

I have learned my lesson, I can only hope they have learned theirs!! :)

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Re: stupid feeding errors...... mmike 7/06/98 (0)

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: The past 3 hours have been very eventful for me. I made my trip to the rat store to buy food for my snakes. I bought my usual amount of animals, 2 medium rats, 2 mice and 1 large frozen rat. I got home, and started feeding my animals. My kingsnake, I feed in his cage. I fed him the first mouse, no problem. I fed him the second mouse, he struck, missed, latched onto the plant that's in his cage, and attempted to begin eating it! : After laughing at him, and informing him that he was not a vegetarian, and, even if he was, the plant was fake, I touched him near his tail, and he let go. : I should have taken that as an omen of worse things to come... : After feeding the kingsnake, I got my large boa out of his cage, and put him in the container I always feed him in. It is a large, 33 gallon rubbermaid container. I put a towel on the bottom, trying to 1) give him some type of traction and 2) try to keep him off the not-so-warm plastic. I thawed his rat, put it in there, and closed the lid. : I have fed him in this manner several times, and never had a problem. After about 15-20 minutes, I opened the lid, to check on him. He was just then getting around to paying any attention to the rat, so I closed the lid again. : I gave him another 20 minutes, then checked him again. I was annoyed to find the rat still sitting in the container, and it took me a minute to realize that not all was right... : I realized that although the snake had not attempted to eat the rat, he was in the process of eating the towel. After staring in complete disbelief for a few seconds, I ran up to my brother's room, to get my friend. : didn't even tell her what was wrong, it was rather difficult, at the time, to put it into words. I didn't think she'd believe me..."mindy, my boa is eating a towel". sounds too absurd, so I just grabbed her, and ran back downstairs. : She got ahold of one end of the snake, I got the other, and gently put some pressure on the towel, to see what would happen. The boa opened his jaws a little, and the towel slid right out, I was barely pulling on it at all... : I checked the boa, and he seemed to be having problems getting his jaw realigned. In fact, as I write this, I still don't think it is back where it should be. The snake, right now, is back in the container I feed him in...sans towel. : If his jaw isn't back to normal by morning, he will go to the vet. well...he will probably go to the vet even if his jaw is normal. I can't say that I have ever, in my entire life, had any experience with a towel eating snake. : : Guess there is a first for everything. First, my kingsnake attempts to eat a fake plant. Then, my boa tries to eat a rather large towel. : I have learned my lesson, I can only hope they have learned theirs!! :)

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