CornyBallPython: Don't worry about it. If he can't swallow it, he'll let go and try again another way. Once your snake has taken the prey item, it's better just to leave it alone. (Otherwise you risk stressing him out so that he doesn't eat, or you get bit, or he eats but is so stressed he'll regurge.) Snakes will manage on their own. Some snakes will still swallow a mouse butt-first, although it is MUCH easier for them to swallow head-first.
With a BP, you can be thrilled that he eats at all! Don't worry about HOW he gets it down!
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Originally Posted by Sean Boyd
I am going to get an emerald tree boa that is over 20 feet long and when it eats a rabbit or something its head can streach far!
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I've never heard of an Emerald Tree Boa getting longer than 10 feet (6 is usually the upper limit). Where are you getting this snake from? Are you sure it's an emerald tree boa? A 20-foot Emerald Tree Boa would be pretty frightening to me... they are famous for vicious temperments and giant canine fangs.
Before we bought our chondropythons we did a lot of research on arboreal boas and pythons. And I, personally, have never heard of an Emerald Tree Boa being fed rabbits.
Here's a very good website about ETBs:
http://www.corallus.com/caninus/index.html And about feeding they say: "Adult emerald tree boas should be fed smallish rodents. Most adult emerald tree boas between 4 - 5' will do fine feeding on a large mouse or small rat every two weeks. Some larger animals have been fed adult rats without problems as well although this must be watched carefully. Ideally, prey should be smaller than prey fed to a "regular" snake the same size as the snake."
I don't mean any disrespect, but this would be a most UNUSUAL Emerald Tree Boa.
