I fed my goper a live hopper mouse, and all they do it start eating it, no coiling, why is that? Mind you it will be FT from here on out as I tried it and it works for a WC, just wondering what they do with larger prey?? Why don't they coil?

__________________
Happy to be Single!

I think if a snake is used to F/T then live food could confuse them or injure them. I have an albino kingsnake that does not coil around anything...just starts swallowing....beware for the safety of your snake!

__________________
Warmest Regards from Lyn

Hello,

If the snake is use to "still" prey, it has no need to coil. My snakes primarily constrict still, but they have eaten their prey without constricting.

Use some forceps or hemostats and make the F/T appear to be vividly alive. This is how I typically feed mine and they attack as if it were indeed alive.

__________________

I do that (the mouse dance), but my Sinaloan simply doesn´t care.
She grabs the mouse, if necessary waits until I stop..and then eats it.
But no coiling.

Perhaps she got the picture, and just waits for me to finish my act so I don´t get frustrated

__________________
Regards,
Joao

i cuaght a wild one and sure it's eaten live, so just wondering, but FT it is, just never seen anything like it is all.

__________________
Happy to be Single!

Snakes have been known to eat dead animals in the wild, so it's not unusual for them to have seen pre-killed animals.

If the animal poses no threat, the snakes will eat a'la Indigo - just grab it and force it down.

Another thing to keep in mind is that they are colubrids, not constrictors. Although they will constrict their prey if they feel the need to do so, they generally kill their prey by "overpowering" it. This usually translates to constrict, but if they can eat it without coiling, then they won't bother.

__________________
+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

yeah apparently so, this thing is just happy to be fed, can't tell I even fed it. But I wam feeding small meals once a week like usual and hope it continues to eat for me otherwise it's freedom time. I took it out last night and it moves widely, then calm down then wild again, give it time I know.

__________________
Happy to be Single!

Many snakes will consume young rodents without killing them first. They seem to know that the youngsters do not present a danger to them.

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!