feeding tail first

[zu]

hows it going everyone...i read through about 8 pages to see if anyone wrote about this already, but if anyone did, i missed it. anyway, i'm a new owner of two baby ball pythons, Luscious, and the other one i just named Hit it from the Back...why you ask? well, he likes to painstakingly eat his frozen/thawed fuzzy mice tail first...this is the second time i've fed him (or maybe her?) and second time it's happened...he was fed in the store but the owner put him in a box to finish eating (he fed him a live fuzzy)...anyway, he regurgitated that, obviously cuz i handled him when i got home so that i could get his enclosure set up...ANYWAY...my question is is this behavior detrimental to the snake's health? and how can i change the way it eats...its really frustrating to watch...i just fed it and it took like an hour for it to finish...anywho...thanks in advance...its hard for me to get online so i can't check this much [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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[RevMojo]

It's not exactly bad for em...I'm sure they get the same nutrients no matter which end goes in first. The snake will figure it out eventually....but yeah, it can be frustrating to watch...

There's not much you can do about it. It'll either figure it out or it wont. At least it's not trying ot go sideways.

And welcome to RTB! Hope you enjoy us
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[DogVsRaptor]

My bp tried to eat a mouse a$$ first once (he took it that way)
but then he figured it out. Try feeding him/her f/t by shaking it
with a pair of tongs, that way it will almost guarantee the bp hits
the prey head on. It took my snake a few minutes to figure out
he killed the mouse by the wrong end, by he found the head and
ate him. (sorry for the misspelling, I'm drunk, but it won't hurt the
snake, just make sure you are feeding f/t.) (f/t means the prey
isn't alive, so the prey can't hurt your snake by biting and tearing
him up.

_________________
"Woke up this morning, and got your self a gun." From A3, the theme song
from the HBO show (my favorite series on TV) the Sopranos.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[LdyDrgn]

Nothing to worry about. My male Royal did that, too, his first feedings. He'll get it right one of these days, be thankful that he's eating at all! It may be tail first, but it's getting to his belly, and THAT is what is important. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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[SteveP]

I've had cornsnakes, kingsnakes, python, boas, etc. all eat dinner backwards and never found it to be a problem. This occurred most commonly with hatchlings or young snakes. As they get older they eventually figure out which end is up! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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[Dragon]

Some of our Boa's have swallowed small-medium rats side on with no ill effects so I really wouldn't worry about it.
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[Bry]

I'm not here to echo these people, but I agree with them. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I used to have a BCI that didn't seem to know that mice had ends. He NEVER swallowed a mouse starting at the nose, he rarely swallowed starting at the butt (maybe once or twice). His point of choice was the middle of the mouse starting at the spine and folding the mouse inwards as he swallowed. Only once have I seen him start swallowing a mouse at the belly. That's right, when he swallowed, the mouse's spine bent backwards, and he managed to get it in.

Bry
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	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[captainmorgan]

no worries....just watch to make sure he/she's not struggling with it...when he get's older he'll figure it out the little salad tosser....maybe you could rub the mouse's head in his own arse... [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]
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[XzyluM]

Nothing to worry about. It's all normal. My royal seems to go for the arse sometimes.
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[eddie]

Ahhh, its ok!
They are like us in wanting chocolate before dinner sometimes!

Just watch to make sure it isn't struggling any, you may need to help fold the legs ovr to get them started from time to time, but he'll figure it out soon!
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