# Snake eating the prey sideways



## Estherta (Apr 23, 2014)

I have had my snake for about a month now (BRB, 6 months old) and every week is a different adventure with her  and I am learning so much rapidly..

Today was feeding day and I planned to give her two pups because last week she ate one and I could not see the lump, plus it is slightly smaller than her body.

So I warm one up, leave it on the tank she goes straight away to it, but "walks" away after a bit (she has drop fed so far, apart from first time she stroke) anyways, after 10/15 minutes I pick it up warm it again and wiggle it, and strikes it really strongly coiling around it. And then she starts swallowing sideways, which she can't, too wide for her mouth and after a few minutes she retreats with it on a corner (a bit more hidden, under a roof of leaves I have for her, and she continues trying to swallow it, but can't, then after a long time- I left and come back- she is still with it and then starts moving around the tub, really fast actually, with a very open mouth and the prey in it stuck, she then goes to the water container, goes in, does a cobra stand, coils around the water container, and really, looks in pain and distress so here I panic thinking I have to dislodge it and I actually called the breeder but I couldn't get through. Anyways, to cut it short, she managed to swalllow it in the end by letting it out slightly and chew/soft so one side becomes softer and eventually it went in. Phew.... 

She hid straight away but since I planned to give her two, I warmed the second one and left in on the tub, I kept checking, 30 minutes later I could see she had had a go but left it there and an hour later it was gone  greedy snake! after her ordeal with the first one!

So my question is, could they get in trouble by trying to eat it sideways? I assume it is natural and they are designed by nature to know what to do themselves, but she was so stubborn! not way she was going to let it go to realign herself! so anyways I wonder if any of you had ever to intervene to help your snake...


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## SeanEK4 (Dec 1, 2009)

in my opinion, it will eventually turn it around. mine sometimes eats its rats arse first! he's not fussed!

if it really struggles, it will leave it totally. 

Sean


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## JRB 89 (Aug 5, 2013)

Yeah snakes can be pretty dumb sometimes but they always figure it out in the end. My male boa used to feed off his branch, striking the rat and then dangling down, wrapped around it and wondering how the hell he was going to swallow it. He managed to eventually lift the rat up and use his body as a rest to steady the rat so he could swallow it!


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## edgar1981 (Nov 6, 2007)

The little carpet I looked after for a while did that, he got the thing sideways and just chewed on it until it split. He wasn't very good at eating. 
These days I try to make sure the head is the warmest part of the prey, I defrost mine at room temperature and then dip the head in warm water for say 15 seconds or so. Seems to do the trick.


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## Hannah81 (Nov 19, 2008)

Sounds like she needs larger prey.


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## Estherta (Apr 23, 2014)

I like the idea of warming up the head a bit more, thanks edgar1981 for that tip :2thumb:


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

My hoggie used to always eat her mice sideways, until she moved up to bigger mice lol, some of mine still do but it's mainly because they're just too damn quick with striking and they seem determined to eat it the way they've grabbed it, either that or they eat it bum first :lol2:


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## Hannah81 (Nov 19, 2008)

AilsaM said:


> either that or they eat it bum first :lol2:


I have a carpet who forces large rats down bum first. :crazy:

Makes my eyes water.


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## Robynleanne (Mar 31, 2013)

My hog will do this 100% of the time. He always grabs it straight in the middle from the back, sits with it there for a minute and then realises he needs to flip it round!


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## Estherta (Apr 23, 2014)

Ha ha! at least it only takes it a minute to realise  not like mine that it took her half an hour


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