The Feeding.
Unless you can handle seeing baby mice die, I suggest not looking further!
First, I photographed the innocent victim. It desperately clung to the warmth of my hand, perhaps sensing the cold death it was about to endure. It wasn't hairy, and definitely smaller than the example the Vivarium guy had shown me over the weekend as something the snake could handle eating.
I placed the snake in her cardboard box, then picked the mouse up with my special tongs and wiggled it suggestively in front of her face. She totally ignored it, probably out of confusion and excitement about the box. So, I placed it upon the floor of the box. She began exploring, and noticed the mouse. After perhaps 15 seconds of slowly approaching, coiling her body into an s-shaped spring, and flicking her tongue to be sure it was food, the strike was lightning-fast. She coiled her body about the mouse. There was a pained squeak.
I missed her actually swallowing it. She just held onto it for the longest time, so I went out to get some water, and came back and it was already like 2/3rds of the way down her body. Now that I've witnessed the feeding, I'm pretty darn sure I can get her to take frozen mice. And her caution in making sure the thing smelled like food makes me feel a bit more secure about not getting mistaken for food. Also, since the thing was smaller than what she probably should have eaten, I will feed her a bit ahead of schedule next week. Er... but that lump in her body looks pretty sizeable.
She looks pretty satisfied with herself, and has spent the rest of the time exploring the warmest part of the cage, looking as though she's searching for something. Still hungry?
First, I photographed the innocent victim. It desperately clung to the warmth of my hand, perhaps sensing the cold death it was about to endure. It wasn't hairy, and definitely smaller than the example the Vivarium guy had shown me over the weekend as something the snake could handle eating.
I placed the snake in her cardboard box, then picked the mouse up with my special tongs and wiggled it suggestively in front of her face. She totally ignored it, probably out of confusion and excitement about the box. So, I placed it upon the floor of the box. She began exploring, and noticed the mouse. After perhaps 15 seconds of slowly approaching, coiling her body into an s-shaped spring, and flicking her tongue to be sure it was food, the strike was lightning-fast. She coiled her body about the mouse. There was a pained squeak.
I missed her actually swallowing it. She just held onto it for the longest time, so I went out to get some water, and came back and it was already like 2/3rds of the way down her body. Now that I've witnessed the feeding, I'm pretty darn sure I can get her to take frozen mice. And her caution in making sure the thing smelled like food makes me feel a bit more secure about not getting mistaken for food. Also, since the thing was smaller than what she probably should have eaten, I will feed her a bit ahead of schedule next week. Er... but that lump in her body looks pretty sizeable.
She looks pretty satisfied with herself, and has spent the rest of the time exploring the warmest part of the cage, looking as though she's searching for something. Still hungry?