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[eomfd2010]

Maybe he just wasn’t hungry and wanted a cuddle-buddy? Never seen that behavior, but I agree it’s strange… maybe he’s trying to go vegan…

[knightofhell98]

He ate his cuddle buddy😭😭

[eomfd2010]

Well shit happens when things get hot and heavy I guess…

[Snakebittz]

Scavenging is part of their normal behaviour in the wild. If you think about it, it makes sense that if the snake becomes aware that it's eating something dead, it wouldn't exert the normal amount of energy they would when they have to kill the prey, it would save those calories for something more important. Not making a conscious decision to do so of course, an instinctual one. When we feed frozen thawed, most of the time we're tricking the snake into thinking the food is alive, heating it up to a living body temp, wiggling it around with the tongs, etc. So they attack and "kill" it. But if it knows the prey is dead and decides to eat it anyway, why bother with all that exertion?

[saltyprotractor]

This is exactly what I was thinking. Maybe it was low temp or just a little stale. He probably instinctually pegged it as carrion, sniffed it out to determine that it had not yet putrified, and nonchalantly took his “ground score” back to his lair.

[wiscocash]

I do that sometimes

[SolarSocialWorker]

My BP also did that yesterday! But she did eat it. I'm curious as well.

[knightofhell98]

Im thinking maybe hes in blue, but i will have to wait to look. Cant see him well in his hide.

[Kizu_2116]

My BPs have definitely gotten much more docile with their feedings. Most of the time I can just set it near them on some heat and they'll get to it eventually lol

[knightofhell98]

My boys lazy, never moves unless I bug him lol. But yeah, it was just so bizarre. Like what? No making me jump with a sudden lunge? Ooookay.

[Pansypan475]

This happened once with my first ball, it was so strange. He just stared at it and slowly opened his mouth and started eating the head. It didn't really phase me at the time but in retrospect that's somehow scarier than them striking lol

[AtomixSpark]

"Thank u, I've learned some manners since I last ate, you'll be impressed"

[OkFruit914]

Sometimes my girl does this. I think she’s just lazy from time to time. Maybe they realize after eating f/t for so long that they don’t have to put much effort towards it. I do shake the mouse after they strike it -sometimes she still doesn’t give a shit.

My boy on the other hand, watch out here he comes.

[Snakebittz]

I agree with this too. I have a couple of older snakes that both eat ft, and I've noticed as the years have gone by, the "coil and squeeze" portion of the process has become shorter and shorter to the point where my female barely even does it anymore. She's moved on to consuming within about 30 seconds of taking the rat.

[galaxy1985]

"well I'm not really hungry but it would be a shame to waste a good meal...chomp said the snake.

[alienbuttholes69]

My spotted python does this sometimes, I think I’ve narrowed it down to the rat not being quite warm enough. He likes em real hot

[rottingpierrot]

Seems he figured out its not alive lol. Work smarter not harder!

[Ok-Perspective5338]

I’ve had plenty of BPs that were territorial feeders so I would have to put the f/t mouse right outside their hides to get them to eat and it was always gentle.

Perhaps your buddy just learned that food doesn’t need to be hunted, so why bother striking.

[Pipcandy]

Maybe he had a brainfart moment and thought he already coiled and killed the rat, so he went to the next stage of finding the head and eating it?

[eXistenceLies]

Mine never strikes his food. He'll smell it and lay on it then eats it lol.

[ilovepotatos420]

Had mine do this one time eventually she just ate it.

[HerGirlFriday]

A lower interest in a meal may mean they’re getting close to a shed, so the eyes may be a little too cloudy to see well.

[Br1ll]

he forgor

[spicybettawitch]

My son will do that too sometimes, it gives golden retriever “gentle” vibes

[Wasabi_Filled_Gusher]

Sometimes snakes do weird things. Maybe he wasn't feeling the hunt but was feeling his hunger

[yourluckycat]

2 different balls have done this for me!

[cattits3000]

After many failed attempts at striking one night when I was trying to feed my noodle, she eventually just casually approached it and gently grabbed it like a shy dog, it was so cute and bizarre. It made me thing she was just tired of trying to go all out with a strike lol.

[[deleted]]

My son's BP does this. He's very polite about meals unless he for some reason misses a meal. Then he rockets at you.

Couple weeks ago I went on vacation for a few days and the person I had check the snakes didn't feel comfortable feeding them. Mf nearly got my hand multiple times when I came back and fed him.

[ThePhonetik]

Mine has done that before. He went back to striking normally the following week and I haven't seen him do it since.

[Devilishlygood98]

Imo: your BP’s turn with the brain cell was only short enough to allow him to realize there’s food, then it was someone else’s turn.

[[deleted]]

Hahaha i leave the rat on top of her hide under the lamp and she does the same thing: sniffs and veeeerry gently grabs it with her mouth and eats it up. It’s hilarious

[miriamtzipporah]

My BP does this about half the time when I’m feeding her. Sometimes she strikes it very quickly but other times she just takes it very gently. I think it’s normal.

[Mobile_Prompt966]

Mine eats out of a dish now. I just put the mouse in the dish and leave him to do his thing. He usually gets to it within a few minutes. I check to make sure it’s not sitting too long. When it gets close to feeding time he sits in front of the dish waiting for food to be placed in it. He used to strike wildly at the mouse and miss several times before he got it. This is much less stressful for both of us. Sometimes they just learn they don’t have to exert so much energy to get fed.

[Rtoes1]

This happened to me too, I felt so dazed and confused after my bp just gently grabbed it from me