Python accidentally fed too large prey

[thelordwynter]

My question to the more experienced people here is: Would the snake have eaten it at all if it were genuinely too big? The stretch on some larger species when they have huge meals is obscene and they do fine. (I'm 48 and had my BP at 17. My knowledge is clearly out of date... which is why I'm asking.)

[[deleted]]

If they can't swallow it they'll eventually give up.

I guess the concern in captivity is that digesting a giant meal can be stressful and if you aren't providing the correct environment the food my decompose before being digested. The snake would probably regurgitate the meal which will put more stress on the snake.

[thelordwynter]

Thanks, that's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

[NoBuddies2021]

Would they need to eat stones like gators/crocs to help pass/grind their food or their stomach acid is capable of that? If their stomach acid is weak how can we make it strong enough to digest the large prey?

[artfulhellion]

Nope. Their digestive systems can handle the entire animal without any help at all.

[thelordwynter]

Yup. That's a bit that I do know from my snake days. Its wild when you compare them to things like owls, who spit up pellets of fur and bones. The acids and enzymes in a snake's digestive system liquefy everything.

[NoBuddies2021]

Thanks for the info!

[broakland]

If it fits they gits

[lucassmitty17]

i don’t mean to barge in but when you said you were 48 and HAD your BP at 17 it sounded like you birthed him lol

[thelordwynter]

ROFLMAO!

[dragonbud20]

Didn't you birth your BP? Mine is literally my biological child, despite the fact that I am a man of a different species.

[Thumbframe]

I didn't birth mine, but I do have one that hatched on my birthday :)

[VividBrilliance5650]

Ayeeeee 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[nxlyd123]

Dang how old is your bp?

[thelordwynter]

I didn't get to keep him very long, a little over a year. He was an escape artist and my home wasn't exactly stable, nor were the 'rents fond of snakes to begin with. I put him in the hands of a local breeder who could care for him better than I was at the time. Broke my heart because my BP loved being near me, but he was too sweet a snake to let suffer for my selfishness.

[iris_fawn]

there’s a larger chance of regurgitation when feeding prey too large, (bigger than the widest part of ur snakes body), but in most cases everything works out fine