Eating Styles

[RedSidedSPR]

My flame has a differet eating style. Strike at everything that moves I'm gonna have to start feeding him separately, he gets WAAAAY too exited.

[brain]

My flame has a differet eating style. Strike at everything that moves I'm gonna have to start feeding him separately, he gets WAAAAY too exited.

I have a T.radix from the ranch in green that has just that attitude when eating. He’ll take the pink violently.
Have of his viv mate just brush him … man he just goes wild running around with the pink still in his mouth.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yup. Thats how he is.

[ConcinusMan]

I have a T.radix from the ranch in green that has just that attitude when eating. He’ll take the pink violently.

My little mighty mouse (normal greenish radix) does that. He's all angry and doing the viper impression and strikes at his pinky parts very violently. He's something else.

[RedSidedSPR]

Man, I love that guy.

[guidofatherof5]

Thought I'd give this a bump for our newer members.

[ConcinusMan]

Man, I love that guy.

Unfortunately he had some kind of growth disorder. He just never grew much at all, and eventually died. Nearly 3 years old and still under 12 inches.

[guidofatherof5]

Bump.

[guidofatherof5]

I feed a lot of snakes. Most of that feeding this year has been to babies(radix). I've observed many eating styles and thought I would share the different styles I've seen and the names I've given them. Please feel free to add anything I've missed.

Eating Styles

#1 Grab and go: This is where the snake rushes in at first smell/sight of food, grabs a piece and heads to the other end of the enclosure.

#2 Focused/sit and eat: Here the snake simply sits at the food dish and fills up. They are not rushed or hurried. No stealing, no fighting, no interest in any other snake or anything else that is going on.

#3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief: Here the snake ignores the food dish and focuses on anyone with food in their mouth. They will travel across the food dish to attempt to steal food.

#4. Ambusher: This snake waits in the hide for someone to return with food. Once back to the hide they attempt to steal the meal.

#5 Gobbler/Gulper: These snakes swallow as much food as fast as they can. They are nervous and easily turn into a thief.

#6 Silent/invisible: These snakes seem invisible to everyone eating. They move in and out of the food dish. They are not challenged or harassed by anyone. They don't eat fast and never stop moving.

#7 Waiters: These snakes don't attempt to eat or show any interest in what's going on. They wait until the vast majority of the other snakes have eaten. They then slowly move in and eat. If a lot of activity returns to the food dish they simply move off and wait until things calm down again.

#8 Non-eaters: These snakes may visit the food dish or not. They may look like they are going to eat but then lose interest and move off. They may or may not watch others eat and show no interest in eating themselves. They do not show any aggression towards anyone eating. These are the snakes that are most likely to die from "failure to thrive". Aggressive feeding strategies are need to get these snakes started. It should also be noted that these snakes may not survive even if aggressive strategies are used.

* Non- eaters help: In my experience I have found guppies and earthworms(not night crawlers) to be the food items to ignite these snakes into eating. It should also be known that sometimes nothing works for these snakes as they are destine to die from starvation. I personally will euthanize them before this happens. I have also had non-eaters start eating and then out of the blue stop eating and die. I believe these snakes are developmentally behind and in the wild would have died much earlier. The bright spot is the fact some of them do live and thrive.

I thought I had seen it all until recently. The addition to the list is #4 the Ambusher.

Giving this a bump.

[jwolfe152]

the 2 i have that are eating takes a little shaking from the stats and then they got for it Amaunet takes it kinda slow but Ekoh strikes at it and unless someone is looking at him goggles it down but if he catches someone looking he will stop and stare till they look away