- Joined
- Mar 13, 2007
- Messages
- 507
Its been a while since I posted so I thought I'd share this recent event with my snake.
While away at school my 6' carpet python got a chance to fast and loose a bit of weight. Four hearty meals in 8 months meant that he was hungry when I came home in June. He grabbed the rat with great entusiasm, but after a few minutes I was surprsed to see him completley ignoring it. I figured he was having trouble finding the head so I picked it up and he grabbed it again, only to let it go and slither away. This continued three more times until it was too late and I went to bed. In the morning the rat was gone so I was content.
Now last week, time to feed again. Another rat, an even more enthusiastic feeding response - two coils before I could blink, and again loss of interest. I waited a few minutes, picked up the rat but before lifting it 3 inches my carpet took it again, only to drop it once more. It wasn't until I came back a thrid time that I noticed my carpet was waiting next to the rat. This time I barely had to touch it with hemostats before he struck. After this I went to bed and again the rat was eaten in the morning.
I do not want to sound like some one who finds human intelligence in their animals, but I don't think its a strech to say that my carpet python was "playing" with his food. It would appear to me that he enjoys hunting and striking his meals so much, that he lets it go a few times only to let me pick it up so he can grab it again. Haha!
While away at school my 6' carpet python got a chance to fast and loose a bit of weight. Four hearty meals in 8 months meant that he was hungry when I came home in June. He grabbed the rat with great entusiasm, but after a few minutes I was surprsed to see him completley ignoring it. I figured he was having trouble finding the head so I picked it up and he grabbed it again, only to let it go and slither away. This continued three more times until it was too late and I went to bed. In the morning the rat was gone so I was content.
Now last week, time to feed again. Another rat, an even more enthusiastic feeding response - two coils before I could blink, and again loss of interest. I waited a few minutes, picked up the rat but before lifting it 3 inches my carpet took it again, only to drop it once more. It wasn't until I came back a thrid time that I noticed my carpet was waiting next to the rat. This time I barely had to touch it with hemostats before he struck. After this I went to bed and again the rat was eaten in the morning.
I do not want to sound like some one who finds human intelligence in their animals, but I don't think its a strech to say that my carpet python was "playing" with his food. It would appear to me that he enjoys hunting and striking his meals so much, that he lets it go a few times only to let me pick it up so he can grab it again. Haha!