Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

[hwrobleski13]

I have searched all over the internet to see if anyone else is experiencing this weird act that my Colombian Rainbow Boa, Rudy is doing. She will loosely coil around the rat pup for less than 30 seconds and then start to eat it while the rat pup is still chirping and moving around. This goes on until she swallows it.

I guess I am use to my RTB's and Ball Pythons eating habits.

Unfortunately I haven't got a video of Rudy doing this yet but I will try this weekend if anyone is interested.

Has anyone else's snake done this?

[Pandorasdad]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

Unfortunately I haven't got a video of Rudy doing this yet but I will try this weekend if anyone is interested.

Thanks, but no thanks. Not that we don't know it happens, but we really try to keep that to a minimum around here.

This isn't really all that un-common. Many species of snakes don't bother killing prey first. It's less of a concern while the prey is young and hasn't grown rat teeth. After that, it's potentially deadly to the snake. I'd make the switch to frozen/thawed sooner rather than later.

[hwrobleski13]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

Yes, I am currently switching over to f/t.

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[mrivera78]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

What he said...

[Jrock23]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

If I were you, I would definitely switch to frozen thawed. I also have a female Colombian rainbow boa, although she is a great eater, I've never seen that kind of behavior from her.

[jOHNNY t]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

I have seen similar behaviour wit F/T. Once in a great while, they will just take it and swallow it. I'm sure you all have seen that.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

Not rare at all. When a snake (not only boas) perceive that the prey is essentially harmless, they waste neither time nor energy to constrict, they just swallow it. It's a survival skill for life in the wild...the more time a
snake spends on dining, the more it risks attack from predators while it's preoccupied.

I would likewise encourage you to feed only dead prey, either f/t or freshly killed. Mistakes happen & snakes DO get injured from live prey.

[Morrisr]

Re: Colombian Rainbow Boa eating rat pup alive

I've never seen it, but my yearling boa usually eats from the tail end first. I have a bp that's done it once, but this boa is almost consistent!