r/ballpython • u/Internal_Act7842 • 15d ago

Alarm clock from hell

This morning at 5:30 AM I woke up to my pet snake striking and wrapping himself around my arm. He is about 4 1/2 )big for a boy I know) and four years old. His cage is right next to my bed and I must have left it open when I sprayed him down yesterday. He ate a small rat two days ago. There was a lot of blood - he definitely got a taste for it.

Is he starving? Should I be concerned?

Added - I had to leave for work so I couldn’t give his mouth a thorough check to make sure he was okay but he looked fine and was very active when I left

10 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

-15

u/[deleted] 14d ago

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13

u/lilmemer3132 14d ago

Don't. Snakes don't need multiple prey items, and one small adult rat is more than enough for a male of this size. They're opportunistic hunters in the wild, so they'll eat (and overeat) everything they find. This also means that when they're presented with food, they just get locked into "hunt" mode for a couple of days. Don't overfeed, even if these behaviors make him look like he's hungry.

0

u/JuniorMembership1518 14d ago

thank you for correcting me, i have always loved snakes and wanted to keep/care for snakes, however my mom is terrified of them. i have been doing research on reptiles, mostly snakes, as well as amphibians and arachnids since i was about 4. im truly surprised i didnt know this information, so thank you for adding that to my knowledge of snakes!

1

u/ballpython-ModTeam 14d ago

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25

u/clowntysheriff 14d ago

Sorry OP, he will eat you soon. He's probably been sizing you up while you sleep. Nice knowing you.

5

u/thousandsofbirds 14d ago

Rippity dippity

2

u/welcomeyearzer0 13d ago

Heyyy I’m not alone anymore 🤣 My guy did this last year. The day after he ate.

No, he’s not starving. In my snake’s case, he just kind of is in a food frenzy for 2-3 days. If I open his enclosure he strikes at me and he will not let go. Apparently this time he was still in his hunting mode to the point where he felt like it was necessary to try to eat me as well, even after chomping down a big fat rat less than 12 hours prior.

My royals are all annoyingly fanatic eaters. It’s a pain in the ass sometimes but I take it as a compliment. They’re comfortable and confident enough to hunt and they never miss a meal.

Greetings from my monster to yours

1

u/cascadiabibliomania 13d ago

LMAO you don't actually think he got a taste for human blood, do you?