Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

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Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby vuduman » Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:03 am

Two days ago was feedingtime for my two green mambas.They are captive bred adults by now and in perfect shape.
The cage is about 1,8m high by 65cm wide by 1,3m long and has plenty climbing branches and a trapbox on the top corner.
Usually I just leave the thawed rats on a shelf in the cage and they will dissapear in a moment.Nothing goes unnoticed by them in the cage.

Today I walk into my snakeroom to an unbearable smell of a rat on a heatpad.I looked in all the cages and couldn't find anyhing.A few hours later I went back to the room to have another look.
And to my amazement,caught in the act is one of the green mambas greedily eating the decomposing swollen body of the rat that must have (unnoticed by me)fallen to the floor.It was allready halfway down his mouth ,so I just stood and watched.

I have seen fossorial snakes (ie Natal blacksnakes and Stilletto snakes) and cobras feasting on carrion,but not a green mamba.
They are accustomed to thawed food ,but this was really long gone.
The plus side is that I don't have to clean it up, but I am a little concerned that it might regurge the meal?
Just thought it was worth sharing.
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Smeegle » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:23 am

That sounds very unusual, but I have a sneaky suspicion that you will be finding that rat on the floor again soon;)
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Eyelash » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:35 am

Very interesting man...
One of the Black mambas took a decomposing rat that one of the others dropped into their water about a week ago. It was also well gone by the time I noticed and wanted to take it out but couldn't because one of the big girls was right next to the bowl at the time, when I got back to the room about two hours later it was gone !?
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Bushviper » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:23 am

I have seen this before and it does not make sense. I have even had a snouted cobra eating faeces. Not once but twice. I had to force the snake to regurgitate it and remove it completely as I dont think this is healthy.

Why do they not eat the food when it is offered?
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Smeegle » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:44 am

Bushviper wrote:I had to force the snake to regurgitate it


Just out of interest, how does one force a cobra to regurgitate?
One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby vuduman » Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:16 pm

Smeegle wrote:
Bushviper wrote:I had to force the snake to regurgitate it


Just out of interest, how does one force a cobra to regurgitate?


Stick your finger down his throat? :)
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Bushviper » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:45 pm

Nope grab it and irritate it while putting gentle pressure on the stomach area. You dont want it to come out too quickly and hurt the animal. Not recommended when you are alone or dont have a tube for the sharp end.
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Loslappie » Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:22 am

Ive got a particularly foul tempered Snouted. I feed them and the following day this snake was going mad trying to strike the glass, bearing in mind that he has 2 hide boxes.
He ended up regurgitating the rat, going nuts.. I left the room and came back about 10 min later to clean the (by then foul smelling) rat, and the bugger had eaten the rat..
Similar thing with one of my Black Mambas
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby vuduman » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:04 pm

Well.good news for me.The rat the mamba ate is digested and deficated without any complications :)
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Re: Dendroaspis angusticeps scavenger?

Postby Unforgiven » Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:34 pm

Most people know that in the wild any snake will naturally eat whatever comes their way, dead or alive(hence the reason you can feed them thawed mice/rats)

Maybe the snake was just using its natural instinct
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