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Does a snake really eat itself like the Ouroboros?
At some point you probably have the symbol of the Ouroboros, which is an image of a snake eat his tail. This symbol has been around since ancient times, possibly as early as 5000 BC. In different religions, the symbol has different meanings, such as eternity. However, the self-devouring serpent is not mere symbolism or a myth. As many snake owners have learned and many videos on the internet have shown, snakes sometimes eat their tails.
This is not often seen, but it is more common than one might think. While it may seem like stories of this happening are becoming more frequent, it’s probably only because people are now more likely to have the resources to capture the phenomenon. Even more people now own snakes as pets, and any increase in actual events could be due to this, as it is difficult to keep an artificial habitat exactly like a natural one, leading to overheated, confused or stressed snakes.
Why would a snake eat its own tail?
While the idea of an animal eating itself may seem horrific, the facts are that snakes aren’t the only animals that do it. Self-eating is common – and disturbing – in birds with injuries. However, the way snakes do it and why they do it makes them unique. No one knows for sure what causes a snake to eat itself, but there are several very plausible theories. Here are some reasons that vets suspect can happen to snakes.
Voltage / Temperature
One problem that animal experts believe can cause a snake to eat itself as a stress response is that their body temperature becomes too high. If you didn’t know, snakes are cold-blooded. This means that they cannot regulate their body temperature. Their body corresponds to the temperature of wherever they are. That’s why they bask on rocks in the wild. Have you or someone you know ever had a problem with biting your nails when you’re stressed? Snakes don’t have fingernails, so they have to find another way to reduce their stress. When exposed to stressors, such as getting too hot or unexpectedly encountering other animals, they will sometimes bite their tails and even try to swallow them. This can be harmful and even fatal to the animal, so if it occurs in your pet, it should be dealt with immediately.
Metabolism / False Hunger
Another reason this could happen is that when a snake’s metabolism increases for some reason, they may mistakenly think they are extremely hungry when they are not. If no other food source is available, which is generally not the case when handling a pet snake, they can only eat their tails. This false hunger could also be related to their body temperature triggering their metabolism, or it could be due to other factors.
Confusion / disorientation
A final cause of this behavior can be simple confusion. If a snake becomes disoriented, it may think its tail is prey and try to eat it. Again, the confusion itself can be caused by stress or temperature control issues.
Which snakes eat themselves?
There doesn’t seem to be a single species that eats itself before any other snake. The fact is that any snake kept in an enclosure as a pet can exhibit this behavior under sub-optimal conditions. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen to your pet is to keep your snake’s enclosure at the right temperature and avoid any kind of stress.
Can I stop my snake from ever eating its own tail?
To avoid this behavior, it is best to learn everything you can about the care and feeding of the snake breed you have or want to have. The most important facts to consider are: What is the optimal habitat temperature for the snake? How big should the snake’s enclosure be? What does my snake eat? How often should my snake eat? How much should my snake eat? Does the snake tolerate having other pets around?
What should I do if I think my snake is eating itself?
It can be very frightening to see your pet snake biting its tail. While it may not be, this can be a very serious and even life-threatening event if it lasts long enough for the tail to reach the digestive juices. If you find your snake this way and more than the tip of its tail is in its mouth, it should be considered an urgent situation.
If you get there when it first starts biting its tail, make sure the animal’s teeth are not embedded in its skin, then try gently pulling the tail out of its mouth. With many snakes this can be done by simply pulling the head away from the tail. With some breeds that may have hinged jaws, this method alone will not work. In this case, you’ll need to tap him on the nose, possibly several times, to release him before you can pull the tail out of his mouth.
If you are unable to remove the tail from the snake’s mouth, take the pet to an emergency vet immediately. If possible, find a follow-up vet who specializes in snakes, but taking the pet to a medical setting is a top priority anyway. The vet should be able to help remove the tail from the snake’s throat, assuming it has not progressed too far. The vet should also be able to tell you what steps to take to prevent the behavior from happening in the future.
If you manage to pull the tail out on your own, it’s important to take other steps right away to prevent the tail-eating behavior from returning. To get started, you need to cool the hose right away. You can take him to a cooler place, turn off the heat lamps, and also spray him with cold water to lower his body temperature.
Regulating the snake’s body temperature and keeping it cooler is the first step to try to prevent this behavior from ever happening again. This may mean reassessing the case to determine how to prevent it from overheating in the future. If the temperature seems right, are there other factors that could be causing the snake stress, such as other visible pets? If so, some sort of divider should be used so that the snake cannot see the other pet. Could anything else cause it to become disoriented? If possible, make an appointment with a vet to have the snake checked and discuss a plan of action to manage their temperature and stress levels.
Next one: 10 most beautiful moths in the world
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