Snake eating it's self?

[KathandStu]

Hi everyone,

On another forum (Live Journal) there has been some discussion (with photos!) of a King snake eating it's own tail (up to the point of death even!). Now the snake in question is allegedly not hungry (having been fed a couple of days prior to the tail-eating) & is about 14 years old. Also it is an albino (though there was a second case with a "normal" King snake). Have any of you guys heard anything like this happening before? Or have any ideas as to why the snake would try to eat it's self?

Below is a photo of the second case (which lead to it's death) & also a link to the post on Live Journal.

I'm very curious as I have never heard of it happening before...

Kath

http://community.livejournal.com/snakecommunity/758491.html

(PS. I have no claim to this photo. Found on the Web so don't sue if I've infringed any copyright laws unintentionally).

 

[kel]

wow how bizarre

 

[NinaPeas]

That is just weird! You think the owners would try and stop it before it died.

You can see the very end of the tail coming back out of it's mouth..

 

[G1bbed]

Make a nice belt.

 

[KathandStu]

That is just weird! You think the owners would try and stop it before it died.

You can see the very end of the tail coming back out of it's mouth..

The owner (or actually the owner's sister) in the albino case has been trying a whole heap of different things to get the snake to stop going after it's own tail. It seems to be a reoccuring thing. I would hate to leave the house for a couple of hours & come home to find my snake has eaten it's self to death!

Interesting that it seems to be only King snakes....& not terribly common even then!

Kath

 

[Vat69]

Obviously this snake is the Ouroboros come to life!...but..oh no! Does this mean the end is nigh? I hope I come back as an heiress of some sort...


**Sorry I've not heard of this happening before, fascinating though. Thanks for sharing

 

[munkee]

Almost a Darwin award, this little guy was never going to make it to breeding age.

Very unusual to say the least.

 

[Jonathon]

last year someone posted a picture of their king brown (I think it was a king brown although I may be wrong) eating its tail. Im not sure what the topic was called so I cant seem to find it although im sure someone else will remember it and be able to find it.

 

[G1bbed]

^^

 

[Parko]

Bigguy posted pics on this forum some time back of one of his Red bellies trying to eat itself from the tail, it got quite far before he found it. Bigguy believed the snake was simply very very hungry, i was wondering if it weren't some form of mental illness.

Otherwise as Vat69 has alluded to the symbol of a snake swallowing itself by it's own tail is a very ancient religios symbol signifying infinity, rebirth etc. So it is probably caused by one of 3 things, the snake is really hungry, the snake has mental problems or it's the end of the world. Though in my opinion religion and mental problems are the same thing.

 

[G1bbed]

Haha.Celts.. didn't think of it that way! Prolly why there are no native snakes in Ireland.

 

[Saz]

A friend of mine had a dog who took a long time to realise that his tail was actually his, when he got excited it would obviously wag, and he would jump round and bark at it as though he didn't realise he was the one moving it, hehehe!! Used to result in some pretty hilarious tail chasing sessions!

Interesting story, poor little fella.

 

[shamous1]

Looks like a piece of ancient Asian jewellry

 

[scotchbo]

i recon it is just inbred up to it's eye ball's it has seriusly got some of mental disorder or maybe it has a sight problem andbelieves its tail is a rat

 

[Luke_]

Really!?!? I never would have thought!!!

I did hear a similar story about an adult maccie before last breeding season. I conveyed the story to a friend who was not overly surpised and was quite confident that this phenomenon occurs as a result of extreme discomfort, such as that caused by over heating. At the time I dissmissed them both as being crazy.

 

[Rennie]

It's one of those mythological hoop snakes that grab their tail and roll along instead of sliding! :lol:

But seriously, I heard about a two headed snake (king maybe,not sure what species) that killed itself because one head tried to eat the other.

 

[NCHERPS]

That is just weird! You think the owners would try and stop it before it died.

You can see the very end of the tail coming back out of it's mouth..

The owner (or actually the owner's sister) in the albino case has been trying a whole heap of different things to get the snake to stop going after it's own tail. It seems to be a reoccuring thing. I would hate to leave the house for a couple of hours & come home to find my snake has eaten it's self to death!

Interesting that it seems to be only King snakes....& not terribly common even then!

Kath

The photo posted above is of a corn snake, not a kingsnake, but the snake on the link is of a Kingsnake doing the same thing.
Kingsnakes do have a reputation for eating other snakes, they have even been known to eat Rattlesnakes in the wild, but it is uncommon for ratsnakes to eat either themselves or other ratsnakes.
Cheers Neil

 

[pugsly]

Parko the pic Bigguy posted was a king brown here is the thread

http://www.aussiepythons.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=8435&highlight=