Greetings,
Well here's a new one: my largest female appears to have been bleeding between some of her lower labial scales while feeding! As just mentioned, I noticed this while I was feeding her, and, since the prey is frozen/thawed, the mouse could not have inflicted an injury. Also the blood was very red and heavily oxygenated (fresh) so it couldn't have been from the mouse. The only thing I can fathom is that the skin between the scales was torn a little due to the stress of distention.
She is an adult feeding on hoppers so the prey was smaller than she can handle..... Beats me....
I am not too concerned though, just thought I would share.
Also, let me know if the pics work, I don't know if cogeco allows outside linking.
Cheers,
R
P.S. It is well published that
Heterodon has heavily vascularised mouths and the delicate skin is easily ruptured and this rupturing is under neural control (will bleed as part of the death-feigning display), perhaps she bled from her mouth and it dribbled down to her chin?? Who knows.....
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