BR: They bite it, then coil their body around their prey. CG: In other words they are constricting? BR: Yes and no. They don’t crush their prey like people believe they do. They hold the prey tightly so the prey can no longer breathe, hence the name constrictor. Once the prey is dead the snake will dislocate its jaw so it can swallow the prey whole. CG: How often do you feed Brownie? BR: Every week I give her one mouse because she is still small. CG: Does it matter if it is a mouse or rat? BR: Size matters so a mouse for a baby snake. At about a year and a half, then you can feed it a small rat. CG: I don’t particularly want a snake to be gigantic. Is there any way I can control the growth of the snake? BR: No. You can’t control it. A boa constrictor is destined to be a big snake. If you want a small snake get a Ball Python. I had a Burmese Python but they get big too. CG: Brownie has just shed her skin. What does that mean? And how often will that happen? BR: It means she is growing.