Size feeding question

[Starbuck]

eek, petsmart!! lol i buy dozens of mice at a time; i would need to take out a loan shopping there!! hahahahahaha Good luck with him!

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

That is one of the least informed statements I've ever heard. Please do some research and try again.
.

Lol. Really? I bet you believe snakes die from eating too large of a meal huh? I bet you also believe a regurge can be caused by a meal too large.

Pony up and show me where a snake ate too large of a meal and something bad happened.

[Aaron_S]

That's what I would consider a hopper mouse. It's the next size up from fuzzy it seems. I feed my rough scale sand boas, similar size to yours a small hopper or a couple of fuzzies.

Bigger meals, like the one you have is still fine. You'll probably see a shed cycle in a feeding or two of those as the larger meals will kick a growth spurt. That's purely from my experience and nothing but a lot of snake years to back it up.

[stephanbakir]

The list goes on.

[KORBIN5895]

Lol! I knew it! ( that you would use that picture)

You're disillusioned. Most people think that's from the claws tearing through (hence where the rip is) not because it's too big. Do some research and try again.

[stephanbakir]

"most people think"? who are these people...
Its well understood that when an animal eats a prey item that is simply too large, the item starts to go bad inside their systems (before their body can break it down). Generally its fine because in the wild some species have been known to feed on carrion, but it can hurt the animal.

Also, with a prey item that is too large, once swallowed the snake is pretty fragile, working with it, or even it trying to move around could hurt it pretty bad. Is there a risk? Yes, Is it worth it to put your animal at risk? not to me. I feed some pretty large food items... my 2 year old retic just ate a 10lb rabbit... but I dont push them hard enough to put them at risk. She is fine with that in her belly.

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

"most people think"? who are these people...
Its well understood that when an animal eats a prey item that is simply too large, the item starts to go bad inside their systems. Generally its fine because in the wild some species have been known to feed on carrion, but it can hurt the animal.

Also, with a prey item that is too large, once swallowed the snake is pretty fragile, working with it, or even it trying to move around could hurt it pretty bad. Is there a risk? Yes, Is it worth it to put your animal at risk? not to me. I feed some pretty large food items... my 2 year old retic just ate a 10lb rabbit... but I dont push them hard enough to put them at risk. She is fine with that in her belly.

Like I said do your research and you will learn a bit more of what people think about that pic. If it was too large of a meal it would've burst further back not at the thinnest part of the gator. It would've probably burst out of the side too.

As for too large of an item spoiling that's hooey too. I would blame that more on improper husbandry ( low temps) than I would on prey size. I feed my animals what's on hand and if I have a snake normally on mediums and I give it an XL I just bump the temps a few degrees.

Snakes have survived a long time with out our intervention because their instincts guide them to not eat when its too cool, if they feel threatened, the meal is to large. Gravid females prove the last point as I have seen many people claim a gravid female won't eat a large meal.

You claim my statement was uninformed but you seem to be the one lacking legitimate logic or proof. All you have is a photo you clearly misinterpreted.

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by valid

Added a pic. I had to buy a fuzzy for my milk any way- figured I'd see the size comp.
Think it's still ok?

I think thats perfect. I think larger prey is good for your snake but I also mix it up a bit. Sometimes I feed my female jcp 2 large rats or one jumbo or a small rabbit.
I also agree that a snake will not attempt prey that is too large but only if it is properly fed. A starving snake will attempt anything close and can hurt itself accidently by going a bit to big. Honnestly I think even in the wild this is very rare. The shot of the ripped open snake.... if you look at the rest of the bulge of the snake that gator was ok in size for that snake. A sudden awakening inside the snake or a last acting nerve caused the snakes death...not overeating.

[stephanbakir]

Who said females skip large meals when pregnant? I'd say half of the tics I've bred eat straight through their gestation period, they might skip the last week or two prior to laying but other then that they are ravenous... same goes for the carpets I've worked with

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Who said females skip large meals when pregnant? I'd say half of the tics I've bred eat straight through their gestation period, they might skip the last week or two prior to laying but other then that they are ravenous... same goes for the carpets I've worked with

My carpet doesn't eat when she is gravid. She eats like mad all summer but won't touch a meal from December until she lays. Ok let me clairify that with her eating one small rat this season but other than that she slithers away when I offer it and I offer it every 2 weeks.

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Who said females skip large meals when pregnant? I'd say half of the tics I've bred eat straight through their gestation period, they might skip the last week or two prior to laying but other then that they are ravenous... same goes for the carpets I've worked with

How many is that again? Also what do the other half do?

I only concern myself with boas. I can go dig up tons of posts where people claim their gravid female won't eat a normal size meal and they feed smaller. I can also get lots of posts where they won't eat period. My female was eating 2lb Guinea pigs but is now only eating 400g rats. She has refused anything larger. I'm pretty sure she is gravid.

[Corey209]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Lol. Really? I bet you believe snakes die from eating too large of a meal huh? I bet you also believe a regurge can be caused by a meal too large.

Pony up and show me where a snake ate too large of a meal and something bad happened.

Aren't BCC's prone to regurgitating from too large of a meal?

[stephanbakir]

5 females wanted food and couldnt get enough, 5 didn't care and wanted nothing to do with food, it depends on the female. Re carpets, all of them wanted food 6 of them. I'll check with a friend in the states who has way more animals and see what his numbers are, but I'm expecting it to be about the same.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Corey209

Aren't BCC's prone to regurgitating from too large of a meal?

Who says he owns BCC?

Go back to the kiddie table. Adults are talking.

[valid]

Thank you for the info c:
I don't plan on trying to feed my snake a gator any time soon -xP

nor would I try to to feed him any thing crazy large, I know he is obviously not ready for grown mouse yet but with him eating two 2 pinkies a week it might just be better to move him up one size.

Another new question time. My milk is a very finicky eater, and I was warned before I bought it that it would be hard to get it to eat f/t. I also know that I Just got it, but it had not eaten for two weeks and I figured I'd throw one in just to see if it might bite. It hasn't - for the future (not with this one, as my boa just ate two days ago) when I get them on the same feeding schedule, and my milk won't take the f/t can I use it for the boa - I have head people suggest that cross tank feeding isn't a good idea .. (SOrry if that is difficult to understand, I am on my phone and don't have much time- I'll clarify more if needs be later tonight)