BP Snacks...Any Such Thing?

[crash23]

I've got a ball python( about 2yrs old) and a buddy of mine has a burmeise(sp?) same age. He gives his snake a goldfish once a week< about midway between feeding mice. Is this a good idea? Seems 2 me the snake would be getting used 2 eating or even possibly looking 4 something 2 eat regularly. Just thought I'd ask ya'll, 4 brains are better than 2...

[BallPythonBabe448]

Is his burmese python the same size as your BP? If so, is burmese is severly malnurished or something. He shouldnt feed goldfish.

[crash23]

No Its About 3 1/2 ft. Mines about 2 1/2 . His is Kind of Scrawny though.

[BallPythonBabe448]

OMG! 3 1/2 ft.! Burmese pythons should be around 10-20ft. at 2 years old! WHat is he feeding?! Does he have eat!?

[sk8er4life]

yea that sounds about 5 feet off for a 2 year old burm!

[Kara]

OMG! 3 1/2 ft.! Burmese pythons should be around 10-20ft. at 2 years old! WHat is he feeding?! Does he have eat!?

10 ft, yes. 20 feet is really pushing it. 20 feet is more like a 10 year old
snake.

More on-topic, goldfish are a GREAT way to transmit parasites. Most feeder goldfish these days carry some sort of funk, whether it's fungal, bacterial, or internal parasites. Since Burmese don't eat fish in the wild, adding them to one's diet isn't a wise choice from a husbandry perspective - same goes for ball pythons.

A 2-year-old 5' Burm has obviously been maintenance fed...sometimes folks do this to grow a snake up slowly, and there's nothing wrong with that, but by the same token it's very important to insure the snake's dietary needs are being met. Maintenance feeding large pythons is a good way to hone that animal's feeding response - the keeper is constantly dealing with a hungry snake.

K

[BallPythonBabe448]

oops, I ment 10-12ft.

the burm is 3 1/2ft.

[alexrls]

yeah i noticed in petco that the BP and Boas had a fish in its waterdish and so did the ratsnakes and the gardner snakes but maybe thats normal 4 those species

[hhw]

None of those snakes should be eating fish.

Snakes aren't people and they don't need snacks. Attempts to treat snakes like people instead of snakes can only result in incorrect husbandry. Now, I'm not at all one to say that snakes should be kept a particular way, but I don't think there's any logical basis for giving snakes snacks. If you want to give a pet a treat, give it to your dog, not your snake.

[alexrls]

i hear ya dude