Need some help with possible Myths???

[Pyth0nParalyze]

Alright i'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was talking with an in-law the other night about snakes, and this is what I want to know:

1.) Will feeding a snake too much cause it's lifespan to be shortened? I was telling my in-law how our BP will eat three mice back to back in one feeding, and this has been three mice PER WEEK in the same day (our BP is pretty healthy as it is, not to mention pretty young, every time we drop a feeder in it always strikes). If this is the case, then what's the limit on how many mice to feed your snake in a week's time? Because like said, every time we drop something in, it always strikes at it, guaranteed, since our BP has a HUGE appetite just about all the time.

2.) If a snake's tongue doesn't flicker on a constant basis, does that mean it's sick? My in-law said that a snake's tongue needs to be flickering all the time. Our BP's tongue flickers, but not 24/7. It'll flicker when something comes near the tank, something's in the tank, when there's a presence nearby, or when its slithering around. Our BP is, once again, pretty healthy in general, but its tongue doesn't flicker as much as my in-law says it should.

[blackcrystal22]

Alright i'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was talking with an in-law the other night about snakes, and this is what I want to know:

1.) Will feeding a snake too much cause it's lifespan to be shortened? I was telling my in-law how our BP will eat three mice back to back in one feeding, and this has been three mice PER WEEK in the same day (our BP is pretty healthy as it is, not to mention pretty young, every time we drop a feeder in it always strikes). If this is the case, then what's the limit on how many mice to feed your snake in a week's time? Because like said, every time we drop something in, it always strikes at it, guaranteed, since our BP has a HUGE appetite just about all the time.

2.) If a snake's tongue doesn't flicker on a constant basis, does that mean it's sick? My in-law said that a snake's tongue needs to be flickering all the time. Our BP's tongue flickers, but not 24/7. It'll flicker when something comes near the tank, something's in the tank, when there's a presence nearby, or when its slithering around. Our BP is, once again, pretty healthy in general, but its tongue doesn't flicker as much as my in-law says it should.

I think your talking about power feeding in #1. There have been studies that have shown possible heart problems and growth issues with snakes who have been powerfed. Though, my understanding of powerfeeding is feeding too much in one sitting as WELL as feeding that same amount every couple days with no real downtime for the snake to digest and rest.

Secondly, snakes don't flicker their tongue all the time. They don't do it very much during the day when they are often sleeping or hiding, but when they smell food or a person walk by, it can increase.
Unless the snake is visibly awake, and you've stared at him for a very long time with no tongue, then there could be an issue. Also, in my experience, balls flicker their tongues less than my boas and colubrids do.

[eMonk]

1) sure overfeeding can shorten its lifespan. they can get obese just like us humans. i'm sure u know they rest so i don't need to explain more.

2) my bp use to flicker her tongue all the time when i moved her into her new home. its been a week now & she doesnt do it that much anymore as she knows her surroundings now. it sometimes will increase like blackcrystal22 said when food is near or someone walks by etc.

with that said, it is a bad sign when bps don't flicker at all but i'm sure there are more signs that go along with it.

[wolfy-hound]

I've heard it more in boas than balls, but the overfeeding can cause fatty deposits in and around the organs. With this, it might not appear obese, or you can cut the food on a obese snake, but the fatty deposits around/in the organs(especially the liver) are still there, and it shortens the lifespan, sometimes drastically.

Snakes(boids in particular) are sometimes opportunistic feeders, which is to say they wait and eat each time they see a prey item. They don't know that you'll provide a prey item every week, so they will sometimes eat continuously, because instinct tells them to. So feeding just because they keep eating is a very bad idea, and should not be done. If I fed my monitor lizards when they appeared hungry, they would weigh 200 lbs. And I'd be bankrupt. So a regular schedule on a moderate diet is best for your snake.

The tongue flickering is untrue. Sometimes snakes do it, and sometimes they don't. Consider tongue flicking to be like a dog sniffing in the air when they smell something. A dog doesn't always sniff at things, and a snake doesn't always tongue flick.

[mainbutter]

3 mice, depending on the size of the mice, might be just fine for the snake, or might be way overkill on feeding amount per week.

A good rule of thumb for BPs is one feeder a week, as big around as the snake is thick at the widest part. Either that, or 10-15% of the body weight. If your feeders are small, feel free to feed multiple.

That isn't a strict rule, as feeding amount/frequency can vary from snake to snake, especially for age. Young BPs I feed every 5 days, some people feed older BPs as infrequently as every 10 days.

[Faber]

I've also heard that Balls have pink tongues when they're feeling relaxed and friendly, and the tongue turns black right before agression. I would like to hear about this because i believe it since when i got bit the snakes tongue was black, also when he would strike and eat his tongue was black, and whenever i held a nice snake they color of thier tongue was pink at the time.