When she eats I feed her.

I was asked a question about the rodent size I feed our royal.

This is a 5 year + old female. She is a bit over 4' long and has a history of going off food. F/T was accepted for a time, but then that became a money wasting game. I prefer F/T'd but when it comes time to get this girl into action, she likes live and she likes large rats.

This snake is not particularly thickset but she has zero problems dispatching and eating a larger rodent.

When she's not into it she refuses these too, but normally I time it so the boa constrictor, carpet python and now (when he gets older), the retic will eat a refusal.

Here are a few snaps

Because she waits so long between meals she is usually VERY hungry and prepared.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_3589.jpg

She instinctually keeps most of her body in her hide until she makes contact and wraps. I'm always on my toes a bit because large adult rats are very capable of doing damage.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_3591.jpg


There is some luck involved, but she is so explosive and accurate. She easily dispatches prey as quickly as my larger snakes do.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_3592.jpg

This was the first time she dragged her meal into water.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_3594.jpg


I've been guilty of calling these animals boring. However to fully appreciate the species, you have to know the biology. As with most snakes, hiding and using cover to their advantage is the key to survival. Utilizing the least amount of energy in the most efficient way possible is what works.

This girl does what she does, and I can only marvel at it. I certainly have more active snakes but I know this girl will live a long life by regulating her own food intake and eating on her terms. A royal being shy and hiding away is a smart, successful python!

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_3595.jpg

Off to the warm spot for a day or two then back into the hide she'll go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

There is some luck involved, but she is so explosive and accurate. She easily dispatches prey as quickly as my larger snakes do.

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i agree with this. BP's can be very explosive. i have a few that have the killer instinct. when they are feed mode and locked into their prey (or your hand), it's satifying to see. i've read that Retics will track your movement with their eyes. my killer BP's will also track, but fully with their heads.

I haven't posted on here in forever but my two year old is the same way. Mostly stays in his hide and will only eat live medium rats (I've spent a fortune trying to switch to f/t and I've settled on live) After reading Warren Booth's information on feeding, I have spread out my feedings to once every three weeks. Everyone has their own method but its a sure way for me to know he's hungry (less of a chance of him refusing and having to deal with a live medium rat) and not over feeding him. Awesome pics!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cron14

I haven't posted on here in forever but my two year old is the same way. Mostly stays in his hide and will only eat live medium rats (I've spent a fortune trying to switch to f/t and I've settled on live) After reading Warren Booth's information on feeding, I have spread out my feedings to once every three weeks. Everyone has their own method but its a sure way for me to know he's hungry (less of a chance of him refusing and having to deal with a live medium rat) and not over feeding him. Awesome pics!

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Warren Booth is full of good info.

His work with C/A boa constrictors is remarkable.

Lol my BP is an idiot then. She usually only completely hides a couple days after a meal or during the day. At night, she is out cruising around the cage and especially loves climbing on her shelf or the lazy nights, she sits in her hide with her head and 1/4 of her body just laying outside. As for the feeding, mine seems scared of medium rats lol. When she does eat them, she seems to become sporadic on feeding. Sometimes going weeks without eating. If I give her small rats, it seems to make her more consistent on the feedings to once a week and she just slams those small ones.

As for overfeeding, I don't think you can on a BP. They seem to meter themselves by just refusing food. Now a boa, that's a different story as both of mine will eat, anywhere, anytime and mostly anything. My 5' sunglow even ate a small adult mouse which was funny to watch as she couldn't "hold" it so she let it go. I had to grab it and hold it with tongs while she just swallowed it in pretty much 1 gulp lol.