Too Soon?

If a snake is hungry, should you just go ahead and feed it? Even if it's only been a couple days? (Which might mean he's grown large enough for an upsize in prey item...)

It's only been three days since Wheatley's last meal and he's searching/hunting for a mouse now. I'm defaulting to the answer of "yes" and am currently thawing out another large mouse. However, I'm not sure if snakes will eat more than they should just because they can...?

If they don't, how does obesity in snakes happen?


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Originally Posted by KingWheatley

If a snake is hungry, should you just go ahead and feed it? Even if it's only been a couple days? (Which might mean he's grown large enough for an upsize in prey item...)

It's only been three days since Wheatley's last meal and he's searching/hunting for a mouse now. I'm defaulting to the answer of "yes" and am currently thawing out another large mouse. However, I'm not sure if snakes will eat more than they should just because they can...?

If they don't, how does obesity in snakes happen?


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Also people have given you advice and if you're not going to take it then there's no point in us giving it to you anymore. Just watching your posts, this is something I've observed as well as likely others which is why you're not getting so much replies now.

So the snake told you he was hungry? He came out looking for food and said: "I'm hungry"?

My BP looks to be around the same age and size as your Wheatley. He is 3 months old and currently takes a rat pup a week without fail. It doesn't matter if he "looks" like he wants food, I stick with the schedule. I suggest you do that with your snake too.

Going out for a walk doesn't mean its hungry.
You really need a schedule before your next group of postings is why wont it eat......

Ball pythons are opportunistic feeders. In "the wild" this means that they will eat whenever presented with the opportunity to do so because they don't know when the next one will wander by. They still don't know when their next meal will wander by in captivity, which is why you may see them in feed mode even when they don't need the nutrition. Luckily for them, our job is to know when their next meal will be. ;) If you give in to their instincts, it can and likely will result in overfeeding. Their metabolism isn't fast enough to process meals if we fed them every time they "looked hungry" and they would inevitably end up with all sorts of health concerns related to this.

Stick with appropriately sized meals on an appropriate schedule and Wheatley will thank you for it.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Going out for a walk doesn't mean its hungry.
You really need a schedule before your next group of postings is why wont it eat......

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Ok. I thought all pythons liked to hide more than explore. Was trying to think why would a ball python be exploring if not for the purpose to find food?

Might be overthinking it...


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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Ball pythons are opportunistic feeders. In "the wild" this means that they will eat whenever presented with the opportunity to do so because they don't know when the next one will wander by. They still don't know when their next meal will wander by in captivity, which is why you may see them in feed mode even when they don't need the nutrition. Luckily for them, our job is to know when their next meal will be. ;) If you give in to their instincts, it can and likely will result in overfeeding. Their metabolism isn't fast enough to process meals if we fed them every time they "looked hungry" and they would inevitably end up with all sorts of health concerns related to this.

Stick with appropriately sized meals on an appropriate schedule and Wheatley will thank you for it.

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Aaaahhh... well.... crud.

He's more than three times the size he was when I got him, so I was going to claim "growth spurts" out of amusement. But if I'm not careful they'll be "girth spurts"...? D:

Well... hopefully this one time won't hurt him.


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this link should prove extremely enlightening in more ways than one. ;)

http://bfy.tw/87tK

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Originally Posted by KingWheatley

Ok. I thought all pythons liked to hide more than explore. Was trying to think why would a ball python be exploring if not for the purpose to find food?

Might be overthinking it...

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Stress.. Looking for a more secure area

Don't worry, it'll be fine for one time.. Worst thing that can happen is regurgitating, but probably won't.

Pythons and boas can definitely become obese, and can cause various health issues like obesity does in other animals.