Morph Related Feeding response

My pastel het clown only eats LIVE. My killerbee eats f/t, but she refuses in shed.

The calico I got from Chris Berrios is a complete pig! So is my enchi from Hardy Reptiles! They'll both eat f/t rats, they both eat in shed, and they're both not hissy at all! The enchi is a bit shy still, but it doesn't affect her feeding response :gj:.

Still weird how all that works.

What I still want to know is what the big "SECRET" with enchis are.... :rolleyes:

In my opinion, the more ball pythons you get the more you will realize that poor feeding/great feeding is an individual snake thing not a morph thing.

Thanks for the replies guys. Still interesting regardless

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Originally Posted by Brandon Osborne

The only morph I have really had problems with are pastels. They just suck. Poor feeders and breeders....even most of the combos. Pastels just suck at life.

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Don't you have a bunch of pewter stuff that's grown, like, crazy well? :confused:

I only have a handful of different morphs, but the ones I have more than one of, are pastels, black pastels, and normals (two boys) . . . It's one of the normals that is a spotty feeder. Always has been. He's not picky, he just has a very low feeding response and had to be assist-fed. The way he strikes a prey item still isn't quite right.

This particular group of snakes is also all related -- I wound up keeping my entire first clutch.

Behavioral traits certainly can be genetic, so I can see feeding response varying by family line and have no real problem with the idea that it can vary by morph. It's just, I've seen more instances that contradict the "morph=feeding response" hypothesis than in support of it.

Most of my snakes are pigs. They get so excited during feeding time. The one's who are my super feeders are my pinstripe, albino, and mojave. My lesser is a great eater when he's not on a strike. But he goes on and off frequently, so that annoys me at times.

My pastel female was trouble when I first got her. She was super picky and was on a hunger strike to the point poor body condition. I assist fed a few meals then a week after that, she ate on her own. She's been eating consistently ever since.

And in contrast, I had a male pastel who never gave me any sort of problems.

I have a visual g-stripe male and hets from 3 different sources-all are without exception the best feeders in my collection. I have other great feeders but the connection with feeding and anything containing g-stripe is notable.

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Originally Posted by Wes

Really? My pastel is the only one of my snakes that has never refused a meal. He even eats in shed..

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How old is it? How much does it weigh? They seem to shut off at 600-1000 grams.

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Originally Posted by Alicia

Don't you have a bunch of pewter stuff that's grown, like, crazy well? :confused:


This particular group of snakes is also all related -- I wound up keeping my entire first clutch.

Behavioral traits certainly can be genetic, so I can see feeding response varying by family line and have no real problem with the idea that it can vary by morph. It's just, I've seen more instances that contradict the "morph=feeding response" hypothesis than in support of it.

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Yes, but I have often wondered the same about the genetics playing a role. My Pieds are absolute pigs as well as my cinny stuff. My original pewter female has taken 4 rats in the last two days. It seems to be my pastels and pastel het pieds.....although my pastel VPI stuff is picky sometimes.

All of my really poor feeders have been normals or pastels. I do have one VPI Axanthic that eats 3 on 1 off since he was a hatchling.

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Originally Posted by Dave Green

In my opinion, the more ball pythons you get the more you will realize that poor feeding/great feeding is an individual snake thing not a morph thing.

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