Shovel Nosed Snake

Gut loading is feeding bugs healthy high vitamin food before feeding them. That way the vitamins go to the animal eating them. F/T stands for frozen thawed which is how many rodents are fed to snakes.

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Originally Posted by Chionactis

Hi, Skiploder. I see you have a pair of Chionactis, and you feed them loaded and dusted crickets. I know about dusting, but what is gut loading? What is F/T? And while my occipitalis doesn't leave anything overnight, what is wrong with leaving insects in there for an extended period? Are the other "bugs" dusted?

I caught a Chionactis occipitalis about a month ago, and it is doing well (so far) on crickets, roaches and spiders, including the Black Widow Spider. I live in the Coachella Valley, so Black Widows are easy to find, and crickets and roaches are everywhere. I wish I could find scorpions though, as I think that would round out its diet.

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I've switched mine to almost exclusively gut loaded roaches. The roaches are fed fruits and veggies and occasional dog kibble.

The problem with leaving bugs in with them is that they escape......and some bugs will even harass the snakes.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

I've switched mine to almost exclusively gut loaded roaches. The roaches are fed fruits and veggies and occasional dog kibble.

The problem with leaving bugs in with them is that they escape......and some bugs will even harass the snakes.

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Ah, yes. Frozen/thawed, which is exactly what I do with my Corn Snake, and in four years, she has grown from a pencil-sized hatchling to nearly 5 feet. I'll dust and gutload the crickets and roaches now, and throw in the occasional spider as well. Thanks skiploder, and jhill!