My new BP ate for the first time! Feeding question, help appreciated

This is my first BP, let alone first reptile of any kind.

I picked up my new BP this past friday, the person who helped me missread the feeding chart, giving me the impression that he was eating a bit more often that he actually was. I didnt really handle him much at first because I know I should let him settle in so I didn't notice that he was looking a bit skinny. I tried to feed a f/t pinkie on Sunday with no success. I also noticed that he was looking pretty skinny today, more of a triangular shape rather than a round body and his back bone is visible.

I pre-scented tonite by placing the defrosting pinkie in a small container with holes in it into his tank. An hour later I blasted it with a blowdryer to warm it up and made it do the zombie dance with the tongs. He wasnt interested, only flicking his tongue a few times. I decided to let the pinkie lay in his tank and walk away...and 5 mins later I walked in slowly to find him swallowing it! (im such a proud momma!). :banana:

Ok, story aside...My question is when can I try to feed him again? Since he is skinny I want to try and get him fattened back up to a healthy looking weight. How often can you feed them? Also, should I be feeding something different than f/t pinkie mice? I read on a different thread that maybe pinkie rats would be better?

Thanks to everyone for their help! Its so great to know I have somewhere to run to when I have a question!:)

You can feed your snake every five days. He really should be eating something bigger then pinky mice. You could try a hopper mouse or a fuzzy rat.

Hello! Congrats on a successful first feeding!

I usually feed hatchlings every 7 days, but since yours needs to put on some weight, every 5 days is appropriate. Keep in mind that if he doesn't eat, wait another 5 days before offering food again.

There are plenty of opinions on the mice vs rats debate (rats have more calcium, mice have more vitamins, etc.). The truth is that there is very little difference. As long as it is appropriately sized, it's fine. However, keep in mind that converting from mice to rats can take some time. Since yours is eating, I wouldn't risk changing to rats in the near future. Let him adjust to his new home and get up to a healthy weight before attempting to change his diet around.

Do you have any pictures of your new little one you'd like to share with us? :)

Here he is! They are cell phone photos so sorry if the quality isn't the best. Let me know if you think he looks skinny.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...a05/irwin1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...a05/irwin2.jpg

Aww, he's beautiful! What an interesting pattern.

I agree that he could use to put on a bit of weight, but it doesn't seem that he is necessarily "underweight". All in all, he looks like a pretty healthy little guy.

It's always difficult to judge size from pictures, but I'm thinking you could move up from pinkies, perhaps to fuzzies or hoppers. A good rule of thumb is to feed prey about the size of the snake at its widest point.

Congratulations on your new BP and a successful first feeding. One thing you can do to determine the best size prey for your snake is to get a digital scale that measures in grams and weigh your snake. The prey should weigh 10%-15% of the snakes weight. For example: If your snake weighs 100 grams then the prey should be between 10-15 grams. I keep track of my snakes weights and make a list of the rat sizes I need, then I take my scale to the pet store and root around in their freezer until I have all of the sizes I need. You can get digital scales from several places. You can order them online from places like ReptileBasics.com or check sites like E-Bay and Amazon for digital postal scales. You can also get a digital food scale from stores like Wal-Mart or Target in the Kitchen section. Hope this helps some...

Thanks everyone for the help!

I will finish off the 4 pinkies I have and then move up to hoppers or fuzzies. The pinkies are slightly smaller than he is at the widest point, so he could probably move up to something larger. I will weigh him today as well so I can get a better idea of what size!

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Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

Thanks everyone for the help!

I will finish off the 4 pinkies I have and then move up to hoppers or fuzzies. The pinkies are slightly smaller than he is at the widest point, so he could probably move up to something larger. I will weigh him today as well so I can get a better idea of what size!

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From the picture it looks like he could easily take an adult mouse which weighs about 10-15g

Kaorte, you're probably right. I weighed him yesterday but I cant remember exactly what it was...I'll be weighing him again probably tomorrow since he just ate last night and I don't want to bother him yet.

Is it ok to feed more than one mouse in one feeding? If I wanted to use up the rest of the pinkies could I feed him two next time?

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Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

Is it ok to feed more than one mouse in one feeding? If I wanted to use up the rest of the pinkies could I feed him two next time?

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You could, I have. There is a higher chance of regurgitation, but since he's probably not constricting them this shouldn't be an issue. I would recommend one prey item that is the correct weight.

I fed mine three big mice the last two times, but I'm switching to f/t rats tonight. Thawing right now, actually...

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Originally Posted by sarahlovesmiike

You could, I have. There is a higher chance of regurgitation, but since he's probably not constricting them this shouldn't be an issue. I would recommend one prey item that is the correct weight.

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Higher chance of regurgitation? Where did you hear that? There are plenty of people here who have full grown snakes that will only eat mice. They might eat 5-6 mice in one sitting once every week. I have never heard of any of them having an issue keeping the food down, and personally neither have I.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Higher chance of regurgitation? Where did you hear that? There are plenty of people here who have full grown snakes that will only eat mice. They might eat 5-6 mice in one sitting once every week. I have never heard of any of them having an issue keeping the food down, and personally neither have I.

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So then you're saying I could just weigh out the rest of the pinkies I have and feed him the proper weight in those, then get the correct size?

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Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

So then you're saying I could just weigh out the rest of the pinkies I have and feed him the proper weight in those, then get the correct size?

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Yes but you might be feeding him 5-6 at a time which is ridiculous for a snake his size. Also, constricting and swallowing takes a lot of energy. If the snake is not eating the right amount, especially at such young an age, he may not have enough energy to constrict and eat them all.

If you want to feed the snake the rest of the pinkies you have then go for it, but in my opinion you are wasting yours and the snakes time and energy. Just toss them.

Kaorte, thanks for the advice. I will just toss them. I'd rather my BP be healthy and getting the food he needs rather than save a few bucks by feeding the pinkies! :gj:

Thanks again!:)