180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
I got a scale and now know exactly how much he weighs and what the rat pups weigh. 170 for him. I was surprised that he weighed so little. He's easily 1.5 inches in diameter at his thickest. Didn't measure circumference. A few days ago he ate a rat pup that turns out to only be 15 g (so not exactly a rat pup) and he wanted more and happily ate a second. But 30 g seems like too much using the guideline chart.
Our last batch of rat pups were bigger and he has eaten once a week for 5 weeks. We've had him for 7 weeks.
Do you have any thoughts or advice for me??
Thanks!!!
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Nah! You are well within (lower end) of the limit at 15 gms for a 170 gm reptile. 15% of 170g is 25.5gm. So give or take the "guideline" is just that, a guideline and not set in stone. If the animal is still hungry then feed him. Of course within reason and without being excessive. If you use the 15% over the 10%.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
I thought it was 10%. This is better. :) Thank you!!! Now I have to make sure to get rat pups that are actually rat pups.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
On more question if you don't mind. I think I should buy online to ensure correct weights. Do you think I could buy a 5 pack of pups and a 25 pack of weaned? Or is that too many weaned? Not sure how to estimate when he'll go up again.
Thanks!
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Starscream
Also feeding two rats that each weigh 15 grams at that size could cause a regurg -- he probably ate the second one because he was still in food mood. They are opportunistic feeders, and don't know when to stop when presented with more food. While he might not have regurged that time, it's something to keep in mind for the future.
Why would feeding (2) appropriately sized rat pups cause a healthy animal to regurge? That's roughly 18% of the animal's body weight which really isn't that large of a meal. I feed multiple prey items to all my snakes pretty regularly and have never had any issues.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marcus_Family
On more question if you don't mind. I think I should buy online to ensure correct weights. Do you think I could buy a 5 pack of pups and a 25 pack of weaned? Or is that too many weaned? Not sure how to estimate when he'll go up again.
Thanks!
I think it's almost always more economical to buy in bulk online than paying pet store prices. If you only have the one BP I'd order one pack of rat pups and one pack of weaned rats. That'll last you almost a year and only cost you about $80. If he outgrows the prey size just offer (2) feeders until he finishes them off.
http://www.perfectprey.com/
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EL-Ziggy
Why would feeding (2) appropriately sized rat pups cause a healthy animal to regurge? That's roughly 18% of the animal's body weight which really isn't that large of a meal. I feed multiple prey items to all my snakes pretty regularly and have never had any issues.
I've been cautioned not to feed too much over the 15% marker, probably both for regurg and for overfeeding purposes. And while both prey items are appropriately sized, it'd still make me nervous. Basically I tend to err on the side of caution lmao.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Starscream
I've been cautioned not to feed too much over the 15% marker, probably both for regurg and for overfeeding purposes. And while both prey items are appropriately sized, it'd still make me nervous. Basically I tend to err on the side of caution lmao.
I'm with you Star. It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm definitely not advocating for over feeding an animal. I probably do feed my snakes a little more liberally than some especially when they're young. I use the 10-15% of body weight formula as a feeding guideline also but I do feed them larger and smaller meals at times.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EL-Ziggy
Why would feeding (2) appropriately sized rat pups cause a healthy animal to regurge? That's roughly 18% of the animal's body weight which really isn't that large of a meal. I feed multiple prey items to all my snakes pretty regularly and have never had any issues.
THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. The main reasons for a animal to regurge are illness and or improper temperatures. Usually sub POTZ ( preferred optimal temperature zone) or above the POTZ, too high of a temperature. Although these are captive animals who depend on us to optimize their environments with the correct husbandry and feeding regimen, in the wild they take what they can overpower without size and or weight consideration. However their enviornment in the wild is already stabilized.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EL-Ziggy
I think it's almost always more economical to buy in bulk online than paying pet store prices. If you only have the one BP I'd order one pack of rat pups and one pack of weaned rats. That'll last you almost a year and only cost you about $80. If he outgrows the prey size just offer (2) feeders until he finishes them off.
http://www.perfectprey.com/
A 25 pack of each?
Thanks!!!
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marcus_Family
A 25 pack of each?
Thanks!!!
I like to order enough feeders to last at least 6 months to help offset the $30 flat rate shipping charge. I believe the pups come in a pack of (25) and the weaned rats come in packs of (20). That's (45) feeders for $80 with shipping included. If you're feeding every 5-7 days those will last you roughly 7-10 months. A (4) pack of rat pups at the pet stores near me costs $13. If you bought (11) packs of those it'll give you (44) feeders and would cost you $143.
Re: 180 g snake wants to eat 30 g???
I find getting bulk amounts of any feeders works and if they are too small just offer more. I actually found at the back of my freezer 4 mice that individually were too small but together made up around 14% of my males weight after offering them I nearly got bitten because of his eagerness to eat them.
*mutters* offer a few dratted mice and almost loose a finger from eager grabbiness.
