power feeding?

will a snake eat if its NOT hungry? id like my bp to actually be quite big in his later years. i feed him 2 hoppers( baby mice, hair and eyes open) every monday. Now would it be ok to feed hime smaller sized mice in the middle of the week as a little snack? im assuming a snake will know when enough is enough correct?

No, power feeding is bad in all ways bad can be bad.

Feed your snake once a week either one prey item the same size or slightly larger than the widest diameter of the snake's girth, or two smaller prey items (if you are sort of in between sizes).

Your snake will be the size it's going to be - it's dictated by the snakes genes, just like your height is dictated by yours. Feeding more than is necessary will only make your snake obese, which is bad and can lead to health problems, regurges, etc.

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Originally Posted by Liquid Snake 06

will a snake eat if its NOT hungry? id like my bp to actually be quite big in his later years. i feed him 2 hoppers( baby mice, hair and eyes open) every monday. Now would it be ok to feed hime smaller sized mice in the middle of the week as a little snack? im assuming a snake will know when enough is enough correct?

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No some snake will eat until they are fatties.Stick to the once every 5 to 7 day schedual for babies and 10 to 14 for adults.Power feeding shortens the life span of your snake and is just not a good thing for them over all.

Snakes don't need snacks. (Try saying that five times fast! LOL) Their digestive system is nothing like a mammals and you run the risk of making a sick snake by feeding it too frequently.


You should look for some pics from Adam_Wysocki and his collection. He's got MASSIVE females and he only feeds them small meals once a week...nothing more than that. So long as you keep your snake in a proper, healthy environment, and feed it regular, appropriately sized meals, it will grow to its full potential without you having to force anything. :)

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Originally Posted by JLC

Snakes don't need snacks.

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Cleo likes a little mouse pate, water crackers and a glass of Cristal when she's watching her afternoon soaps tho...:P

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Originally Posted by cassandra

Cleo likes a little mouse pate, water crackers and a glass of Cristal when she's watching her afternoon soaps tho...:P

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You should tell her to lay off those soaps...they'll rot her brain! :P

hey, a little general hospital and all my children every now and then isnt too bad! ok guys im kidding. my mom watches them. i dont. really.

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Power feeding shortens the life span of your snake

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According to whom? Do you have any direct evidence proving this statement or is opinion?

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

According to whom? Do you have any direct evidence proving this statement or is opinion?

-adam

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This is what i have been told and read on several forums.The ones stating this were breeders not just kids talking;) .

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Originally Posted by joepythons

This is what i have been told and read on several forums.The ones stating this were breeders not just kids talking;) .

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Just because a "breeder" says it, doesn't make it true. Opinion and fact are two very different things. The only scientific study I have ever been able to find related to power feeding was one done at USC 20 years ago with fruit flys ... as far as "power feeding" a ball python, I honestly don't believe that it can be done.

-adam

I don't know about BP's as related to power feeding, but Ihle and Kahl both have stated that with Red Tails, after being power fed, they usually don't live past 5 or 6. They are sick often and they have lousy litters.

Why couldn't you power feed a BP? I know why you shouldn't, but why can't it be done? Just curious, not trying to start anything...yet that is ;)

Lady my BP got way over fed when I first got her. (thanks to my husband :mad: )
she was given 4 small adult mice and 3 rat pups in one sitting. I thought for sure she would regurge but she didnt, a week later she wanted food again.I dont let my husband come in my snake room any more and i have her eating a small rat every week and has put on a very nice weight and is now at 1002gr. :D

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Originally Posted by joepythons

This is what i have been told and read on several forums.The ones stating this were breeders not just kids talking;) .

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Some "breeders" on another forum also said that you should keep ball pythons at low temperatures to keep them feeding good....they weren't just kids talking either.

my bp is in a 10 gallon glass tank that is currently 89 degrees on teh warm side created by an UTH and reptile heat lamp of 60 watts. Humidity is at high 40's. He eats 2 hoppers every monday, no regurgitating, normal fecal matter, and handles it like a champ. Its ok for everyone to state their opinions. I respect all and take them all into perspective. i guess it just depends on YOUR own snakes. Im sure each and every bp is unique in its own way. after all, reptiles , along with many other animals, can adapt to thier enviroment im sure.

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Originally Posted by jim020cricket

Why couldn't you power feed a BP? I know why you shouldn't, but why can't it be done? Just curious, not trying to start anything...yet that is ;)

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Since no studies have been done on this its hard to definitely say, but when in doubt I use common sense.

Humans need specific diet needs in regards to carbs, fat, proteins ect. When you consume above these requirements many negative things start to happen. Such as obesity, heart failure, diabeties, and so on. Although there can be genetic influences in these diseases a healthy diet has been proven to lower the risk of experiencing these conditions. If I carry over the same logic to snakes then I would assume that a snake consuming more than naturally required would exibit some form of negative effect. This is my own opinion.

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Originally Posted by Liquid Snake 06

Im sure each and every bp is unique in its own way. after all, reptiles , along with many other animals, can adapt to thier enviroment im sure.

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You were doing good in that post up until there.......a ball python might be able to *survive* in a variety of conditions, but may only be able to *thrive* under just the right conditions.

What seperates a good, experienced keeper from a beginner is the ability to identify what a snake needs to *thrive*, rather than knowingly keeping them just *alive* in sub-optimal conditions.

Boas can absolutely be powerfed. They are eating machines...

I believe the reason Adam stated BPs can't be powerfed is that they will self regulate by fasting if fed too much. Keep the meals small and once per week with BPs and you will be a-ok!

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Originally Posted by joepythons

This is what i have been told and read on several forums.The ones stating this were breeders not just kids talking;) .

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This is true for anything. Power feeding/ over eating will lead to Obesety...which will lead to health problems, which in turn... Will lead to early death...simple :O its not really too hard to work out !

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Originally Posted by Liquid Snake 06

will a snake eat if its NOT hungry? id like my bp to actually be quite big in his later years. i feed him 2 hoppers( baby mice, hair and eyes open) every monday. Now would it be ok to feed hime smaller sized mice in the middle of the week as a little snack? im assuming a snake will know when enough is enough correct?

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first how old is your bp? my 620 gram female an easily down 5 adult mice (but i feed medium rats). the only reason to power feed is if you want to breed this upcoming season. now before we jump to conclusions we really need a pic of the snake or if liquid snake can tell us how many grams her/his bp weighs. in my words 2 hopper mice = a large adult mouse. my 104 gram pastel male eats 1 adult mouse a week easily so if you fed 1 large prey item to your snake a week that will hold him over till next week,thus your snake will continue eating and you will have a consistantely feeding ball python:)

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Originally Posted by uro1001

first how old is your bp? my 620 gram female an easily down 5 adult mice (but i feed medium rats). the only reason to power feed is if you want to breed this upcoming season. now before we jump to conclusions we really need a pic of the snake or if liquid snake can tell us how many grams her/his bp weighs. in my words 2 hopper mice = a large adult mouse. my 104 gram pastel male eats 1 adult mouse a week easily so if you fed 1 large prey item to your snake a week that will hold him over till next week,thus your snake will continue eating and you will have a consistantely feeding ball python:)

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You feed medium rats to a 620 gm female? That's quite a meal...

a small medium ranging from 100-120 gms. its not a large meal once you space out the feedings.;)

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

The only scientific study I have ever been able to find related to power feeding was one done at USC 20 years ago with fruit flys ... as far as "power feeding" a ball python, I honestly don't believe that it can be done.

-adam

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There is a lot of info on the benifits of caloric restriction on many species (primates, mouse, nematode, insects, yeast, etc.)......if limiting calorie extends life you could see how "powerfeeding"/"overeating" could shorten lifespan.....

However, I dont know if similiar work has been conducted in reptiles.

I also agree with the idea that is almost impossible to "powerfeed" most snakes......they have such good regulation of appetite and long-term energy intake that it acts an anti-obesisty mechanism.....this is why JAred Diamond uses burmese pythons to study the physiology of appetite regulation. They regulate their appetite over longer periods much more efficently than most mammals......this is why "powerfeeding" is likely to make your animals go off feed for extended periods of time (in the winter usually?) Because they do this....and this is why it easier to make an obese rat over an obese snake.....

Whether cycles of "powerfeeding then going off feed for extending periods" has any long-term helath consequences-->I have no idea. I would think it would be much easier for the snake breeder to keep a weekly regular feeding schedule for all snakes in the collection rather than trying to keep track of who and when their snakes started hunger strikes.

Has anyone ever had their snake (ball python,etc) been dignosed as "obese"? Ethier way it seems that the frequency of obesisty is lower in these animals....

i havent weighed my bp yet. but id say he's almost a year old. i bought him for 60 bucks from pet bizarre and i know thats not the price of a baby. so im not quite sure how old he is.

Sorry I'm confused. How do you decide the approximate age of a snake based on it's purchase price? Even weight and length won't always give you that answer but it's at least a tad more informative.