Do bps snack on crickets?

While picking up more bp stuff this week I seen live crickets in the tank of a Columbian Boa.....The Petco guy said they "snack" on them but are not their primary food source.

I did not see any crickets in with the bps, but...

Is this something anyone would do for their bp?

Have live crickets for snacks that is, or would that stress them out?

Thanks all!

Ball Pythons eat rodents. Nothing else. Hope this helps!

Jamie

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Ball Pythons eat rodents. Nothing else. Hope this helps!

Jamie

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:gj:

Also, that guy at Petco is an idiot. Boas don't snack on crickets either.

the guy who told you that needs a slap...what a prat!

Gotta love Petco :rolleyes:

Thats why I don't go to petco!

its "PetCo where the pets go"

what they dont say is its where the pets go to be miserable until some ignorant person takes them home for a first pet of that kind and then they go home and the pet dies.

i am guilty of this i have bought a couple of pets at petsmart. i have bought two parakeets from there i have had them for about 6 months and they arfe doing very well they are very heathy and fun birds. I just bought my BP from there last night i am learning in leaps and bounds from this site but i have inspected my snake via some guildlines i have found on here and he looks healthy no mites no ticks no physical injuries and his mouth is clean and clear. The petsmart near my house is always clean and i have never seen more than two juvanile snakes in one tank the tanks are always clean and their water is always fresh. i have been into a couple of petcos and i will NEVER go to one again.

I feed mines cricks and mealies they do great with them

I hope the guy was joking... although i don't know why there would be crickets in with the boas... Won't they gnaw on the snake?

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Originally Posted by LizardofOzz

I hope the guy was joking... although i don't know why there would be crickets in with the boas... Won't they gnaw on the snake?

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Most of their caging has slots on the sides. The crickets probably escaped from a nearby leo cage or some other insectivore and got into the snake section.

i hope he was joking also. :please:

Actually, if you put crickets with no food or water in an enclosure with ball python.....there are more chances of the crickets eatting the ball python than the other way around. Crickets are not friendly animals when hungry and will eat just about any organic matter...including the living reptile. Many people find this out the hard way after their reptile is chewed on by crickets.

Thanks Everyone for the quick replies on this tonite

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Originally Posted by blueguy

I feed mines cricks and mealies they do great with them

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You feed crickets (insects) and meal worms (insect larvae) to your ball pythons (snakes, python regius)?

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Originally Posted by kc261

You feed crickets (insects) and meal worms (insect larvae) to your ball pythons (snakes, python regius)?

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Just at snack time

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Originally Posted by kc261

You feed crickets (insects) and meal worms (insect larvae) to your ball pythons (snakes, python regius)?

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I don't think he's serious. :rolleyes:

Well, I was pretty sure it wasn't true, but who knows what a newbie to the site means. No smilie was used to help clue us in. Maybe he thinks his snakes are eating the bugs which are actually just escaping.

But I figured rather than jumping all over his case, I'd ask to clarify.

And the "clarification" I got was more spreading of this bad advice with still no smilie or other indication that it is a joke. :(

The problem with stuff like this is that the next newbie who comes along, who is a newbie to snakes, and just got told by the guy at petdumb that they'll eat crickets for snacks, may not realize it was a joke.

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Originally Posted by blueguy

I feed mines cricks and mealies they do great with them

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:O Please tell me ur joking?

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Originally Posted by blueguy

I feed mines cricks and mealies they do great with them

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oohhh hohohohahahahaha


funny blu, very funny.

Don't forget roaches. They make a nice snack for larger BP's. :gj:

Just one more problem with those places: They ACTUALLY BELIEVE that snakes eat crickets and worms!! They figure: 'It's another animal, so they must eat it just like the other reptiles.'

SIGH! :mad:

I feel bad for that poor boa with the crickets. If I were at that store I would INSIST that they get in there and get those crickets out then and there, whether they just got in or were placed there.

And I'm not entirely sure that other poster is joking...:O

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Originally Posted by Argentra

And I'm not entirely sure that other poster is joking...:O

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I assume you are talking about me being "that other poster" Trust me hon or is it hun? I have more experience with reptiles then 98% of the people posting here..:O

How enlightening, however, a simple "yup, it was a joke" would have achieved the same end without the near condescending attitude. Not everyone views calling someone hon or hun as respectful in the circumstances you've used.

Just sayin

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Originally Posted by kc261

and just got told by the guy at petdumb

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haha Good name for them lol

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

How enlightening, however, a simple "yup, it was a joke" would have achieved the same end without the near condescending attitude. Not everyone views calling someone hon or hun as respectful in the circumstances you've used.

Just sayin

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Jokes get you banned from here..
Just answering!

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Originally Posted by blueguy

I assume you are talking about me being "that other poster" Trust me hon or is it hun? I have more experience with reptiles then 98% of the people posting here..:O

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Honestly not trying to sound like I am attacking you or anything more of an exploratory question. What kind of experience do you have?

I was at petsmart and they had crickets in the same cage as the milk snake...sigh

I got one better friday I went to a {breeders} house. She had a +/-700gram male and a +/-500 gram female in with a couple anoles a skink a hand full of crickets and a tub of earth worms. and there was also two +/-200 gram babies in there to.She also told me she had a pair that she could sell me that would produce spiders. Some times it pays to play dumb:rolleye2: If you just listen you can find out how stupid a person really is!!!

we never know if people are kidding or not we were just trying to help the snakes IMO there was no need to explain that you are better then us just because we were unsure if you were jokeing or not

ne way that is not wha tthis post is about so lets just say glad we all are now on the same page and not feeding our snakes crickets :D

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Originally Posted by sg1trogdor

Honestly not trying to sound like I am attacking you or anything more of an exploratory question. What kind of experience do you have?

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I have a couple hundred snakes

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Originally Posted by blueguy

Jokes get you banned from here..
Just answering!

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It has never been my observation that a joke will get anyone banned from BP.Net ;)
But if you have an example...

I have seen some cages in petsmart and Petco that made me sad. My current snake came from Petco, but I asked a lot of question before buying and he looked at me like I was crazy.

Does it eat?

How often?

What do you feed it?

Where do you get your snakes?

Do you have their contact info?

Can I see it eat?

after he put up with me for a while, I decided to give it a go. Their snakes looked fairly healthy, and I have had good luck with mine so far (besides mites .. effing mites). I know that my local petstore is the FILTHIEST store EVER! I am not kidding, I am grossed out just walking in there. I have to go their though because Tenac will not eat anything but live prey, and I don't have the need to start breeding rats yet so ... what am I going to do?

If someone in this town were to have the cash and the knowledge to start a new petstore and keep it clean, I think it would kill the other one in a month. My wishes may come true however becasue we have an exotic fish store that said they are moving and expanding into more exotic pets .. so I will have to see how that turns out.

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Originally Posted by Argentra

And I'm not entirely sure that other poster is joking...:O

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How could there be any question? The answer screams of sarcasm.

Reminds me of Jas...... :weirdface
I miss Jas..... :tears:
...in a masochistic sort of way :oops:

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Originally Posted by starmom

Reminds me of Jas...... :weirdface
I miss Jas..... :tears:
...in a masochistic sort of way :oops:

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What did I miss? What happened to jas? I am assuming you mean Jasballs correct?

Where've ya been? Livin under a rock?? :rofl: j/k...sorry...couldn't contain myself....
Jas was banned. Gone but not forgotten..... :tears:

Jesus when was this? (sorry if i am not supposed to be talking about this) Yeah I knew about Cue but not Jas Bummer. :( Oh well. Well I am sure it was deserved admin seems very fair still a bummer though.

P.S sorry to hijack the OP's thread.

I just pm'd you

LOL, some of you people really need to lighten up; you take yourselves way to serious...:rolleyes:

:rofl: Yours is a voice of reason Sam!!! Thank you!!!

Ok, guess I'll go ahead and chime back in here:

1 - I don't mind being called 'hon', but not in that particular context. I was saying that I wasn't sure because I have seen some people take the advice of stupid petstore workers and do the strangest things... also, you put no indication of jest, such as a smiley, so it was easier to assume.

2 - Having 'over a hundred snakes' may qualify you to say you own more animals than MOST of us here. It does not, however, entitle you to use that tone of superiority. I have been keeping reptiles myself in some way since I was a child, and have cared for them in stores and in zoos, as well as reading every bit of information I could get and doing a ton of research over the years, so I have a very good amount of experience as well. No insult was meant by the comment that you may not have been joking, so please do not send insults in return.

3 - It is a sad but well known fact that a lot of pet stores are only in it for the money and don't care a yahoo for the animals they have. Also, it is proven that most, but not all, employees of these stores have little to no true knowledge of reptile care. Therefore, any animal bought from a pet store should be taken in to a vet ASAP just to be sure of health, and any 'advice' given by an employee or 'care' seen in a store should be taken with a major grain of salt. :)

Now then, we have established that no one purposefully gives their snakes crickets or any other food but rodents and should never do so, as per the original topic of the thread.
And yes, the loss of Jas was a shame...in a sadistic sort of way. :D Comic relief is good.

YEAH Blueguy!!!!!


pfffff.....


hahahahahahahahah

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Originally Posted by blueguy

I have a couple hundred snakes

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Your grammar screams of maturity and experience.

Anywho. Since I feel like it I'm going to tell you how it is physically impossible for any snake to eat insects. Snakes do not have the reflex of grab, snap, and swallow. They're mouths are also not designed to grab small amounts of food. When the 'feeding reflex' kicks in they BITE-GRAB-WRAP-SQUEEZE-SWALLOW.
Their instincts virtually forbid them from skipping the wrapping and squeezing.

So basically those Petco employees are pretty uneducated. I'm not too sure so don't quote me on this, but I THINK that the digestive system would have an issue with insects as well?
All those insects will do is attempt to eat the snake. Inhumane is what it is.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Their instincts virtually forbid them from skipping the wrapping and squeezing.

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I wouldnt go THAT far. I have had dozens of snakes not constrict, but go straight to the eating.

Ditto.
There are very few things that can be made into an absolute...

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

I wouldnt go THAT far. I have had dozens of snakes not constrict, but go straight to the eating.

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Well true, I think I should've worded it differently.
Most of the time, if something is alive they usually want to kill it first. Unless that thing is so small and harmless (like a pinkie which they can swallow whole) or know it is dead.
Per say, if you have a python it really has no way of grabbing or killing the food other than swallowing it, which is difficult when it's grabbing mechanism is meant for larger animals that actually have nutritional value that the snake needs.

How long you been keeping snakes black?

Alan

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Originally Posted by grunt_11b

How long you been keeping snakes black?

Alan

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5-6 Years give or take.
I've had 5 different snakes and only currently have 2.
I'm getting 3 over this summer (two are coming together).

But when it comes to general reptiles, me and my mom used to have some leos and skinks which we had until we moved to my new house in 2002. We got our first skink in 1998. So about 10 years with reptiles.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Anywho. Since I feel like it I'm going to tell you how it is physically impossible for any snake to eat insects. Snakes do not have the reflex of grab, snap, and swallow. They're mouths are also not designed to grab small amounts of food. When the 'feeding reflex' kicks in they BITE-GRAB-WRAP-SQUEEZE-SWALLOW.
Their instincts virtually forbid them from skipping the wrapping and squeezing.

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Really? Someone should tell the rough and smooth green snakes that they have been doing it wrong, as they are insectivores. While you are at it you may want to tell young rat snakes and garter snakes that they are doing it wrong, you know because it is "physically impossible" and all... :rolleyes: