Let's Discuss Dietary Requirements for Ball Pythons

[Skiploder]

Where did the current one time per weeks at 10% to 15% prey weight to snake weight come from? Any scientific data?

Before anyone answers, research was done on other more active species. What was determined was that adult females roughly (190 grams) of this more active species with a quicker metabolism needed 25 to 30 rodents yearly to be able to produce viable, large clutches.

For males of the same species, it was determined that 14 rodents would be required to sustain it's normal activity through the year.

The study was based on 190 gram snakes (average) and 30 gram prey items (roughly 16% snake to prey weight ratio per meal).

However if you calculate the TOTAL number of meals, a breeding female needed 900 grams of food over the course of a year and a male needed 420 grams of food.

In order to compare apples to apples, the weekly caloric requirement breaks down as such:

Females = 17 grams per week.

Males = 8 grams per week.

Which means that the % of snake to prey weight ratio for an active south american snake with a high metabolism is 8% for breeding females and 4% for males.

Now keep in mind that these snakes are not equally active throughout the year - meaning that the females ingest the main portion of their caloric intake over a six month period. Males slightly longer. Still, if we apply it to captive animals which (except for rare instances) are kept in enclosures that do not permit the same level of energy expenditure, we could argue that the caloric requirements are less than the 8%/4% indicated by studies.

So....

Where do we get the 10% to 15% of body weight recommendations for ball pythons? They are fairly inactive snakes with slow metabolisms that are prone to captive obesity...can anybody back up this number? Furthermore, this caloric recommendation is not dependent on sex or reproductive status...or is it?

Again, studies have been done on other species - species which are more active and have faster metabolisms. Metabolisms which are maybe 50% efficient.....

...and those studies show that these species need less calories by percentage of prey size than is currently being recommended for ball pythons.

First things first - where did the 10% to 15"% number come from? Anybody?

[Mykuhl]

I have no idea where the 10-15% recommendation came from but from the limited amount of reading I have done it seems to more accurately apply to young growing snakes as opposed to adults. Maybe it became a generalization that people applied over the lifetime of the snake.

[Eric Alan]

I suspect that you may be trying to get us to overthink this topic, or to point out that we may be overthinking this topic. Either way, here are my two cents worth:

• The 10-15% guideline likely came about as a result of learned experience through feeding young ball pythons. I personally have not seen this size recommendation being made for anything beyond hatchling or young adult snakes. Citing Ball Pythons: The History, Natural History, Care, and Breeding, by Dave and Tracy Barker, as my source, "the best meal for a ball python is a single rodent that's large enough to make a barely discernible lump in its body that last for two to four days." Through trial and error of seeing what size lump results from what size rodent, I believe this to be where this site's 10-15% recommendation for young ball pythons came from.

In my own, limited, experience with young ball pythons, I have found the 10-15% range to generally produce the kind of lump that the Barker's describe. This is why I personally have found it to be useful. It certainly should not be a rigid rule though, as feeding decisions should be specific to the individual snake.

[Skiploder]

Or none of the above.

I think people should do more thinking and more questioning when it comes to advice that is not backed with any basis in nature or foundation in natural history.

There are a lot of overfed snakes..mainly because people tend to follow advice or guidelines without bothering to ask questions.

Let's put it this way....thinking is good. Questioning is good. Improving husbandry through science is good. Doing something because someone else goes it....too many variables to be good.

[Mykuhl]

Is there any scientific data that tells us the recommended quantity and frequency that is required to optimally raise ball pythons throughout their various stages of development? I for one would love to have this as a resource if there is. If so, do you have any links to this information Skiploder?

[Eric Alan]

Fair enough.

As thinking pertains to this particular subject, thinking about the basis for the percentage-based feeding recommemdation is good. Thinking that it broadly applies to much more than a tool that can be used to purchase/select appropriately sized meals for a young ball python? Not so much. As you said - too many variables.

[Skiploder]

Is there any scientific data that tells us the recommended quantity and frequency that is required to optimally raise ball pythons throughout their various stages of development? I for one would love to have this as a resource if there is. If so, do you have any links to this information Skiploder?

Never seen it for ball pythons Mykuhl. Seen it for other species and it's well beneath the 10 to 15% ratio.

Fair enough.

As thinking pertains to this particular subject, thinking about the basis for the percentage-based feeding recommemdation is good. Thinking that it broadly applies to much more than a tool that can be used to purchase/select appropriately sized meals for a young ball python? Not so much. As you said - too many variables.

Eric, I've seen a lot of over feeding related health issues in many species of snakes. Some snakes do not metabolize high levels of fat very well and form lipomas or liposarcomas in a fairly predictable pattern if overfed.

Considering that ball pythons - especially males - climb and feed on birds, we could probably hypothesize that the average tupperware-housed male ball python fed 15% of his body mass weekly in rodents is tracking quite a bit above what he was designed to take in considering the lack of activity.

[Eric Alan]

When you're referring to males climbing and catching, are you referring to all life stages of males? It would make sense to me that sexually mature males would display these active behaviors. However, it also makes sense to me that younger snakes would be more prone to hiding and ambushing rodents (and likely as many as they can reasonably snag) so as not to expose themselves to predators.

[Lizardlicks]

That reminds me to ask what most everyone's stance is on feeding the occasional chick to a BP is. As I understand it, while they do sometimes take birds in the wild, BPs are mostly designed as a burrow dwelling snake, and live primarily off of rodents. They are of course highly opportunistic in the wild; you have to eat what you can catch! But does offering different prey items have a benefit nutritionally or psychologically for the snake? Draw backs? The only one I ever see discussed is the inevitable horrendous smelling poo...

Is it just something some owners do for their own amusement/peace of mind?

[gameonpython]

Skiploder, I must say that I agree with you. In fact, I never even heard of the 15% of body weight rule until I joined this forum. You are completely right in that advice is being given but no reasoning is provided and sometimes it doesn't even make logical sense. I did ask "why" and the answer I got was "doesn't matter why just do it"


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