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Thread: Prey Size

  1. #1
    BPnet Senior Member L.West's Avatar
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    Prey Size

    I fed my two houdurans larger than normal prey last night. It was just wider than their widest part. They both managed to eat the prey but there is quite a bump in their bellies.

    Will they pass on eating something if it is too big or do they have no judgement on that - just eat whatever is given.

    The feeding was over 15 hours ago and no sign of issues just yet.
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    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Prey Size

    Quote Originally Posted by L.West View Post
    I fed my two houdurans larger than normal prey last night. It was just wider than their widest part. They both managed to eat the prey but there is quite a bump in their bellies.

    Will they pass on eating something if it is too big or do they have no judgement on that - just eat whatever is given.

    The feeding was over 15 hours ago and no sign of issues just yet.
    They will probably be fine. If it's huge they might not consider it prey. However, their judgment on a little too big is not too good. Nuance is not a strong suit of snakes!

    Of note, some snake are stretchier than others. Corns can eat something 1 1/2 times their body size, although not recommended as they get older. Kingsnakes/Milksnakes tend not to be as stretchy. Aim for about body width or slightly larger in general.

    If it's been 15 hours and no issues, it should be no problem. Keep temps on target and do not handle for 2-3 days! Let them digest fully.

    My two cents.

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    BPnet Senior Member L.West's Avatar
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    Re: Prey Size

    I will go a little smaller at next feeding. I had these prey items and wanted to use them up. I was just worried about a regurge. Never had that happen and sure don't want to.

    Fingers crossed all is well when I get home from work tonight - that will put it at the 24 hours point.
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    BPnet Veteran Alter-Echo's Avatar
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    I've Never had a snake have issues from a meal that was too large, generally if it's something big enough to cause them an issue, they either won't eat it, or most educated keepers would see the size difference and err on the side of caution. If it looks way too big, it probably is.

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    BPnet Veteran Slicercrush's Avatar
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    From what i've really seen, usually a snake will decide if a prey item is too big after theyve tried to swallow it for an hour. If they're sitting around happy now, I feel like they should be fine.
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    Re: Prey Size

    Once upon a time one of my carpet pythons ate her mouse *sideways*, folding it in half as she took it down. It looked like she’d swallowed a tennis ball! She was fine (and a juvenile at the time, IIRC about the size of a young adult corn snake).


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    BPnet Veteran Ax01's Avatar
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    Re: Prey Size

    Quote Originally Posted by Slicercrush View Post
    From what i've really seen, usually a snake will decide if a prey item is too big after theyve tried to swallow it for an hour. If they're sitting around happy now, I feel like they should be fine.
    i agree w/ this. a snake will stop trying to swallow if prey cannot get past their jaws. unless your snake is ill, scared/stressed or there is something wrong/foul w/ the prey, it wont' regurge if it can swallow it. it will just have a lump for a lil longer.
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    Re: Prey Size

    Quote Originally Posted by L.West View Post
    I will go a little smaller at next feeding. I had these prey items and wanted to use them up. I was just worried about a regurge. Never had that happen and sure don't want to.
    You can also push their next feeding out a bit longer than normal. If they're normally fed weekly, go 10 days. If they're on a 10-day schedule, feed gain in 14 days.

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    BPnet Lifer Reinz's Avatar
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    Prey Size

    Quote Originally Posted by bcr229 View Post
    You can also push their next feeding out a bit longer than normal. If they're normally fed weekly, go 10 days. If they're on a 10-day schedule, feed gain in 14 days.
    ^^^^
    This is what I do.

    Sometimes one of my snakes may refuse their xl rat, and the snake that is next in line may usually take a large, I give them the xl and I can easily skip their next feeding for 5-7 days.



    Lizzy is usually a garbage can, but is not interested in food this spring.



    So Etta who eats large rats, will gladly take Litzy’s xl.
    Last edited by Reinz; 05-21-2018 at 04:11 PM.
    The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.

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  16. #10
    BPnet Senior Member L.West's Avatar
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    Re: Prey Size

    Quote Originally Posted by bcr229 View Post
    You can also push their next feeding out a bit longer than normal. If they're normally fed weekly, go 10 days. If they're on a 10-day schedule, feed gain in 14 days.
    Yes, this is what I intend to do. Thanks
    L. West
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