Feeding Aging Pythons

[Bogertophis]

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I tried to switch over to rats years ago without success but our local feed store had limited sizes and availability. Maybe I gave up too soon? Now that I am purchasing f/t I could easily try again. Fuzzy or pup size? She no longer seems to be using heat or smell to find her prey only touch (sight?) so might be interesting experiment...

Just my opinion but with an elderly snake, the last thing you want to do is start throwing them curve balls..."If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

IF she's a willing eater, I'd sooner give her 2 regular adult mice than one large old breeder mouse, just so you can feel she had a "good" meal. But give them one right after the other, that's important so they don't mess up her digestion & cause a regurge! That's the last thing you want to do. The younger adult mice are higher % protein, lower % fat, more easily digested.

If you start shoving rats at a snake this old that's never eaten them, she might go off feed entirely. You don't know how she'll react, but fear of unknown prey & resulting stress is not unheard of.

[puddinck]

Thanks so much! I will place my order tonight... No experimenting. Medium adults for Pan and large adults for Tattoo.

I have yet to have a reptile regurgitate on me and I'm not anxious to experience it!

[Bogertophis]

Thanks so much! I will place my order tonight... No experimenting. Medium adults for Pan and large adults for Tattoo.

I have yet to have a reptile regurgitate on me and I'm not anxious to experience it!

Contrary to what some will tell you, mice & rats are pretty much equal in nutrition for snakes; the big difference has more to do with convenience, & some snakes (esp. BPs) will refuse to eat more than one item per meal, so that's why people like to up-size to rats, so that rodent size is never an issue- "one & done".

What can make a snake regurgitate is feeding them one item, then waiting an hour or more* before adding another one to the mix, after the digestion of the first item is well along. *The risk of a regurgitation increases the longer the interval is between prey items. It's just a matter of them using their existing digestive enzymes, which are then moved along their digestive tract with that first item, & not having had enough time to replenish the enzymes needed to digest the next item separately. So if you're feeding 2 items, do it immediately- best within an hour of each other, & your snake should be fine.

I'm not suggesting that feeding 2 items per meal is a good thing for any & all snakes: we're not talking about overfeeding a typical snake here, but rather, this is about knowing when & how to make an exception to the "rule" of feeding one item at a time, & of knowing what your individual snake might need instead.