First Snake on Saturday!

[QuesadillaWizard]

Bogertophis! - She sounds like she's had a fantastic life with you! And you sound pretty handy with building. Ideally I'd like a nice custom cabinet to keep my snake(s) in. I don't have access to powertools besides my drill, but I hear Lowes will cut wood for you if you give them measurements. Or maybe I could rope my carpenter nephew into helping me out with his table saw.

I'll keep my eyes peeled. If I see a spotted python, I'll try to snap a pic for you!

pretends2bnormal - Oh wow that second mouse is kind of pitiful looking. Like a bag of potato chips that's mostly air. Thanks for showing me this, it didn't occur to me that some mice would have more calories than others. Yikes! I will take a good look at the feeders at the expo and remember these pictures. If they're empty potato chip bags, I'll get a few to get my new friend started while I wait for a shipment of better, meatier mice!

[pretends2bnormal]

Several things come to my mind in comparing these feeders. The scrawny "commercially-produced one" almost looks like it was sick, not just under-fed, & there's just no
way to know which. On the other hand, most domestic rodents are fed much better than wild ones, so they tend to make our snakes a little fatter than they would be
in the wild, where they'd also be getting a lot more exercise having to hunt & catch their own food. Like us, snakes are healthier when they don't over-eat, but I'd rather
lengthen the time between meals or feed smaller prey than feed rodents that look like that scruffy "commercial" rat, wondering about it's health & what it was exposed to.

The crazy thing is, this is one of the top 3 brands recommended for buying online (since those are who I've bought from). Every weaned rat in the pack looked like this, though they were packed quite flat and tightly together which can account a bit for the weird shape I think. But it is clearly an older rat that should have had more size to it at that age based on the limbs and such.

If you want to get into fattening or not, just keep in mind most snakes would never encounter a wild Norwegian rat (the species that domestic rats are). Theyd see brown rats in the US, African soft fur rats, gerbils, mice of varying species, etc. And that accounts for different nutritional profiles as well.

Always best to watch and not overfeed regardless of prey type, though, I very much agree. But wild vs captive feeding has more factors than just wild rodent diets since they're not typically the same species being compared.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

Bogertophis! - She sounds like she's had a fantastic life with you! And you sound pretty handy with building. Ideally I'd like a nice custom cabinet to keep my snake(s) in. I don't have access to powertools besides my drill, but I hear Lowes will cut wood for you if you give them measurements. Or maybe I could rope my carpenter nephew into helping me out with his table saw.

I'll keep my eyes peeled. If I see a spotted python, I'll try to snap a pic for you! ...

I've been making my own "tank tops" for many years...not hard, & yes, Home Depot or Lowes (& most other lumber stores) will cut wood for you, so if you can nail or turn a few screws to fit the sides together, that's about all there is. I staple the screen ("hardware cloth") onto the wood frame, then add screen molding (to match the pieces of wood in the frame) over that so it looks professional & doesn't give me splinters or jabs from the screen. I have a few tools (drill, jigsaw, etc) but I'm no carpenter. I used to finish furniture (bought unfinished) or re-purpose other furniture (turned some into snake enclosures too)- I like being creative. You can also just buy screen tops in Petco. You'll need metal shears to cut the hardware cloth if you ever decide to make a tank top.

I hope you get to meet a spotted python. I actually think the normal markings are more attractive than the "granite phase" btw, but for mine, it was about getting her out of that guys house to a safe place where she could eat f/t in peace. Even though she was air shipped to me across the state, she was looking for food & ate 3 f/t pinkies the same afternoon she arrived. She was looking for more too, but I made her wait. And of course I didn't handle her at all, I just watched as she settled in to explore & digest.

BTW, I made a deal with the guy...since he was going to kill her anyway, but I had no way to be sure she was healthy (since she "wasn't eating"), I told him "what do you have to lose? I'll pre-pay the shipping & if she is OK- healthy- I'll buy her from you" so that's what we did...he shipped her & I paid him after. Of course I also rubbed it in what a great appetite she has. (I couldn't help myself.) I'd done some reading on these...in the wild, they feed on tiny lizards first, & only "graduate" later to small rodents, as they gain skill & size...that's why she didn't want live pinkies, she was instinctively afraid of them...it's normal for spotted pythons.

[pretends2bnormal]

pretends2bnormal - Oh wow that second mouse is kind of pitiful looking. Like a bag of potato chips that's mostly air. Thanks for showing me this, it didn't occur to me that some mice would have more calories than others. Yikes! I will take a good look at the feeders at the expo and remember these pictures. If they're empty potato chip bags, I'll get a few to get my new friend started while I wait for a shipment of better, meatier mice!

Both of the rodents pictured were weaned rats, not mice, just for reference.

It isn't that one is more or less calories. They both have similar bone and meat content and all of that which would make up similar calories, but poor diet may mean lower levels of vitamins and minerals in the rats or mice which can impact the snake in the long run.

Vitamin A for example is related in most animals to skin and eye health. Lacking that could correspond in a dog to a rough coat, excessive shedding, etc. In a snake it may play a role in poor sheds or rough looking scales. (I have a theory that it may be related for some people who have snakes who shed poorly on a regular basis despite perfect husbandry and humidity for the species .. no way to really test it of course.)

A poor diet fed to the rodent could result in a feeder deficient in some nutrient(s) that over a long period of time might cause issues for the snake.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[QuesadillaWizard]

One more day until the expo! If I felt prepared before, I feel extra prepared now thanks to everyone who's talked to me so far! I wanted to thank yall again.

I'm going to try and nab a digital scale the next time I'm at the store so I'll have that to add to the feeding logs--oh yes, there will be logs. Length, weight, type of food, behavior during feeding and all that good stuff. I already know not to try and feed my new buddy for about a week after I get them home but it doesn't hurt to be prepared!

I even think I have a breeder picked out. They listed everything they're bringing to the show and they look like some nice snakes! I'm still going to look around at what everyone has first though.

[QuesadillaWizard]

I FORGOT TO UPDATE WHOOPS.




Here she is! A little lesser BP who hatched in May. I spoke to a very kind breeder (Frosty Pythons) who I had met once before. This girl was already on frozen. The breeder suggested I get an older snake that had already made the transition and I thought that was kind of her, as the ones I was eyeing hadn't yet.

I got her on Saturday and finally handled her a little today. I let her crawl from my hands back into her enclosure. Once I finished handling her, she stayed out of her hides and has been exploring for nearly an hour. Previously she just moved between her two hides during the nights. It's so nice to see her checking everything out.

I know she'll get bigger than if I'd gotten a boy, but I accepted that when I decided on her. I know I'm in for a ride and a lot of interesting experiences! I think they'll make me a good reptile keeper. I feed her tomorrow for the first time.

Her name is Trinket!

[Luvyna]

What a cutie! That's a beautiful Lesser You made a good decision to get a BP that is already an established F/T feeder, that will save you a world of trouble. Sounds like she is settling in well, best of luck with feeding her for the first time!

[Bogertophis]

Congratulations on a well-thought out new pet...I agree that especially for your first snake, one that is a little older & more established (especially one that's eating
f/t) is a huge plus. You made a beautiful choice, & welcome Trinket- don't mind us talking about you, lol.

[QuesadillaWizard]

She took the first mouse from me today! Snatched it like a champ and swallowed it down. I'm proud of her! She did drag it through her water dish first though

[Bogertophis]

She took the first mouse from me today! Snatched it like a champ and swallowed it down. I'm proud of her! She did drag it through her water dish first though

Bonus points for creativity, that's all.