Problem.

[Riyuu]

Soo..i think i feed my snake just fine.
But theres this person who said i should start feeding him a
weaned rat.Hes only like almost 2ft I know your suppose to feed snakes
mice that are just a lil bit smaller then the snakes girth. I feed mine the lil
white frozen mice there perfect for him. Though...she says if thats how im
feeding me bp he must be very skinny..bp's need to be fat! Are they?
Is she right?

[JLC]

If you're feeding every seven days, I think you're probably fine. My female BP is 2 years old, a little over 3' long, and around 1000g in weight....and she is currently getting only TWO small mice every seven days. And she's gaining weight at a reasonable and healthy pace.

EDIT: One more thought....BP's are naturally heavy bodied snakes (compared to say...a corn snake)....but they do not have to be "Fat."

[Riyuu]

If you're feeding every seven days, I think you're probably fine. My female BP is 2 years old, a little over 3' long, and around 1000g in weight....and she is currently getting only TWO small mice every seven days. And she's gaining weight at a reasonable and healthy pace.

EDIT: One more thought....BP's are naturally heavy bodied snakes (compared to say...a corn snake)....but they do not have to be "Fat."

How do u know if your snakes not fat though?

[Krazy99CL]

How do u know if your snakes not fat though?

Just feed every 7-10days, make sure not skinny, and dont feed anything bigger than girth....


I dont think you can measure body fat unless you take it to the vet. Vets are the snakes best friend! Even the abino burm we saw on here is fat, but how much in percentage? Well snake fat is the least of your worries, so just follow feeding dates and size of prey and you should be good

[littleindiangirl]

I've said it before, your snake doesn't need to be fat to be happy! Snakes grow slowly, and our captive ones are going to have more fat deposits than ones in the wild regardless. [from limited exercise and fatter meals]

So, if they aren't skinny to the point you need to see a Vet, don't worry. Let other people stuff their snakes like scaly sausages, and feed yours appropriately sized meals just like everyone here said.

[Riyuu]

I've said it before, your snake doesn't need to be fat to be happy! Snakes grow slowly, and our captive ones are going to have more fat deposits than ones in the wild regardless. [from limited exercise and fatter meals]

So, if they aren't skinny to the point you need to see a Vet, don't worry. Let other people stuff their snakes like scaly sausages, and feed yours appropriately sized meals just like everyone here said.

okie dokie ill do what u guys said thanks! ^-^

[littleindiangirl]

I realize the logic your friend may have though. [im slow ] Snakes in the wild are oppurtunistic feeders, so if there's a dead cat to eat, i'm sure a BP would try his darndest to get it to fit. Even if it managed to eat it, it is going to disgest that meal slowly, and probably not eat for a few months at least.

This is stressful on a snakes body though, and not necessary for captive snakes. Smaller weekly meals will put on healthy weight. Just like JLC's female that only gets 2 mice AND is 1000 grams. That's probably equivelant to a 40 gram rat weanling. Adam from 8 ball i believe said he only feeds 40-50 grams rats to ALL his adults, and he's got some at 3000 grams! I know that post was up here a while ago... hmm. OKay, this has gotten long enough, sry.

[Kagez28]

i have never heard of a bp eating already dead food in the wild?

in captivity we feed a snake 52 times a year, while in the wild they eat a whole lot less. you may think you are feeding too small prey items, but it is actually better for the snake that way. if you keep small meals on a regular 7 day schedule, your snake should not go off feed. if you over feed, there is a chance your snake will go off feed and fast to "catch up".

and i don't know how much your friend knows about snakes, but i would defiantly trust the many people that help make this website what it is over "your friend"

[JLC]

One thing you can always count on when keeping these animals...no matter WHAT you do....you'll run into people that will tell you you're doing it wrong.


If you feed live, someone will say you should only do f/t.
If you feed mice, someone will say you should only feed rats.
If you have a glass tank, someone will say you should only use plastic tubs.
Etc...etc...etc...


There's always something. The key is...glean information from people you feel you can trust, and of the myriad of different ways you learn you can do things, figure out what works best for you and your snake. My personal routine might not be a good fit for you....you might feed your snake differently than I feed mine....but that doesn't mean either of us are wrong.

[JoshJP7]

JLC thats perfect... do what works for you... If your BP shed in one piece, feed weekly, and pee/poop regularly (whatevers regular for your snake) then your fine... Many different ways to care for a snake with the same end result... a happy healthy snake.