So XL rats don't seem like enough... What's next?

[ev477]

My boa's starting to look like he's too big for XL rats. I feed once a week. I am starting to think I'm getting ripped off at my local herp store because I'm sure one of those "XL" rats was actually a large. (And the only hopper size mice they have, for my milksnake, happen to look like fuzzies...)

All rip-offs aside, I just fed my boa a rat and he's still poking his head around looking for food. Last measure I had was at about 5'5" about a month ago. I don't have a weight for him either. What size do you go to when XL rats don't seem like they're enough? And just for kicks, what's the largest size food item you feed your boas/frequency of said item?

[SeanMcCormack]

My boa's starting to look like he's too big for XL rats. I feed once a week. I am starting to think I'm getting ripped off at my local herp store because I'm sure one of those "XL" rats was actually a large. (And the only hopper size mice they have, for my milksnake, happen to look like fuzzies...)

All rip-offs aside, I just fed my boa a rat and he's still poking his head around looking for food. Last measure I had was at about 5'5" about a month ago. I don't have a weight for him either. What size do you go to when XL rats don't seem like they're enough? And just for kicks, what's the largest size food item you feed your boas/frequency of said item?

Guinea Pigs or maybe baby rabbits

[Darkice]

I keep feeding mine rats but i get them frozen from rodent pro. THe tripple extra large work great for adults.
http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp...el=frozen_rats

[Patrick Long]

I think that you are getting ripped off.

Look at the size chart on rodent pro.

IMO I do not see the need to feed anything larger than a rat gets. You could always do two rats. Anything bigger just seems like a waste

[RichsBallPythons]

just keep the meals the same size or smalelr than the girth of the boa. Boas are easily over fed without knowing it. XL rats are pushing 600 grams and thats all i ever fed my one female who was 7ft 23lbs. you dont want to feed boas to the point of a bulge.

[wilomn]

you dont want to feed boas to the point of a bulge.

How come?

[RichsBallPythons]

Boas are more susceptible to Power Feeding than say a retic or burm. They have what is known as the Pin Head Effect. This is from feeding larger prey items too often.

Pictures below show you what happens form power feeding. This is a female i had that is only 2 years old 7ft and was over 25lbs. Notice the huge body and small Head. I always follow the same rule feeding boas as i do with ball pythons.

[frankykeno]

I feed adult boas 6 feet and over on appropriately sized rabbits every 10 days. Before that size I use one or two of the largest rats I can get my hands on. We'll often switch up and feed rabbit for awhile then offer a rat or two for a feeding then back to rabbits. The boas seem to respond nicely to the change up in prey once in awhile (but then most BCI's seem to eat just about anything that wanders in front of their hungry jaws LOL).

Remember though if you decide to feed rabbits that you need to find a meat rabbit breeder. Not all breeds of rabbits make good feeders. Meat breeds are obviously meatier. Fancy breeds are bred for pets and tend to be less meat, more fancy fur and so forth. I get our meat rabbits for boa feeding from a breeder that is breeding meat rabbits for human consumption.

Also remember that when you size a rabbit it's different than a rat. Rats are basically cone shaped with the largest part of the rat being it's butt and hips. With rabbits it's their big round heads that are the largest bit for the snake to swallow. It's sort of this way - rabbits are larger than they appear - so go smaller rather than larger if in doubt on size.

[RichsBallPythons]

In addition the boa in my care came to me as a rescue already powerfed.

[frankykeno]

I'd have to disagree with you on the whole "bulge" thing as it relates to powerfeeding boas. Powerfeeding, at least to in my opinion, relates not only to size of prey offered but frequency of feeding as well as the intent of the snake's owner.

Offering a rabbit to a boa may well leave a bulge - a bulge not a massive distension mind you. That rabbit however being offered only every 10 days or when the boa indicates it is hungry (sometimes our 9 foot female isn't interested and will go 14 days before she wants her bunny) does not seem to me to be powerfeeding. Also our intent is to satisfy this big snake's hunger, not to push unnatural growth on her - rather hard to do with a 17+ year old female Boa anyways LOL. Lastly, you have to be aware of how long the feeding bulge takes to disappear. If the snake is digesting in the normally expected time frame then the meal was not overly large since obviously digestion occurred naturally and easily.

I think you have to look at total prey volume over a time period to get a true indication of whether you are feeding appropriately or not.