Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 1,319

0 members and 1,319 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,936
Threads: 249,129
Posts: 2,572,284
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, GeorgiaD182
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 17 of 17
  1. #11
    BPnet Veteran BPelizabeth's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-17-2009
    Location
    Sahuarita, AZ...about 30 miles SW of Tucson
    Posts
    4,650
    Thanks
    1,001
    Thanked 935 Times in 805 Posts
    Images: 17

    Re: Too big meal help.

    They use the warm belly heat to digest!
    Michelle
    Lets just say it has advanced to ....way too much to list

  2. #12
    BPnet Veteran blackcrystal22's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-15-2008
    Location
    Geneva, Illinois, United States
    Posts
    4,059
    Thanks
    394
    Thanked 555 Times in 435 Posts
    Images: 6

    Re: Too big meal help.

    Quote Originally Posted by boasandballs View Post
    You DO NOT want to turn the temps up. I know everyone says to do that but think about it for a min. When the temps are up the food item spoils faster (epands) than they can digest it. This is when they regurge. Temps down a few degrees will keep it in his stomach.

    Now before everyone gets wound up, think about a dead rat you didn't feed. It blows up right? Well it does that in the snake. The slower it "blows up" the more time it will have to digest it. If it "blows up" in their stomachs more than they can handle they regurge.
    You're getting a little bit confused here.
    First, I've never had a rat 'blow up' before. And when snakes regurgitate, it's not 'blown up' it's actually rather solid and in one piece.

    You don't want to turn the temps up, and you don't want to turn them down. The rotting process is part of the digestion, it is a good thing, not a bad thing. In order for the animal to sustain it's digestion and get enough energy to synthesize the food, it needs that crucial belly heat.

  3. #13
    BPnet Senior Member WingedWolfPsion's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-27-2007
    Location
    Plattsmouth, NE
    Posts
    5,168
    Thanks
    124
    Thanked 1,785 Times in 1,134 Posts
    Images: 1

    Re: Too big meal help.

    The food is currently being subjected to large amounts of acid. The snake's body will work on producing more acids and absorbing the nutrients. The food is not rotting, anymore than the food in YOUR stomach rots. There are beneficial bacteria at work helping to break it down, but that isn't quite the same thing.

    A hot spot of 90 to 95 will allow him to digest his food without issue. It is unecessary to go higher than that, and you definitely don't want to go lower. The snake's metabolic rate will increase when the temperature is higher--this speeds digestion. But it will be forced to move if the temperature is too high for its comfort. My guess is, if you put it at 95, he will sit smack dab on the heat and not move.

    If temps are too cool, digestion is slowed, and that's when there is a chance that the food may rot before it can be broken down properly in the stomach.

    It's unlikely that he'll regurge as long as it's warm and he's left alone. They're designed to be able to handle anything they can manage to swallow. It's rare that a snake has to regurge a huge prey item for any reason other than it was disturbed and wants to flee--then it gets rid of the big meal to lighten itself up to move faster.
    --Donna Fernstrom
    16.29 BPs in collection, 16.11 BP hatchlings
    Eclipse Exotics
    http://www.eclipseexotics.com/
    Author Website
    http://donnafernstrom.com
    Follow my Twitters: WingedWolfPsion, EclipseMeta, and EclipseExotics

  4. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to WingedWolfPsion For This Useful Post:

    Chocolate Muffin's (02-15-2010),dc4teg (02-15-2010),dr del (02-15-2010)

  5. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-03-2009
    Location
    FLA
    Posts
    198
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 18 Times in 17 Posts

    Re: Too big meal help.

    ur ball will be fine, if it swallowed it then its not to big IMO

  6. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-01-2010
    Location
    St Louis, MO
    Posts
    174
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked 10 Times in 10 Posts

    Re: Too big meal help.

    he'll be fine! If he regurges well then try again next week. My lesser had been on rat pups and she looked like she could be bumped up. So I gave her a small (but big for a small) f/k rat and it was a slow going but she took it like a champ. She is full enough she is just stretched out in the tub and cant coil up.

    Point is, you have ate until you get nausious before right? You either puked or you layed down and took a nap. But youre still alive and kicking right? He's just full as heck. Handling is a no go but you had him out of his enclosure to feed so now that he's back just wait for the biggest turd of his short life!!
    0.1 Spider
    1.0 Mojave
    1.0 Pastel
    0.1 Lesser
    0.0.1 Alligator mississippiensis
    1.1 Dobermans

  7. #16
    BPnet Veteran boasandballs's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-05-2009
    Location
    Brighton, Co
    Posts
    577
    Thanks
    64
    Thanked 128 Times in 115 Posts
    Blog Entries
    1
    Images: 2

    Re: Too big meal help.

    Quote Originally Posted by blackcrystal22 View Post
    You're getting a little bit confused here.
    First, I've never had a rat 'blow up' before. And when snakes regurgitate, it's not 'blown up' it's actually rather solid and in one piece.

    You don't want to turn the temps up, and you don't want to turn them down. The rotting process is part of the digestion, it is a good thing, not a bad thing. In order for the animal to sustain it's digestion and get enough energy to synthesize the food, it needs that crucial belly heat.
    Your misunderstanding me. What I meant was they out gas, or expand in their stomachs. Anyway if you ever had emerald tree boas you would understand what I'm saying. What I was trying to say is more heat is not the answer, they regurgitate because it is to much for them to handle. Normal temps with access to the cool side is best.
    I've always been a boa girl at heart.
    Where reptiles are not just apart of our lives, they are our lives.
    They are Living art.

    www.boasandballs.com

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to boasandballs For This Useful Post:

    rabernet (02-15-2010)

  9. #17
    BPnet Veteran dc4teg's Avatar
    Join Date
    07-15-2008
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    1,176
    Thanks
    443
    Thanked 153 Times in 134 Posts
    Images: 7

    Re: Too big meal help.

    Quote Originally Posted by boasandballs View Post
    Your misunderstanding me. What I meant was they out gas, or expand in their stomachs. Anyway if you ever had emerald tree boas you would understand what I'm saying. What I was trying to say is more heat is not the answer, they regurgitate because it is to much for them to handle. Normal temps with access to the cool side is best.



    I envy yall emerald tree boa guys..

    I cannot wait till i have a snake where i have to know some science to keep

    IDK if ball pythons are cutting it out


    I want to learn lol

    anywho your snake is fine and will be fine just let it chill for a while and expect a mess
    1.0 Normal ball python
    and my other animals 1.1 dogs


    BG and Skiploder fan

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1