Determining proper prey size...

[WifeOfSlasher]

I found this interesting. Our local mom and pop store raise, and freeze, their own prey supply for the store - which I love btw. While trying to determine the proper prey size for our '09 bp the prey breeder, and snake owner, guy says that he goes by prey skull width compared to the width of the snake's jaw. He said that when choosing you want to feed nothing with a skull wider that the snake's jaw. I found this interesting. Both weight and width seem to be hard way to go because your snake could be either a) overweight or b) underweight and this could lead to an improper prey size. What do you think about this?

[VEXER19]

I think that if a snake wasn't meant to eat something wider than its jaw then nature wouldn't have given a snake the ability to spread out their bottom jaw to almost twice its size. But that's just me. I've never heard this before and I'm not buying stock in it. But thanks for bringing it up cause I'm interested in what people think.

[k8nkane]

Isn't the point of a snake dislocating its jaw so that it can eat prey larger than its head (and therefore more valuable to it in terms of calorie/nutrient intake)?

[The Serpent Merchant]

I go by 15% of the snakes body weight.

[VEXER19]

I go by 15% of the snakes body weight.

X2 and only up to 100g prey item.

[WifeOfSlasher]

I go by 15% of the snakes body weight.

But what if your snake is chunky?

[WifeOfSlasher]

I think what I am saying is being missed. I'm speaking of skull of prey to jaw width of snake comparison. The size of the skull is not proportional to the size of the body. A rat, or mouse, has a small non squishy head compared to its larger but squishy body. The skull also doesn't crush while the shoulder girdle, ribs, and pelvic girdle does.

And our guy is chunky. The "proper" sized prey compared to his weight is HUGE. I don't want him to be even more chunky.

[VEXER19]

As babies and adolecents they really aren't considered chunky cause they are constantly growing. That's also kina how balls look. But that's also why I would stop at 100g prey item due to obesity in adults but there are signs of a obese snake. Skin between scales and such. But if you are at the 100g prey size then feed every 10 days instead of 7 or if you feed every 10 the go to every 14. But I don't see an obesity problem happening if you stay by those guidelines. Ofcourse anything is possible but not likely.

[VEXER19]

Post a pic if you are concerned and you will get your answer.

[bclose93]

i think this may be true as snakes aim at the head when they strike, to nutralise their prey, but when they strike they do not stretch their jaw untill they have killed their prey and begin to eat it. So it would make sense not to feed a head bigger than the jaw. But thats just my opinion