Eating a second mouse question + a hot side question.

[Gio]

I'm gonna shoot for 2 questions in one thread to make things easy.

Our snake is starting to grow and eat more. We are using XL adult mice and now small rats. I have maybe 5 mice left, and I'm wondering IF I should try feeding 2, and if so, how do most do it as far as timing? When is the right time to offer the second mouse after the first?

Secondly, our snake, to my knowledge spends very little time on the hot side. I have 4, yes 4 thermometers (2 high quality/ 2 lesser) , and a Herpstat II thermostat. I have a basking side temp at 90.6 - 91.8 constantly with the UTH directly probed , ambient tank temps at 80-81. the cool side is 78-80. I have 4 hides (2 each side). Sheds have been excellent, feeding has been excellent so I'm not worried, but I thought she'd bask more.

It appears, at least up to this point, that the shedding takes place on the warm side, and until the last bathroom break, that has been a warm side event.

Thoughts?

[ballpythonluvr]

You can offer the second mouse after the snake has the first one down. My snake always lays and sheds on the hot side of his tub so this is normal.

[therunaway]

The place where I get my mice from as feeders, sometimes don't have mice big enough for my ball, so I had to get three small-ish mice and what I do is feed one, wait til I see the lump disappear, repeat. As for the hot side, yes that is normal, some like to take long breaks.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

I have an adult pastel who is a 2008, proven breeder female. I have never seen her on the hot side, even when she was preparing to lay her eggs she coiled on the cool side!

so - it happens. Don't worry

[OmNomNom]

I feed my guy a large PK mouse and while he's downing that leave the second one over the entrance to his hide, to eat at his leisure. It's usually gone within a couple of hours.

[Andybill]

I have a couple of mouser boys who I toss in a mouse and I give em about 5 min then toss in the other. They gobble them up pretty quick... As for the hot side thing I have some who I have never seen leave it and some who i have never seen on it. I say if they are eating shedding and defecating fine and regularly you dont have anything to worry about.

[Gio]

Thanks folks, I figured the basking side stuff may go down when I'm sound asleep. Every now and then when I get up for late night water or whatever I mount a surprise ambush and still find her curled in her cool side hide. I agree though that since all her functions are running well, I have a happy snake.


I am going to try a slightly larger rat tomorrow. Her size sort of took off and seeing "the lump" is going to be harder and harder because she's gotten rather thick. It's not a big snake by any stretch. She'll be a year old on the 28th of this month, and we measured her out at 29" a few days ago. I don't have a scale so I can't give you a weight, but I can really see she's putting on size. I think some of the XL mice are still close to as big as the rats so I may look in the bags for the smallest mouse and follow the rat with it.

Still having fun, but totally got shot down by the wife on the Dumerils boa. I'm going to really have to work some magic to get one of those