Scale, snake weight and weight of the rat.

[Gio]

Following advice here, I went and got a scale to weigh my son's Royal.

We are trying to up the prey size and move to medium sized rats from the Juvs.

The snake is 30" long 1 year and 1 month old and weighs 481 grams.

The frozen rat weighs 129 grams.

Is this a go situation? I've tried to feed her (pre scale) and was refused. The schedule has been once every 6-7 days and she has been taking rats since going from xl adult mice although a bit slower on the strike.

I tossed the last rat out as I didn't want to retry with one that had been thawed and used and cooled and reused.

Today will be day 9 between feedings and I do see she is peaking out of her hide. I will give her all day to think about it and maybe try tonight if the rat to snake ratio seems correct.

Again snake is 481 grams and the rat is 129 grams.

Thanks.

[dillan2020]

That rat may be a little to big for her. you want to shoot for around 15% of body weight. and that size rat your trying to feed is around twice that much.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Those rats are nearly twice the size I would feed.

Going by the 15% body weight rule a 480 gram BP should eat about 70 grams. I would feed small rats, (50-80 grams)

[Gio]

Thanks guys.

I'll refreeze it and look for a smaller rat.

[Gio]

Well after weighing my smaller rat and my xl adult mouse, I was surprised to see the mouse weighed more. Combined they are about the right size for her meal. I could use some advice on how to feed 2 items. Should I offer both at the same time from the tongs, or try one after the other? I have tried the later with no luck so I thought if somehow I could get her to hit and wrap one or both at the same time she'd eat both.

1 of each isn't enough. I'm sort of in the "between sizes" stage and she is only used to eating 1 thing so a "twofer" might be difficult.

[The Serpent Merchant]

You will want to feed them in succession.

You can try the "piggie-backing" method where you feed the larger rodent first, and as the snake is in the final stages of eating the first place the head of the second rodent in the still open mouth.

When my snakes are in these inbetween stages I like to go a little over what I normally would feed. Over feeding is only an issue over the long term. By feeding larger rodents the snake will quickly grow into its new meals. But it has to be able to eat them.

[Gio]

Aaron,

would that be better than letting her strike the 1st one and setting the second one near her? I imagine your way is a sure way to make sure she actually starts eating #2. I just don't want to scare her or force regurgitation by sticking my hand in there and putting a mouse in her face.

Also, since the mouse is bigger is it still OK to feed that 1st, or should I do the smaller rat? I just switched to rats and don't want to go backwards but this is all I have right now in the small rodent dept.


Thanks

[The Serpent Merchant]

It really doesn't matter what the order is.

The ideal way to feed two rodents is to dangle the first one, wait until it has been completely swallowed then dangle the second one. doing things like piggy0backing are mainly used if you need to get them to eat more than one but they have a history of refusing.

[Gio]

Well,

No luck on either. She shut down. No head peaking, nothing. I have the stuff in the fridge but may not even try for a few days. I hope I didn't screw her up offering oversized prey. I may pick up a bunch of juvey rats tomorrow and restart the process in a few days, and I will try your piggy back style to assure I get her to eat enough.