Let's Discuss Dietary Requirements for Ball Pythons

[Skiploder]

Side question, does a snakes activity level (active species or inactive) increase or decrease when placed into a larger than "recommended" enclosure. For example an adult male ball python gets kept in a 75 gallon decorated tank with stuff to crawl on, now let's do that with a Rosy Boa, a bull snake, a corn and a milk snake, any other 20-40gallon recommended species. Do they take advantage of the room, if so does this affect feeding needs/other husbandry things. If not, then why don't they take advantage of the space"?

Does getting your snake out to handle them increase metabolism? One would have to assume. Has anyone ever tried putting an unwilling feeder on an exercise program by taking them out and getting them moving? Literally just brain storming here. Does anyone have an exercise program for any of there herps in the interest of preventing obesity? I know of some people who give beardies a shallow bath to help with sheds, does this double as extra exercise/stimulation that can help improve husbandry?

I'm out of Doritos so I don't have the energy to talk about exercise anymore.

Totally dependent on species.

The natural history of a male ball pythons tells use that if given ample room and a suitable den it will den during the day and then roam at night to hunt, climb trees, seek out female ball pythons, etc. The area it has to cover to fulfill those imperatives is much greater in the wild than in a tank and better in a a tank than a tub.

Any activity increases the expenditure of energy and fuel is burned (metabolism) to meet that expenditure. Considering how affected these animals are by stress, I would suggest feeding less in favor of exercising them in some way.

I keep dispholidines in large arboreal cages and they are constantly moving. While they need to cover larger distances in the wild to find food and shelter, it certainly is better than stuffing them in a tub. Same for drys. Giver them the room and they will use it. They will use a nest or a burrow, they will bask for periods during the day and they will move around in their cages. Difference is that restlessness is an indicator of stress in ball but not in some select other species.

We have inexorably tied successful feeding into being a good keeper. We feel bad when a snake refuses food. In many cases we overfeed them not only because we don't really know their caloric needs, but also because when they eat, we feel some measure of accomplishment.