Feeding Question

[Reinz]

Is it better to feed a boa a small meal more frequently or a larger meal less frequetly

I think that it depends upon the individual snake. Also are you talking about babies/yearlings, sub adults, or adults? Each one can be very different.

Then throw in the wildcard of what Gio is saying about dropping temps in the winter, that can change the snakes feeding regimen entirely.


My two adult Boas are fed differently. Elenore gets a jumbo rat instead of mediums more frequently because it eliminates cage/feeding agression with HER. If I feed her small meals she tends to slam into the glass as I walk by sometimes. And then she does the hover S and tracks me. If I feed her a jumbo rat, she is peaceful for 4-6 or 7 weeks.


Elenore, Common BI tracking me after slamming the glass.


The previous owner of Punch was feeding him 2 jumbo rats every 10-14 days. While his shape is good, I bet a dollar to the donut that he has fatty organs. I only feed him one jumbo rat every 3-4 weeks. Keep in mind his large girth, going by some guidelines of feeding prey size a bit larger than his largest girth, it would take 3-4 jumbos to make a bulge, which is way too much. So I feel that his one jumbo is a much more healthy option.


Punch, Common BI - about 2.5 - 3 times larger girth AND 1.5 -2 feet longer than Elenore.


My adult BP is more consistent and calm with large meals as well as a few of my Carpets. My male Coastal had scarey cage/food agression and I stopped it with large meals spread out further.
But his female sibling, Etta, has always been calm with small meals closer together.

I am just relating my experience which seems to indicate that it is a case by case decision.

[bcr229]

My two adult Boas are fed differently. Elenore gets a jumbo rat instead of mediums more frequently because it eliminates cage/feeding agression with HER. If I feed her small meals she tends to slam into the glass as I walk by sometimes. And then she does the hover S and tracks me. If I feed her a jumbo rat, she is peaceful for 4-6 or 7 weeks...

The previous owner of Punch was feeding him 2 jumbo rats every 10-14 days. While his shape is good, I bet a dollar to the donut that he has fatty organs. I only feed him one jumbo rat every 3-4 weeks...

If you can get rabbits that weigh the same as the jumbo rats you're feeding now I would urge you to switch both of them. Rabbits have heavier bones, more lean muscle, and much less fat than similarly-sized rats, and jumbo rats in particular are often old, retired breeders with a high fat content. I've also noticed mine seem to be satisfied longer with a rabbit than a jumbo rat of the same weight, I'm guessing because it takes longer for those thicker bones to get digested.

Rabbits do have some fat - about 10% - enough to encourage the boa to slowly process extra fat they're retaining without the massive dump associated with suddenly putting a critter with fatty liver disease onto a low fat diet (this is more of an issue with cats IIRC).