Quote Originally Posted by Gio View Post
My thoughts are as follows.

You signed up here a year ago with almost zero knowledge about snakes. You have stated you continually research and study the habits of these animals, particularly this species.

But frequently, you come up with questions like this. Granted this is a discussion board and we are all here to help, you should be very aware that snakes don't eat weekly, don't eat bi-weekly and don't often even eat monthly in the wild. Excessively large prey items are not recommended.

In captivity, feeding should not be excessive, nor should it be overly frequent. Captive bred prey items are not the same as wild prey items. The increase in fat and decrease in exercise in captive bred prey makes it FAR more unhealthy in certain aspects than wild prey items.

Your last post was in regard to ferrets on Craig's List.

I LOVE your enthusiasm and I like your snakes. However I think you need to step back a tad and intelligently raise your animals for the long haul.

Take some time and enjoy what you have and don't be in a rush to grown a big snake or to breed anything.

I get concerned when I see folks that are new to the hobby start looking into breeding and acquiring more and more animals. There are VERY FEW long time retic owners posting here. It's possibly due to lack of interest in the social aspect of things, or its because people start up with these animals and eventually find out they are too much.

I think the moderator here, "BCR", is one of a few long time retic owners/breeders here that should be looked upon favorably when it comes to committed owners.

I'd say go with typical prey items that are not overly large. Rats and quail are fine, rabbits are also fine. Just think long term and don't at all think about breeding. There are far too many people producing these animals, and far too few that can care for them for the long haul amongst us.

Take this post as advice, and nothing more.

Feed your animals intelligently and look into longevity and you will have an enjoyable experience.
Gio,

I respect everything you said here. I am hoping that this is something that keeps her happy for 3 to 4 weeks. I don't expect to see her out for 4 to 5 days other than drinking water. I have zero interest in breeding. I ask questions to make sure I am providing a healthy quality of life for all my animals. I knew it was a little big (the question was rhetorical). Was showing off her determination and strength as more of a warning to people who underestimate their strength and tenacity. I am in this for life. If she becomes aggressive or to big to pick up I will still provide her a great life that is as healthy as I can. I am having very few issues besides the occasional mistakes like having another animal out at the same time.

I got the bird because her last meal was rather small for her and she was hungry. My rabbit supplier had rabbits that were to large for her. I purchased the bird from a breeder that breeds for reptile food of his own animals. The bird was a Guineafowl. There is lots of meat on the bird but was a lot of feathers. That made it look larger than it actually was. She was smart at how she approached it. She crushed the bird and stretched the meat out to make it smaller in diameter.

I stayed right by her enclosure for the 4 hours it took for her to get it down, get it inside her stomach, and then bathe herself once done. I only stopped watching once she was curled up in her warm cave. She looked rather pleased with herself. I will not bother her for almost a week now to let her digest. I made sure she was able to breathe the entire time.

If you see me doing anything wrong along my way please feel free to offer advice. I will listen and be receptive to it.

I have taken the advice here and other places. As a result I have zero husbandry issues, good sheds, and healthy (not fat) animals. I have even brought a couple of animals back from the brink of death from others abuse. I still have a lot to learn and will continue to do so.

Things that I took away from this experience is that she should have much smaller prey items (I already knew this.). She is much stronger than you think at 13.5 feet and almost 40 lbs. She is one of the most determined animals I house when it comes to food (I knew this also). Super smart in how they problem solve things (crushing and stretching the bird out, while keeping her glottis free to provide air to breathe).

I love my animals and will always strive, for their lifetime, to provide them a happy, healthy, and quality life. I even have a plan for them if something happens to me.

Thanks again.

Sky