2018 0.1 Brisbane Coastal Carpet Progression

[EL-Ziggy]

I sent that last picture to Nick Mutton and he said that she looks great, but to watch out because her growth rate is going to explode soon. Said once they're about this size and move on to small rats that they put on size and mass at a rapid pace. Excited to see it happen.

I have to come clean. When I saw her last picture and you said she was 234g I went back to my carpet feeding records and I was feeding them 60g small rats every 10-14 days when they were 250g. I remember when I got my first carpet and I asked Nick what I should be feeding him and he told me to feed jumbo mice. This was for a 125g coastal. I was feeding my 500g adult kingsnakes jumbo mice. I was skeptical but I trusted Nick the guru and learned a lot about their ability to take large prey. I won’t push the envelope too far but I’ve offered a few meals that were a bit of a stretch and each time they gotten the job done without issue. I respect the small meal, slow/steady growth approach but I feed my snakes a wee bit heavier especially for their first two years. After that I feed more modestly. I like my all pets well fed, strong, and healthy.

[jmcrook]

I have to come clean. When I saw her last picture and you said she was 234g I went back to my carpet feeding records and I was feeding them 60g small rats every 10-14 days when they were 250g. I remember when I got my first carpet and I asked Nick what I should be feeding him and he told me to feed jumbo mice. This was for a 125g coastal. I was feeding my 500g adult kingsnakes jumbo mice. I was skeptical but I trusted Nick the guru and learned a lot about their ability to take large prey. I won’t push the envelope too far but I’ve offered a few meals that were a bit of a stretch and each time they gotten the job done without issue. I respect the small meal, slow/steady growth approach but I feed my snakes a wee bit heavier especially for their first two years. After that I feed more modestly. I like my all pets well fed, strong, and healthy.

I'll come clean as well. I think I'm probably feeding pretty sparsely for two reasons.
1. I'm not pushing them for fast, large growth. Certainly not starving anyone here by any means, but their portions are lean and not more than every 9-10 days.
2. I think I'm probably still a little gun shy after feeding the bejesus out of the retics to combat their pushing shenanigans. In hindsight those animals, especially my female, were way overfed.

After this next meal, or maybe FOR this next meal, I think she'll get a weaned rat. I've got the room warmed back up to 74-75 at night and she's been coming out and stalking the last couple nights. I was going to feed tonight, but there's supposed to be a possibility of snow (IN MISSISSIPPI!) tonight and I don't want full bellies should I lose power for any reason.

Definitely appreciate your insights though! You've got more Morelia years under your belt than me and some gorgeous critters to show for it. I'm always happy to keep learning as I go! I'm excited to see them with more size on them and in larger, taller enclosures too. So many fun plans in the works and a lot of diversity with my current and incoming enclosures.

[EL-Ziggy]

That’s another reason I love this hobby. There’s not a one size fits all way of doing things. I love watching everyone’s animals grow and thrive and seeing the various methods of what works and what doesn’t and then using all that information to become a better keeper. I never stop learning.