Grow Faster, Breed Sooner? (NOT POWER FEEDING)

[Gio]

If anybody cares to wade through this you will find some very interesting information.

https://jeb.biologists.org/content/210/2/340

It is not directly related to the discussion here but it covers the various stages of digestion and energy level usage that infrequently fed, sit and wait, ambush tactic snakes experience.

"That is totally irrelevant. We're on a discussion about Royal (Ball) Pythons, not boas. The concepts do not apply throughout the species."

As I mentioned above, convergent evolution is at play. Completely different species have evolved to develop similar characteristics, traits and physiology.

Sit and wait, ambush predators have a system built for long periods of fasting. That includes boas and yes,,, pythons. Forging colubrids are noted to have differences in the way they process their prey.

Taxing the system of an animal that eats infrequently with an unnatural, daily feeding regime will eventually have negative consequences. Big meal, small meal, normal meal, the system still has to work and rest. Not allowing that natural process to occur unhealthy.

In fairness, the consequences may be reversible if the snake is allowed to go back to a normal cycle. You may be able to get away with daily feeding for a short period of time though I'm guessing on that point.

What I see here is unnatural feeding to attain rapid size for earlier breeding plain and simple. Nothing benefits the male royal by doing this.


Over feeding and over breeding will take a toll on the health of almost any living thing.