Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 711

0 members and 711 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,903
Threads: 249,098
Posts: 2,572,070
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, wkeith67
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: prey to big??

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-26-2008
    Location
    Missoula, Montana
    Posts
    5
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    prey to big??

    Hey everyone,

    i'm a goof today. i fed my colombian rainbow boa a mouse that is a little larger than i usually feed. he came right out and made quick work of it, but he's having a tough time getting it down! will they attack, kill, and attempte to eat something to large? and can it kill him? I know, i should know better, but like i said, G-O-O-F.

    Thanks,

    Lucke
    Last edited by JimiSnakes; 08-09-2008 at 12:30 PM. Reason: Softer terminology please...~Jimi

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran JimiSnakes's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-14-2005
    Location
    Blasted Lands, NY
    Posts
    3,176
    Thanks
    45
    Thanked 116 Times in 83 Posts
    Images: 1

    Re: prey to big??

    Quote Originally Posted by bassplayinfool View Post
    Hey everyone,

    i'm a goof today. i fed my colombian rainbow boa a mouse that is a little larger than i usually feed. he came right out and made quick work of it, but he's having a tough time getting it down! will they attack, kill, and attempte to eat something to large? and can it kill him? I know, i should know better, but like i said, G-O-O-F.

    Thanks,

    Lucke
    Hey, sorry I missed this yesterday. How'd the meal go? If he got it down just give him an extra day or two to digest before moving him at all.
    It's All About Boas
    www.jimisnakes.com
    JimiSnakes Facebook Page
    ~Jimi


  3. #3
    Registered User jeff91's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-27-2008
    Posts
    21
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Re: prey to big??

    Quote Originally Posted by jim020cricket View Post
    Hey, sorry I missed this yesterday. How'd the meal go? If he got it down just give him an extra day or two to digest before moving him at all.
    I was actually asking myself the same question right now lol. Im watching my colombian rainbow boa eat his first meal since I got him and he's really taking his time on it but I heard that boas, aswell as pythons, can eat meals almost 6times the wideness of its head so i wouldn't worry about it. Take the advise that you got earlier and dont touch him for a fiew days...

    p.s someone corect me if im wrong about the wideness thing
    -***female ball python Jasmine**-
    -***male ball python Dallas***-
    -***male amel corn Hide***-
    -***female colomb. red tail boa Sally***-
    -***female colomb. rainbow boa Scarlett***-

  4. #4
    BPnet Veteran blackcrystal22's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-15-2008
    Location
    Geneva, Illinois, United States
    Posts
    4,059
    Thanks
    394
    Thanked 555 Times in 435 Posts
    Images: 6

    Re: prey to big??

    Quote Originally Posted by jeff91 View Post
    I was actually asking myself the same question right now lol. Im watching my colombian rainbow boa eat his first meal since I got him and he's really taking his time on it but I heard that boas, aswell as pythons, can eat meals almost 6times the wideness of its head so i wouldn't worry about it. Take the advise that you got earlier and dont touch him for a fiew days...

    p.s someone corect me if im wrong about the wideness thing
    I'm sure it's possible, but probably dangerous. :[

    Keeping the same rule of thumb with the mouse being the same width as the largest point on the snake is a good idea.

  5. #5
    Registered User norcal_707's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-04-2008
    Location
    Amung the Redwood Forests of Northern California
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Images: 15

    Smile Re: prey to big??

    I am not an expert by any means, this is just a summary of the information I was able to gather from searching the web in reference to your question. If any of this info is incorrect please say so, I don't want to pass on ANY wrong advise Hope this helps.

    As The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that are no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. While Boas will often gladly eat prey that is actually too large for it, they will generally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later. With all snakes, keep the handling of a Boa after eating to the absolute minimum for 24 hours,48 hours is a safer choice. Apart from the possibility of regurgitation, rough handling after a large meal can damage the snakes digestive tract and may prove fatal. If your Boa regurgitates it's meal, DO NOT feed again for at least 2 weeks(12-15 full days) after regurgitation. This is critical recovery time the boa needs to "rebuild" the fluids back up in the stomach.

  6. #6
    BPnet Veteran
    Join Date
    01-10-2007
    Posts
    270
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
    Images: 24

    Re: prey to big??

    Quote Originally Posted by norcal_707 View Post
    I am not an expert by any means, this is just a summary of the information I was able to gather from searching the web in reference to your question. If any of this info is incorrect please say so, I don't want to pass on ANY wrong advise Hope this helps.

    As The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that are no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. While Boas will often gladly eat prey that is actually too large for it, they will generally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later. With all snakes, keep the handling of a Boa after eating to the absolute minimum for 24 hours,48 hours is a safer choice. Apart from the possibility of regurgitation, rough handling after a large meal can damage the snakes digestive tract and may prove fatal. If your Boa regurgitates it's meal, DO NOT feed again for at least 2 weeks(12-15 full days) after regurgitation. This is critical recovery time the boa needs to "rebuild" the fluids back up in the stomach.

    I dont know how big your BRB is but if you got it from petco I'm sure its big enough to eat the mice they sell. Because I got mine from petco and I feed it two adult mice a week from there and he got them down each within a minute.

    I'll be feeding him again on saturday I do a five day schedule. And usually petco buys their snakes (from the look of their ball pythons) all around the same size so i dont think they buy them until they get to a good size that would look attractive to customers.

    The way im going to do it is with mice is once it sheds three times in my care im going to move it up hopper rats. then 3 - 5 sheds after that it should be ready for small adult rats...and so on...

    Does anyone think this is an ok way to do it? does any one see future flaws in my plans?

    Oh yea and give or take a few sheds these are just estimates around the shedding not exactly saying it will be ready for adult rats after 5 sheds.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1