how weird does it get? Are you saying its normal for snakes to be picky feeders????????? Of course your not. Are they picky feeders in captivity, yes. Why is the question.

Of course snakes are individuals, but a feeding response is a base behavior, they all feed. Genetic picky feeders do not pass on that trait, as they will be outcompeted.

What is indeed individual is how each snake deals with captive stress.

The truth is, if Austin is happy with the way it feeds, then all is good. But its still not normal.

Lets look at this in real time, if you have ten hogs and they will feed every three days, and one hog that feeds every 7 days, which is normal?????
If those ten grow in reach maturity in a couple years and the 7 day feeder takes 4 years, which is normal and which do you want?
If Austin is happy with that, great, why would I care? I don't. But that was not the question.

What gets me is, as keepers, you folks talk about being able to provide optimum conditions, etc etc etc. Yet, you want to blame the snake, you know, oh it must be just a picky animal.

Husbandry means to support. Its your task to support the animals, and if some need more support, then change your husbandry to address that animal.

In nature some individuals are dwarfed small adults, the reason is, lack of support, like not enough food. Its not because the individual is a picky feeder. And there are huge fat healthy adults, who were lucky enough to hatch in a time and place of plenty of support.

But baffles me is, you can provide that support. But instead blame the animal. Come on, at least try.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]