Posted by:
Rob Lewis
at Tue Sep 18 12:35:26 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Rob Lewis ]
I don't know that I could actually define power feeding because, as you said, it could be different not only from species to species but even between individuals of the same species. In my opinion, feeding regimens should be determined by growth rate and body condition. If an animal that is kept in a sweater box and fed two food items per week is becoming obese than that is obviously too much food. If on the other hand, the same animal was kept in a well designed, large exhibit and was maintaining good body condition on the same two food items per week than that is probably a good feeding regimen. I think most people throw around the term power feeding in terms of how a feeding regimen may negatively impact the snake later in life and, quite frankly, I am just not sure that we really know for sure what that is. Compared to wild specimens, all captive animals are power fed. I don't think anyone would consider one meal per week too much but how many wild snakes get 52 meals per year? Not too many.
Having said all of that, when I was raising corns I fed hatchlings through yearlings on Mondays and Thursdays (for the most part). Once they were about a year old they went to one feeding per week and after that I adjusted based on body condition. I don't know if that would be considered power feeding but it resulted in nice steady growth to breeding size and did not result in any premature deaths (that I know of for sure) and my animals produced clutches well within the reported ranges.
I have not kept corns for a while (I do primarily kenyan sand boas now and follow basically the same regimen) but will probably keep them again in the near future and will, most likely, follow that regimen as it has worked very well for me in the past.
I hope this is helpful and not just mindless rambling. Just my thoughts. Take care.
Rob
[ Hide Replies ]
|
RE: I'd like definitions of "power feeding" - Rob Lewis, Tue Sep 18 12:35:26 2007