I am sorry Zach - but there are a lot of things you are stating as fact that is simply wrong.

I don't disagree that snakes could care less about time frames such as weeks - but it is a good rule of thumb for a healthy schedule if the young snake is kept properly - and keeping it on schedule will help with owner - giving them structure. I think it is humans that need that the schedule - not the snakes.

As for feeding a snake that is growing as much food as it wants - that is dangerous. Snakes eat out as a result of prey presenting itself - not because they are hungry. By instinct, many species will eat anything available, simply because it doesn't know when its next chance will be. This is instinct and can't be removed.

As for snakes "just growing faster" if you feed more aggressively - this is also very very dangerous advice. There is scientific evidence that power feeding is dangerous to snakes and greatly increases the possibilities for organ issues, fatty tumors etc. Not to mention a ton of evidence that shows it results in shortened life spans.

You state that a young snake "will not get fat if it has the right conditions" - again completely and totally false, and reckless advice. That makes as much sense as saying a human child won't get fat - it will just grow faster - it is simply not true and there are a lot of juvi snakes out there that look like sausages. While snakes will grow faster on an aggressive schedule - they can absolutely become obese before reaching adult hood - and while the cage conditions will have an impact here - it will not prevent it. This does vary greatly between species - but there is no doubt that "feeding as often as snake is hungry" can cause irreversible damage.

The reason the topic is so debated is there are so many people out there that give poor advice and refuse to look at the facts.

There are many conditions that will dictate when a person should feed - however - with a new keeper and a young snake - 1/week is good rule of thumb.

To advice someone to feed "when a snake is hungry" is simply ignorant. If I followed that - I would be feeding womas EVERY day and they would be wider then they are long.

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