Posted by:
WillStill
at Mon May 7 13:57:40 2012 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by WillStill ]
Hi,
You're anthropomorphizing the issue. A ball python fed every 7-10 days is not starving, and as Jeff mentioned, most "maintenance" fed bps are likely healthier than many of the sausage-like snakes that are so common these days. Ball pythons have large fat reserves by design. They can safely handle going a year or more without food if other conditions are adequate. I have a couple that only eat a few meals a year. They are in their teens and have never bred, but they are certainly not unhealthy. They are large, lean snakes that just choose to eat infrequently.
There is nothing wrong with your feeding regime, but don't assume that it is necessarily better because you are feeding more calories per week. Young, growing balls can be fed more frequently, or given larger meals if they are allowed the broad range of temperature choices (from 70-100F) that are required to appropriately process such meals. I have raised many males to breeding size in under a year and many females to breeding size at 18 months. It can be done, but their is nothing wrong with slower growth and moderate feedings.
Many of us learned years ago that fat snakes are not healthy snakes. They suffer more health issues and frequently fail as breeders. Ball pythons are stocky snakes by design and don't need to be stuffed with food. If you do choose to feed frequently, make sure you allow the temp range that will allow those calories to be processed into lean growth for the first year or so, snakes should bulk up when they approach adulthood.
Also, the fact that you are paying $4.00 for a small rat screams of inexperience. Buy a small freezer and order feeders online, where you can find frozen sm. rats for under a $1.00. Good luck.
Will
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RE: mainenance feeding? - WillStill, Mon May 7 13:57:40 2012