"A snake only feeds when hungry, so it’s a voluntary behavior. "



There is an alternative view. Snakes are opportunistic feeders that will gorge when food is available. That the availability of food in captivity can be much different from what it is in the wild is clear indication that you can’t just rely on the snake’s appetite as an indicator of healthy intake. Ultimately any animal’s metabolism breaks down like this:



Caloric intake = output (growth activity reproductive effort fat storage)



If Caloric intake > growth activity reproductive effort alone then fat storage is going to increase. Its all about where those extra inputs are utilized. In some situations it is used to maximize growth and reproductive output but some snakes use it to get fat.



Ultimately, the results you get from various feeding schedules are going to vary from collection to collection, species to species and individual snake to individual snake. There is no real right or wrong way, just results that balance the needs of the animal against the expectation of the keeper.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson



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