Posted by:
Hotshot
at Mon Sep 6 18:04:56 2004 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Hotshot ]
well a good rule of thumb is dont feed a snake anything larger in girth than the largest part of the snakes body (in girth of course).
Actually the rule of thumb is prey item can be up to 1/2 of a size larger than a snakes thickest portion. And some snakes can handle more than that, if fed at appropriate intervals. The reason for the 1/2 size larger is so we dont overfeed the snake, and for neonates. Neonates cant handle as large a meal in comparitive size as an adult/sub-adult can. If an adult snake can swallow the prey item, then it can digest it. I once witnessed a large adult black rat catch and eat a faily large grey squirrel. The snake was probably 6-7' in length and nice girth. Ambushed a squirrel at my grandma's bird feeder and was pretty fat once he had the squirrel down. I didnt think he could eat it, but I watched him for probably 20 minutes until he had it down and liesurely went on about his business with a full belly!!! And remember, rat snakes can take larger food items than kings in comparison to their bodies.
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1.0 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes (MO locale)
1.0 Eastern Yellow Belly racer (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Yellow rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.1 California king snake (Coastal phase)
1.0 Prairie king snake (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern Milk snake (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern/Red milk intergrade (KY locale)
Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian
[ Hide Replies ]
- Feeding question - machinegun, Mon Sep 6 15:01:42 2004
- RE: Feeding question - crtoon83, Mon Sep 6 15:23:04 2004
 RE: Feeding question - Hotshot, Mon Sep 6 18:04:56 2004
- sure - draybar, Mon Sep 6 15:24:52 2004
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