Reptile & Amphibian Forums

10-12 pinks? because the frozen pinks i have for my hatchling corn are alittle freezer burned and i dont want to throw them away, would it be ok if every three or four feedings for one of my adult mouse eating snakes replace their normal meal with 12 pinks(i put an adult mouse next to that number and it was about the same size)
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jake

my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (zyklon)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

A snake in the wild would not refuse a nest of tiny rodents just because they are the wrong size. Should be fine unless you feed them to a picky eater who will prefer pinkies from then on. (I have a sinaloan milk snake who gets very enthusiastic over a pile of pinks. Talk about a munch master!) He usually devours two rat pups or small mice per feeding.
Also, it's a good idea to only do it every so often, since prey size in the wild varies with availability.

rgds,
althea

i was going to alternate snakes
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jake

my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (zyklon)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

Pinkies don't have (proportionally) the same amount of calcium or protein as an adult, even if the total number a pinks is equal in weight to the mouse. They are mostly skin and bone. They dont have the gut contents that supply the vitamins and minerals that larger snakes need. Every once in a while should be ok but I wouldn't make it a habbit. Eventually the snake would become deficient in the amount of calcium, vitamins and minerals it needs to remain healthy. This could also effect the immune system making it more succeptible to virus, infection etc...sorry for any spelling errors.

Thanks for your reply...I was actually going to post about this myself, but now feel a little better...I have an 18-20" baby leucy ratsnake that is, hands down, the most fearful snake I've ever owned...when he's out, his two main fears are A)He'll fall off my hand and plunge to his death, or B)I'll suddenly pop him in my mouth, chew him up, and swallow him...he deals with both these fears by getting a death grip on my hand (tail locked around a finger)and not moving a muscle, other than tongue flicks, for the entire time he's out...when he's in his enclosure, his main fear is----fuzzies...he seems convinced they will leap off the tongs and beat him up...if I just lay them on the floor of his tank he strikes at them repeatedly like a little machine gun until I feel sorry for him and take them out...sigh...Anyhow, he'll happily eat 4-6 pinkies at a sitting with no problem at all...I was worried about reduced nutrition in pinks, but it sounds like they'll be okay...any thoughts about getting him onto something a little larger? Thanks..

SR

one disadvantage of feeding pinks is the lack of fur, can lead to runny stools.

Other than that, snakes are very resilient, they will consume and use whatever they find. Have you tried killing the fuzzy first? I too have a snake (BRB) that so far will only eat pinks. She will take down the fuzzies/hoppers and then just leave them. I'm hoping as she gains size she will eat larger prey.
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Pinkies don't have (proportionally) the same amount of calcium or protein as an adult, even if the total number a pinks is equal in weight to the mouse. They are mostly skin and bone. They dont have the gut contents that supply the vitamins and minerals that larger snakes need. Every once in a while should be ok but I wouldn't make it a habbit. Eventually the snake would become deficient in the amount of calcium, vitamins and minerals it needs to remain healthy. This could also effect the immune system making it more succeptible to virus, infection etc...sorry for any spelling errors.

I think I liked the earlier two replies better...I have heard that pinkies have lesser amounts of calcium and protein, and it does makes sense...I feed only F/T, so apparently being dead does not lower the spooky level...although it makes me slightly sick to think about it, do you think cutting a fuzzy in half and offering it in two smaller portions might work? I'm guessing it's just size that's an issue with this snake...Thanks for the reply...

SR

try placing 1 fuzzy in with 3 pinks at the same time. If it works then gradually take away 1 pink until all he is eating is fuzzies...hope this works.

Aren't you smart!!! I will definitely try that...Thanks...

SR