Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ive heard of rainbow boas eating their young that didnt survive, which helps rebuild the wiegght they lost.

my question is could you feed a snake its shed to help grow faster? or would the skin be hard to digest?
-----
jake

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

I can verify BRB's will eat their slugs, been there, seen it, was amazed by it.

Only thing I could speculate about sheddings is:
Not much there, would think the nutritional value was minimal at best.
-----
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

i know the nutrition would be minimal, but maybe the snake would have healthier skin because they would already have the "ingredients" for new skin. or cuts would heal in fewer sheds.

and its not like they cant digest a shed because snakes eat snakes in the wild and you think a snake is going to turn down a meal because its in shed?

i think i will try it for a few shed cycles and see if i notice any changes at all. every feeding i will put a piece of shed on a ft mouse and see if they eat it.

and wouldnt it be nice if it was beneficial and they started doing it on thier own. the only downfall i can see is a snake developing cannibalistic tendancies.
-----
jake

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

i tied a piece of a shed to the tail of a ft mouse and fed it to that snake. the shed fell off, i tried to put it in its mouth after the feet but he refused.but he accepts pinkie mice when i put them after the feet. ill try another snake tomorow or the day after, but this time ill tie a shed around the waist of the mouse.
-----
jake

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

I frankly don't think that's a very good idea. Yes, in the wild snakes eat other snakes, but not only do they eat the skin, but the entire liquid filled nutritious snake that goes with it. And for the life of me, I've never heard of a case where a wild snake ate an empty shed.

It'd kind of be like a human eating their fingernail clippings for better fingernails. After cats groom their fur, they hack out hairballs, they don't digest it. There's a pretty scary risk of impaction I'd think.

I know there have been a few discussions on vitamins. If you're looking for different forms of nutrition, maybe you could forum search for those?
-----
0.2 chickens (Condor & Valentine)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.1 Normal phase California Kingsnake (Sophia)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

yea i guess it wasnt a very smart idea, but at least it wasnt as bad as my idea for paper training snakes.
-----
jake

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

Hey, don't worry about it. New ideas are what keeps this hobby fresh, even if some are false starts. A few years ago, I had never heard of naturalistic vivariums, (with plants, bioactive soil, etc) Now trickling down from Europe and the dart frog enthusiasts, it's still rare but it's talked about at least.
-----
0.2 chickens (Condor & Valentine)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.1 Normal phase California Kingsnake (Sophia)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

>>i know the nutrition would be minimal, but maybe the snake would have healthier skin because they would already have the "ingredients" for new skin. or cuts would heal in fewer sheds.

You may have seen too many commercials for "suppliments".

I'm not a biology expert, but this is my understanding: Most times, consuming something (complex) that your body produces is actually less efficient than consuming the base chemicals that make it up. The skin is not going to be broken down and go straight back into builing new skin. If it is digested it will be broken down into less specific components and used wherever those components aree needed in the body. Furthermore, I seriously doubt that there's anything in snake skin (at the chemical level) that isn't in either mouse skin or hair.

i totaly agree with you but ive heard that snakes scales are the same things as our fingernails.
-----
jake

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

>ive heard that snakes scales are the same things as our fingernails.

If so, I'd not expect them to digest a shed easily. About the only parts of prey animals that snakes can't digest are the hair, feathers, teeth, and claws.

Paul Hollander

i think they can digest bones they can digest teeth, the only way to find out is too look. next time one of my bp goes il let it dry out and ill cut it apart and see whats in it.
-----
jake

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

>>i totaly agree with you but ive heard that snakes scales are the same things as our fingernails.

Yes, you are correct. It's called keratin, and it's also what a mouse's fur is made of. However, that doesn't really matter because snakes don't shed their scales, they shed a thin layer of skin that forms over the scales. One of the main reasons they do this is to get rid of parasites that attach to the skin that you want them to eat. If thier skins were a significant source of nutrition, they probably would have evolved to eat them.

thats why i asked for opinions.
i never thought about it that way they probably would, there are some geckos that do(ive seen a picture).
why dont snakes eat thier infertile eggs?
-----
jake

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

>>why dont snakes eat thier infertile eggs?

Some do. Why not all? That I don't know.

Jake, if you¡¦re trying to help a stubborn shedder. Try the small fish oil soft gel capsules once every 3rd or 4th feeding. Put the capsule inside the mouth of the mouse or rat and poke it down.

You¡¦re given me nightmares with this mad scientist stuff¡K. ƒº

Got to give you credit your always thinking¡K..

Dann

thats the problem i think too much.
-----
jake

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