Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, my little juvenile redtail is ALWAYS hungry, it seems. I'm feeding her at least two rat pinkies per feeding, usually 6-7 days apart. But even the day afterwards, she has NO visible bumps, and is back to acting hungry. I want to move her up to rat pups this week, but I don't want to endanger her heath by overfeeding her.

So at what point do I just have to basically 'put my foot down' and say that she's had enough?

>>So, my little juvenile redtail is ALWAYS hungry, it seems. I'm feeding her at least two rat pinkies per feeding, usually 6-7 days apart. But even the day afterwards, she has NO visible bumps, and is back to acting hungry. I want to move her up to rat pups this week, but I don't want to endanger her heath by overfeeding her.
>>
>>So at what point do I just have to basically 'put my foot down' and say that she's had enough?

going to hurt he5r.Their may always be a few problematic feeders at birth that may start out on pinkie mice or hoppers,But as soon as I can get them switched,I have always fed pinkie rats to my baby boa's.No mice period if I can help it.In my opinion rats are better.Just remember to use the apropriate prey size.Hope this helps with your decision in feeding your baby boa.Thanks Eric[Hypoboa]
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E&C's Exotic House of Reptiles

at least 2, if not 3, rat pinkies per feeding. I was just wondering if it would be going too far to bump her from pinkies to pups in one swoop...

I can't really say without seeing the snake, I raise my own feeders and have all sizes available so I just pick out an appropriate sized one. My typical feedings for younger snakes are one prey item only of appropriate size. The bigger ones get qty since I can't grow out rats long enough to get jumbos.

While they can eat an enormous meal, it is not good for them to do so. That's where the girth = girth rule of thumb comes into play. Look at your snake, at the midpoint(ish) should be the largest diameter. That's how big around the prey item can be.

As long as you are feeding them on a regular basis, you can't starve them, they can litteraly go for months with no food at all. That's how they survive in the wild and also why they can eat soooooo much at one time. When food is around, they eat, when it's not, they fast. Food intake = growth. The more you feed, the faster they grow. I don't think you'd find anyone who would disagree that overfeeding is bad. The debate is what is overfeeding?

Since you are feeding multiple rat pinks it may be OK to switch to rat pups. Again, compare girths!!

>>at least 2, if not 3, rat pinkies per feeding. I was just wondering if it would be going too far to bump her from pinkies to pups in one swoop...
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
11.24 BRB
10.16 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Does sound like underfeeding from your post. The "lump" should not be gone the next day. Basic rule of thumb, prey girth at largest point should equal the snake girth at the largest point (not including fur).

>>So, my little juvenile redtail is ALWAYS hungry, it seems. I'm feeding her at least two rat pinkies per feeding, usually 6-7 days apart. But even the day afterwards, she has NO visible bumps, and is back to acting hungry. I want to move her up to rat pups this week, but I don't want to endanger her heath by overfeeding her.
>>
>>So at what point do I just have to basically 'put my foot down' and say that she's had enough?
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
11.24 BRB
10.16 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

The fact that your snake is hungry is a sign of a healthy baby boa! Try a rat pup, but just one. It's better to have one larger rodent than two smaller ones, as long as it is the right sized prey. Ther should still be visible evidence of feeding the day after. Not really a bulge as much as a swelling, and it will lower down the body too. Feed every seven days for now, feed one good sized rat, and you will not be overfeeding. Rat pups have a range of sizes, so just pick the smallest pup in the bag. If your rats don't come in a bag, I suggest you switch to frozen/thawed.

Good luck,
Caden

"So, my little juvenile redtail is ALWAYS hungry, it seems. I'm feeding her at least two rat pinkies per feeding, usually 6-7 days apart. But even the day afterwards, she has NO visible bumps, and is back to acting hungry. I want to move her up to rat pups this week, but I don't want to endanger her heath by overfeeding her.

So at what point do I just have to basically 'put my foot down' and say that she's had enough?"

"It's better to have one larger rodent than two smaller ones"

Objects...in this case snake food... which are small in volume and large in surface area digest and break down much quicker and more effectively then something with a much larger volume and nearly the same surface area...feeding a single large food item is MUCH harder on the digestive tract of any animal, it takes much longer to digest, and due to that fact, the amount of nutrients utilized and absorbed is not as high as it would be with smaller prey items. The best thing to do is just feed properly or ideal sized meals, equal girth prey items in other words. The only way that one larger rodent is better then two smaller ones is when it comes to your pockets. It is always worse to go a bit too big then it is to go a bit too small, you won't have a snake regurge because it's food was on the small side.

>>"It's better to have one larger rodent than two smaller ones"
>>
I've read on the forums something about meat - bone ratio being higher in a single animal vs two animals. ?? I feed what I have available. Typically one, sometimes two, feeder animals but my larger boas will get several rats at a feeding. I just can't seem to raise them up large enough.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
11.24 BRB
10.16 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

We have the same problem, we raise our own rats for our girl who only eats live, and never have them around long enough for them to be large enough for her and usually end up having to feed twice... Never has caused a problem, and she doesn't complain!
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0.1 Het Albino
1.0 DH-Sunglow
1.0 TH-Moonglow
0.1 Poss. Het Albino

First, boas don't need any help breaking down and digesting there food, they are very good at this thanks to many thousands of year of evolution. A boas stomach can stretch in width much more than in length. Feeding multiple rats is NOT recommended. This is not just my opinion, ask around. Now I have only had boas for 25 years, maybe you can find an old timer to ask!

Re: ""It's better to have one larger rodent than two smaller ones"

Objects...in this case snake food... which are small in volume and large in surface area digest and break down much quicker and more effectively then something with a much larger volume and nearly the same surface area...feeding a single large food item is MUCH harder on the digestive tract of any animal, it takes much longer to digest, and due to that fact, the amount of nutrients utilized and absorbed is not as high as it would be with smaller prey items. The best thing to do is just feed properly or ideal sized meals, equal girth prey items in other words. The only way that one larger rodent is better then two smaller ones is when it comes to your pockets. It is always worse to go a bit too big then it is to go a bit too small, you won't have a snake regurge because it's food was on the small side."

How big is the snake ?

M/

I feed all my snakes f/t rats whenever possible, I don't use mice except for the hatchling colubrids... But she took a pup today with enthusiasm, and she looks full, but by no means grossly distended. I'm going to take the feedings back to every 7 days, though, and see how she acts.

Thanks for all the advice!

And here's a slightly outdated picture of her. She's probably about 28" give or take, I don't have a scale though, so I have no idea what her weight is.