Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had Persephone for 3 weeks now, and last week she looked like she was about to shed. Friday when I fed her she was very pale looking, eye's were clouded. A very good indication that she was about to shed. Monday I come in and she looks clear as a bell. However, what is disturbing is that I can find no signs of a shed in her cage anywhere. Anything in particular I should look for. I've checked her hide, a mossy corner, and her piece of cork board.

Second question: I've fed her twice (2 small pinky mice each time), and have seen no signs of poop or uerate. I'm not too worried as of yet, but since this is my first BRB I'm currious about how often they go. I figured once a week sometime after their meal.

Information is appreciated.

Josh

She's about to shed for you but their skin goes from blue back to normal and the process varies by snake and amount of intake. My guess is tomorrow night she will shed for you so don't worry just remember to give her a moist hide over the next couple of days. Pinky mice sounds small and my guess is she needs a hopper size one. The amount of nutrition she is getting out of that pinky mouse doesn't leave much for a poop so at that rate it could be every 2-3 weeks on that intake but maybe not but Dave would know. Snakes don't usually poop also until they are out of their shed either (Frank Roberts theory) and it makes since cuz their skin is seperating from the old skin so sight is at its worse so they hold it in as to not draw potential predators by them. Step up the food and keep it humid and you will have fresh skin and fresh poop to scoop out
Bob

My local petstore isn't carrying hoppers or pinky rats, so I substitute with 2 pinkies. Two pinkies equal about a hopper right? So feeding her two pinkies a week should be about right. She's 5 weeks old now. Don't have a scale or I would give you a current weight. Now I'm not so worried about the poop. Heck, if they made pets that didn't poop I'd be all over them.

2 pinkies is probably about right, but still may be a little small. You will not get much poop with feeding pinkies, as one of the main things they poop is fur.

You may want to ask that your pet store get huzzies or even hoppers from their suppliers. They should get them for you, if they know you will buy every week. Also, if you can get it switched to frozen thawed mice / rats you can buy in bulk at a show or online, and this should also save you money.

I also agree on the answer on the shed. They will look normal for a day or two after they looked very cloudy just before they actually shed.
-----
Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

You should also find poop with the shed or soon after it sheds. No need to worry if you don't, but quite often it happens with or just after shed.
-----
Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

To the best of my knowledge
the biggest pinky is 3 grams max usually less
smallest fuzzy 3 grams to about 6 or 7
and the hopper is about 8-13 or so

so the most likely scenario is the pinky weighs about 2.25-2.50 and two would be 5 and the hopper is 8 at least. I'm sorry he don't have hoppers but the reason I stated this was I have '05 bci about 38 inches. Most people breeding will have them at 3-4 feet in the first year and mine is way behind but I'm not breeding though. So I was feeding him every other week for awhile a couple of adults when he could have been taking medium rats so he wasn't getting big at all and had no fat on him at all. Now he is getting his medium rat every other friday but he is all muscle and quickly filling out so he's getting cut back. Before I fed him rats he was urating every couple weeks and pooping about every 2 months so I know he was underfed but he's so strong for it but food intake can certainly dictate growth so sorry for babbling and nice chatting with you
Bob

Josh,
....Pinky mice are great food for baby Milksnakes. Baby Rainbow Boas have mouths that can stretch around enormous meals. I feed my new baby BRBs hopper mice and pinky rats that weigh more than 5 or 6 pinky mice. If your store has small adult mice try one of them. The snake can easily eat even a jumbo mouse but there is increased risk of regurgitation if you go any larger than small adult mice.
Jeff

>>My local petstore isn't carrying hoppers or pinky rats, so I substitute with 2 pinkies. Two pinkies equal about a hopper right? So feeding her two pinkies a week should be about right. She's 5 weeks old now. Don't have a scale or I would give you a current weight. Now I'm not so worried about the poop. Heck, if they made pets that didn't poop I'd be all over them.

Josh,

Do not worry about your BRB, as you have fed it. Snake's are cold blooded and can go long time without eating. Also, I usually offer smaller than normal food the first couple of times for my new snakes. I want to be sure they are comfortable in their new home before I offer them normal sized meals.

I bought one BRB that was 1 year old and it still was the size of a baby. It was fed only to keep it alive. It is now a great eater for me and is growing nicely.

Also, you asked the question on the best forum, as Jeff is one of the most respected BRB breeder there is.
-----
Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Mike,
..After I posted that I thought that perhaps it was not the friendliest or most helpful post I have ever written.
Thanks,
Jeff

Josh,
...Like Mike says it is good that your snake is eating for you and probably good that you are not stressing it any with big meals. I feed my babies pretty heavy because I am a breeder and I see EVERY baby snake as a potential breeder. Bigger babies are also easier to sell. Little BRBs have probably evolved to eat big meals when they are available and get by fine on smaller rations when the prey is not so available.
Respectfully,
Jeff

Jeff, I did not take your post as rude, just honest from your experience. I said what I did as I did not want Josh to freak out that he was not feeding enough, as is brb will be fine.
-----
Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

The information is greatly appreciated, no one was being rude. She's had two meals in the (now) three weeks I've had her. That is 1000X better than the two IBD infested ball pythons I recently bought from my local pet store did. I'll get her a small mouse on Friday. She did indeed shed last night, and I found the poop the hard way. She is lively and active when I hold her, and as far as I can tell in excellent health. The first time I fed her I could tell that her breeder was using f/t mice since she didn't seem to know what to do with a live one. Took the pinky trying to crawl out of her mouth for her to realize that she had to constrict it. She has continued on this trend, but did much better with the second batch of pinkies. Friday I'll try a freshly stunned/killed small mouse.

no, they only poop when they have a fresh clean cage. the scenario: (every single freakin time) feed, no mess for week or two, you finally decide that there must be some in there and you just can't find it, so you clean the whole thing. next morning: 2 pounds of poop from a 1 lb snake. (ok not really, but its a lot) you reclean the cage and a repeat.

>>She's about to shed for you but their skin goes from blue back to normal and the process varies by snake and amount of intake. My guess is tomorrow night she will shed for you so don't worry just remember to give her a moist hide over the next couple of days. Pinky mice sounds small and my guess is she needs a hopper size one. The amount of nutrition she is getting out of that pinky mouse doesn't leave much for a poop so at that rate it could be every 2-3 weeks on that intake but maybe not but Dave would know. Snakes don't usually poop also until they are out of their shed either (Frank Roberts theory) and it makes since cuz their skin is seperating from the old skin so sight is at its worse so they hold it in as to not draw potential predators by them. Step up the food and keep it humid and you will have fresh skin and fresh poop to scoop out
>>Bob
-----
-Jasmine

1.4 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
1.0 Peruvian Rainbow Boa

ok, the frank roberts theory sounds totally right. i'm definatly not disagreeing with him, just saying that i swear that the damn snakes wait until I clean a cage before they make a mess. I think it's their idea of fun.

>>no, they only poop when they have a fresh clean cage. the scenario: (every single freakin time) feed, no mess for week or two, you finally decide that there must be some in there and you just can't find it, so you clean the whole thing. next morning: 2 pounds of poop from a 1 lb snake. (ok not really, but its a lot) you reclean the cage and a repeat.
>>
>>
>>>>She's about to shed for you but their skin goes from blue back to normal and the process varies by snake and amount of intake. My guess is tomorrow night she will shed for you so don't worry just remember to give her a moist hide over the next couple of days. Pinky mice sounds small and my guess is she needs a hopper size one. The amount of nutrition she is getting out of that pinky mouse doesn't leave much for a poop so at that rate it could be every 2-3 weeks on that intake but maybe not but Dave would know. Snakes don't usually poop also until they are out of their shed either (Frank Roberts theory) and it makes since cuz their skin is seperating from the old skin so sight is at its worse so they hold it in as to not draw potential predators by them. Step up the food and keep it humid and you will have fresh skin and fresh poop to scoop out
>>>>Bob
>>-----
>>-Jasmine
>>
>>1.4 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
>>1.0 Peruvian Rainbow Boa
-----
-Jasmine

1.4 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
1.0 Peruvian Rainbow Boa

Yeah Frank's theory is right that they wait until they have shed to poop and Jeff seems to think it is from all the muscles working to get that shed off so it is costantly rubbing, constricting and wedging itself in all areas so I would also have to agree that is part of it also.
Bob

Just waiting on the silly bathroom attendant to freshen up the place, hate going in a stinky toilet!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

and it's always right in their water! so I have to clean it up the second it happens so they don't drink it or bathe in it and get a bacterial infection. why can't they poop on the lovely paper towels i put down for them?!

>>Just waiting on the silly bathroom attendant to freshen up the place, hate going in a stinky toilet!!!
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>24.36 BRB
>>19.19 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats
-----
-Jasmine

1.4 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
1.0 Peruvian Rainbow Boa

Hey, I like the water bowl poops, so much easier to clean, just take out the nasty bowl, flush, clean and return, poof clean cage!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats