Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

My male burm is about 7 feet and pretty undersized from just seeing other people's snakes. I've had him for about 4 years now and have to admit I didn't feed him that often for the first few years which is why he's stayed so small.

Since I started getting my rats frozen I was feeding him a XXL rat every 2 weeks or sometimes 2 XXL rats every 2 weeks. Lately I've been throwing XXL at him once a week. Is it bad to feed them once a week? I know they can go forever without eating.

He doesn't appear skinny or anything and is perfectly healthy. I'm just wondering what kind of schedule you guys have out there.

Thanks for helping!
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1.0 Het Albino Burm
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1.0 Albino Ball Python
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Seeking bigger cages for the family

I'm more for slow, steady growth than I am for the lightnin' fast growth most Burmese python owners seem to follow. Although I have no proof, I believe it's healthier for them.

A male that's 4yrs old & 7ft long would be considered small to quite a few people but I don't think it's dangerously or abusively small. I've got an almost 5yr old male that I raised from a hatchling that's right around 10ft, and that's using a modest feeding amount/rate.

I wouldn't say that yours is too small, but I do feel that you could use to increase the feeding amount & rate from your older standards.

I've got 3 that I'm taking care of for someone else that are aprox. 4yrs old & between 4 - 5ft long. I believe these should've been fed more often.

A snake's growth rate is connected to its metabolism. Its metabolism is connected to its cage setup. To avoid fat buildup I suggest increasing feed amount/rate slowly. Not knowing what you're callin' an "XXL" rat, I suggest feeding it one every 7 days for a few weeks or so. After that I'd probably bump it up to 2 XXl rats every 10 days and go from there. Keep an eye on it's girth and make sure it gets plenty of exercise & that your temps are where they should be.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Thanks HH!

I'm going to up him to 2 XXL rats every 10 days or so. I order my rodents from Rodent Pro so according to their site they are 375-475 grams. The snake definitely looks healthy and he's been recently upgraded to a nice AP 6X2 enclosure where he has plenty of room.

Lately I've been throwing 1 at him a week, sometimes 2, so we'll just wait and see.

I really just think he might be the "runt" of the clutch or something. I just got a pretty large albino female that I'm going to try and pair him up with this next year so I need to get both of them eating good for the next 6 months or so.
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1.0 Het Albino Burm
1.1 Mojave Ball Pythons
0.1 Normal Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
1.1 Pastel Ball Pythons
0.1 Spider Ball Python
0.2 Het Albino Ball Pythons
0.1 Lavender Albino Retic

Seeking bigger cages for the family

You're welcome!
If I were you, I'd start trying to get him switched over to rabbits ASAP. I know of someone just outside of Atlanta that might still be breeding them. Rabbit breeders can usually be found by bulletin boards in local feed shops. Of course, you want to contact the ones that raise 'em for food, not for pets, or else you're likely to get an earful.

The only drawback I've found with local rabbit breeders is they still like to get their normal price even for newborns or pre-weaned. Finding a good frozen supplier that carries various sizes is best.

A lot of people don't realize how versatile in size rabbits are. I used to feed newborn rabbits to a ball python and the adults of the same breeders to large Burmese. It's always best to start out feeding rabbits that are smaller than the rats the snake eats. This gets them used to their smell/taste & doesn't intimidate them with their big size, especially the head & ears, which is where most snakes think "Something's not right here!" when they're eating them.

Regardless of what you feed your Burmese python, just remember to get it out fairly often for exercise & keep an eye on the girth to length ratio and adjust feeding amount/rate as/if needed.

I'm not too far from you, I'm about 1 1/2 hours north of Atlanta, so yell if there's anything I can help you with or maybe we can get together & shoot the breeze one day.

Take care!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Mr Bill, I have a yearling that is 4.5 feet long and a freezer full of jumbo mice. She will eat all she can get but I feed her 2 every 5 days. Is this enough?

Not sure how big your jumbo mice are but you need to switch it over to rats. I've heard rats have extra protein or something and they will grow quicker.

HH might be able to answer better..
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1.0 Het Albino Burm
1.1 Mojave Ball Pythons
0.1 Normal Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
1.1 Pastel Ball Pythons
0.1 Spider Ball Python
0.2 Het Albino Ball Pythons
0.1 Lavender Albino Retic

Seeking bigger cages for the family

Actually, an adult mouse has basically the same amount of protein as a juvenile rat. Mice & rats are so close to each other in protein content that it's not even worth considering. Even if you were to look into the various other vitamins & minerals they both provide they're so close, in my opinion, that it's not worth thinkin' about. Rabbits are where you see a difference.

Here's ya'll a handy, dandy, whole prey nutrient composition chart: www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/WholePreyFinal02May29.pdf

It's neat to have, it's informative. But, if you're not carfeul it'll draw you in to splitting hairs when it's not necessary.

Take care!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

So, should I feed her 3 jumbo mice every 5 days? Shes a year old and 4.5 feet. I'd like her to grow fairly fast but not power feed her. She's my first boid.

You can. I wouldn't consider that power-feeding. You're gonna have to make more adjustments to prey size & feeding frequency as she grows. It takes some exploring, experimenting. The main thing is to keep an eye on her girth and maintain a proper proportion to her head. If she starts lookin' a lil' chunky, hold back one prey item, usa a smaller prey item, wait longer between feedings, or, all of those.

If she stills acts hungry more than 10 minutes or so after feeding then you most likely need to feed her more at a time. Some will stay active (looking for more food) for about 5 - 10 minutes after eating but settle down soon thereafter.

Later!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Hi Melissa!
While there is a general rule of thumb for feeding size & frequency it's only to be used as a baseline, a starting point. Like I said earlier, a lot depends on the snake's metabolism, which, again, is in relation to its caging environment.

The general rule of thumb is to feed a prey item that once swallowed, leaves a lump about 1 1/2 times the snake's thickest body diameter. Feed aproximately every 7 - 10 days, maybe even 14 days. Since we can't always find the size rat to do this we sometimes have to feed smaller or larger meals. I believe that 2 - 3 smaller prey is better than 1 huge, too large, prey.

I like your growth rate of 1yr & 4.5ft long.

"She will eat all she can get but I feed her 2 every 5 days. Is this enough?"

For some snakes it would be sufficient but to others it wouldn't. Metabolism, cage conditions, and the individuality of the snake. If the snake becomes fairly active 3 or 4 days after feeding I'd suggest trying 3 mice every 7 days. That's also less work on you. One small - medium rat should be about right. You might ought to consider trying to get her switched over to rats or rabbits soon. You don't want to have to feed her 8 mice a few months or so from now. Preferrably one large prey or 2 slightly smaller ones instead of a bunch of lil' ones.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

HH -- so you are saying that you know you are UNDER feeding when a day or 2 after the snake wakes up and is moving around their enclosure?

Thanks again!
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1.0 Het Albino Burm
1.1 Mojave Ball Pythons
0.1 Normal Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
1.1 Pastel Ball Pythons
0.1 Spider Ball Python
0.2 Het Albino Ball Pythons
0.1 Lavender Albino Retic

Seeking bigger cages for the family

It depends on the type of snake & the snake's actions/movements, but for the most part, with Burmese pythons, I say, "Yeah."

It's my belief that on average, a good meal for any size Burmese python will keep it coiled in a good warm spot for 3 days or more. A casual stroll to a cooler or warmer area of the cage during that time period can be normal. Pacing & pushing isn't.

Movement soon after a meal doesn't necessarily mean underfeeding, it could also be an indication of improper cage conditions. Temps, humidity, insecurity, etc... This is why it's so important to learn to read our captive's body language. If we pay attention they tell us when things are good and when something's not right. I'm sure you've had a time or two when you thought, "He ain't actin' right. Somethin's wrong with him." Follow the hunch & explore to see what it is.

Later!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Well Ms. Honey butter seemed overjoyed to find not two but three "mana from heaven" jumbo mice in her enclosure. So far she has spent the last two days after the feast coiled in her water bowl, a plastic oil change pan.