Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The feeding response of the young pair I have is amazing, the easiest snakes I have ever had to feed. I have a set of double het albino/pied who are painful to get to feed, and the rest of my collection is good and rather predictable. Anytime a snake doesn't take their food the Bumblebees clean it up. My male was corkscrewing for the first 6 months and has not shown signs of it since. I have been told Spiders always have great feeding responses, what's your opinion? Any other feeding stigmas with other genetics? My Bumblebees will take anything off my tongs, mice, rat pups, small childern I wouldn't be surprised!

For about the first year I had my spider, she wouldn't pass up a meal. Switching her from live to frozen thawed was as simple as wiggling a rodent on tongs, and mice to rats was seamless. The she started doing what all my ball pythons do-she got about half way to breeding size and started eating on her schedule, not mine (the reason I think they should be named "stall pythons". That being said, she will be breeding size this coming season, and when she is hungry, I'm greatful for 24" tongs, because her response is generally quick and violent.

Well said, Dan Wolfe recently described them to me as a snake of 'feast and fast' when we were emailing about my female albino who goes off feed for 4-6 months a year and is gravid this year and on a very empty stomach. These two double hets I have are partcularly on their own time but both very healthy. We will see how these Bumblebees hold up, they're both about a year old now.

I have a 2008 bumble bee...she started to feed only when i put her in mulch and with a hide...I tried removing the hide she stopped...put the hide back in and she started again...I bought 2 2007 het ghost females...both ate like puigsr ight away...now...1 has stopped right around 800 grams...the other is still eating and is up to 1300 grams...every snake is different...find something that works for it...except mice!!!!!
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Michael Enriquez

Nope - my spider and bee male only eat mice. The spider has been on a hunger strike since November. I don't think your hypothesis is valid - sorry!

I also just hatched out a killer, a bee, a spider and 2 super pastels. They have been fed twice. The male super has eaten both times within seconds. The female super ate the second time. The killer did kill the mouse in the second feeding, but didn't eat and the bee and spider have not eaten yet.

I purchased a spider and a pastel. They were on rats when I got them but went on strike. The spider refused food for the longest time until I broke down and offered her mice. The pastel was the same way. But this week the spider has been eating rat pups. But she does like to only eat when she can ambush them from her hide. Then its fast and hard. The pastel is still on mice, but takes with no hesitation.
I do on the other hand question the comment made that spiders are friendly and outgoing. My spiders name is Rogue and she lives up to it. She will strike and hiss at anytime with no notice. And she hates me..LOL
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

1.0 Chocolate lab (Harley)
1.0 Basset Hound (Capone)
0.1 German Shepard (Misha)
0.1 leopard gecko (Nacho)
1.0 Normal ball python (Arwen)
1.0 pastel ball python (Merlin)
0.1 Spider ball python (Rogue)
1.0 100% het pied (Dojo)
1.0 Normal male (Rebel)