"I don't disagree that snakes could care less about time frames such as weeks - but it is a good rule of thumb for a healthy schedule if the young snake is kept properly "
No its not a good time frame. At all. In fact I would argue that for some species (notably the small ones) that is just barely adequate to stay alive and grow slowly. I feed my anthill pythons at least twice per week when they are little. And a pinky is an enormous meal. I just wait for the lump to disapear and for them to leave their heat pads, then I feed them again. They eat much more often in August when the cool side is 80 and somewhat less often in october when they are a little bigger and the cool side is at 74. Hot sides are around 95 if you're curious. I believe that feeding on a weekly basis is USELESS advice. The only reason to do it is because its convenient for you to remember. Sorry.
"and keeping it on schedule will help with owner - giving them structure. I think it is humans that need that the schedule - not the snakes."
Exactly!
Why would snakes need a schedule? They have a variable metabolism specifically designed to deal with a lifestyle of extremely inconsistent amounts of food and external heat.
"As for feeding a snake that is growing as much food as it wants - that is dangerous. Snakes eat out as a result of prey presenting itself - not because they are hungry. By instinct, many species will eat anything available, simply because it doesn't know when its next chance will be. This is instinct and can't be removed."
I used to believe this as well but I have seen results that prove it otherwise. I will not come on here and state as fact what I do know so I will explain what I have seen with my own eyes. All of this experience is with small pythons, colubrids, boas, geckos, ect. Never womas. I have raised all of these animals, at record paces, bred them early, and have had amazing reproductive success and LONGEVITY. I am not trying to brag, I am just saying this to point out that I got those results and yet had no eggbinding or pinheads or obesity or any of the other things that people all said would happen. And none of my snakes eat once a week.
"As for snakes "just growing faster" if you feed more aggressively - this is also very very dangerous advice. There is scientific evidence that power feeding is dangerous to snakes and greatly increases the possibilities for organ issues, fatty tumors etc. Not to mention a ton of evidence that shows it results in shortened life spans."
Really? I would love to see this "scientific evidence". I have only seen a few actual studies and they were all poorly done. Obviously obesity and tumors shorten lifespan. But I don't think that the food is the cause of this. I think it is suboptimal conditions combined with a strong prey drive that is the problem.
"You state that a young snake "will not get fat if it has the right conditions" - again completely and totally false, and reckless advice. That makes as much sense as saying a human child won't get fat - it will just grow faster - it is simply not true and there are a lot of juvi snakes out there that look like sausages. While snakes will grow faster on an aggressive schedule - they can absolutely become obese before reaching adult hood - and while the cage conditions will have an impact here - it will not prevent it. This does vary greatly between species - but there is no doubt that "feeding as often as snake is hungry" can cause irreversible damage."
Hahaha. Well I guess this really sums up the disagreement doesn't it? I have seen the results over and over again.
"The reason the topic is so debated is there are so many people out there that give poor advice and refuse to look at the facts."
I know there are SOOO many people out there who keep repeating the same arcane garbage (....ahem...weekly feeding) because someone told them so, or it was written on the care sheet their breeder gave them so it must be true! Instead of trying things and seeing what happens.
Let me ask you... have you ever seen these results? Have you ever fed a snake until it was obese and then have it die of a fatty tumor? I bet that you have not and that you pride yourself on your collection and are arguing with me because your schedule works OK for you and your snakes and you have heard that if you overfeed you will see these problems. I work in a vet hospital and I have seen a lot of these things. Its usually the conditions.
"To advice someone to feed "when a snake is hungry" is simply ignorant. If I followed that - I would be feeding womas EVERY day and they would be wider then they are long."
I would like to remind you of two things. First of all my advice was directed at someone with a children's python. I did not say that this applies to everything. Go try my theory with an Emerald tree boa and see how that goes! I don't know anything about womas and even though I suspect they could grow like weeds I won't say what I haven't seen... and they are not what we are talking about.
I would also like to remind you that we are only talking about young rapidly growing snakes here.
I really hope you have some evidence to show me because I would love to read it.
