Reptile & Amphibian Forums

She is right at two and a half months old!
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I have a couple that weighed 50 grams that now weigh 150 grams. They were born at the end of July.
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Jay A. Martin

do you powerfeed?

n/p
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Jay A. Martin

I don't think that's a concern with ball pythons.She eats every 4 to 5 days!

She weighed in at 79 grams at birth,and believe it or not,I lost two weeks of feeding because when I put her in a larger enclosure,she stopped eating.I put her back in the hatchling rack and she went back to eating!

well, it is powerfeeding if you feed it a big meal every 4-5 days. let it digest it's food. youll end up killing the snake very early if you feed it too big of meals alot.

This "powerfeeding" debate just goes on and on. I have yet to see someone post a link to a credible study on the benefits or detriments of different levels of feeding. However, I have seen actual scientific studies which demonstrate unequivocally that reptiles in general and snakes in specific have the ability to regulate their metabolism significantly in order to digest their food. In addition, it is common knowledge that snakes continue to grow throughout their lives, albeit at a slower rate once they reach sexual maturity/adulthood. This contrasts greatly with humans, who cease to grow after their late teens, although they can obviously gain weight after that point. Even humans can handle vastly different caloric intake levels by boosting their metabolism through other methods (i.e. exercise). So it is a distinct possibility that snakes can handle a wide range of feeding regimens without damage to their health. All this being said, it is my OPINION that pretty much any feeding schedule that doesn't involve regurgitation or the forcing of prey items down the throat of an animal that has already beeen fed and is refusing additional food is PROBABLY not going to significantly effect the well being of said animal. Obviously, others will disagree, but until someone takes the time to do a comprehensive study on the matter (which I believe would make for an excellent PhD thesis if it didn't take 20 years to complete) I think we should stop bashing people who are, again in my OPINION, taking excellent care of their animals. That particular snake looks to be in perfect health, and if feeding it every 4-5 days got it that way, then my OPINION is that its owner is doing a great job.

I'll sit back and wait for the flames to begin now.

Thunderbird

will determine when and how much it wants. "Power feeding" is just another term that has been loosely thrown around, often without knowledge or understanding. There's a lot more to a reptiles metabolism than many have a clue.
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Jay A. Martin

so i can feed my 450 gram male 2-3 small rats per week, and it will be perfectly healthy? thanks, im going to try that....he should be 1200 grams within may....makes sense dont it?

"so i can feed my 450 gram male 2-3 small rats per week, and it will be perfectly healthy? thanks, im going to try that....he should be 1200 grams within may....makes sense dont it?"

If he eats, then feed him....

Make stupid comments, LOOK STUPID...

Lee,

Just to give you an example. All of my males were hardy eaters their first year and a half of life - ate like pigs. Sometimes would eat six adult mice per feeding. All of these guys are under 2000 grams now and are over 8 years of age and all are healthy. I allowed them to dictate to me what they wanted to be fed. When growing, nature instilled in them the natural instinct to feed. Now, that they are grown, this same instinct also allows them to slow down their feeding response. My males eat very little these days - 1 rat every two weeks during the feeding season. Nothing in the winter. In fact, ALL of my snakes go off feed and as adults NONE of them will eat more than they want and eat considerably less than 2 rats weekly (average for the year for adults!)

Powerfeeding - I used to be a heavy weight-lifter in the military. We would powerfeed on occasion as part of our regimen. It is uncomfortable and we could not do it indefinately. When a snake is full, he/she (IMHO) will not continue to feed. Powerfeeding also hints a bit of force. Which is not done by me.

In the wild, studies and observations have shown that many reptiles will choose a prey size in (direct) response to its environment: temps, safety for digestion, etc.

I believe, like many other animals, there is not one specific feeding area but a range. This built in range protects the animal from danger. I also believe that an animals metabolism, unlike that of a human, is more controlled and honed by nature making obesity rare. I have never personally witnessed an obese snake. I have only seen one picture of an obese snake and that was an old, inactive female - Burm if I remember correctly. And I have been doing this for 25 years.
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Jay A. Martin

Facts will always stand far above opinions.Sharing experiences is great,but one experience doesn't make it a fact!What works for some,may not work for others.What works one time,may not work the next time!This is a constant learning experience and alot of patience is needed,(which I have little of)!I pray to God every night to "Give me patience,and I want it "NOW"!!!!!!!!

Guy Castro

Many breed in less than two years for females!"Take your time and fall behind" was what I was told,when it comes to ball pythons!Now boas are a different story!