Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am wondering if a redtail will over eat @ one sitting?
Mine is 6ft and ate 9 rats female full size.
She seems to be always hungery on 6 a week. Tried to feed her a bunnies but I think it was a little big for her and being use to eating multi rats. I have have her for about 8 months and is just getting bigger and bigger and now I am thinking that she might be getting fat. I thought that she would stop but she ate them all and now is a little uncomfortalbe full, LOL. So will they over gorge them selfs. Also I have been working with mine do to her getting crumpy. I think that it is due to not handling her enough but I have worked on that and she is a lot better. I was wondering how much is a good health handling schedule.

If I read that right you feed your 6' boa 6 female rats a week. That is WAY to much. Example I feed 1 large male rat every 2 weeks to mine.

so you are saying that they will over eat and if the food is there they will eat it. Also 1 every 2 weeks seems like a diet amount. I thought redtail were a beafy snake. I feel bad, I made my Maddy a fat girl. I am on a diet I quess she can to. Thanks

A Blood Python is beefy, and the should be on the same diet. Here is a pic, you tell me if she is skinny.

I would say that is a health snake. What is the feeding schedule for that one. Mine is really fat right now but in two weeks she will be like that one again. I know that I over did it this time but I would feed her three full size male rats a week. Is that to much. I didnt know that they will eat after they are full. I have a ball python that is a picky one but that is the way they can be. th corns that I had would stop when they were full.

Way too much food, please for the sake of your snake SLOW DOWN!

thanks for the warning but tell me what is the ideal. I want her to be healthy and happy.

I fed my boas every 2-4 weeks depending on when they poop. so It really depends on the snake but only feed after it poops out it's last prey.

If you over feed you WILL KILL IT!! fatty deposits build up in the snake and end up sufficating vital organs. Example I know of a Burm that was feeding on two large rabbits a week, it died at the age of 8 years old. Vet said it was because it was fat. A obese person my be happy eating a gallon of icecream a day and washing it down with a bottle of chocolate syrup but is it health?? NO!! Please take our advise and stop.---Eric--- here is a pic of a Anaconda that gets a rat every 3 weeks.

A female of 6 feet should be on a diet such as this..
1 Large or Jumbo Rat every 10-14 days. period.

A boa will always seem hungry and can literally eat themselves to death.
Serious problems and death can result from regurgitation.
Not being able to properly digest too large an item can also lead to death (ie. incorrect temps for digestion).
Overfeeding, even without drastic sudden consequences, can also lead to a short life and an early death.

The safest, least worrisome method is to FIRST wait until the previous meal has been defecated.

You can feed her every two weeks, or even cut back to 10 days, but if you notice her stool not appearing fully digested, almost like a semi-regurge, then you would want to wait longer inbetween feedings.
Some snakes take much longer to fully extract all nutrients from their food than others.

I wish you both the best!
take care - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

for a 6 footer i would say one jumbo/large rat every 10-14 days would be perfect.. The only one of mine who gets anything more than that is my recovering momma who is topped out at about 9 feet and she will get about 2 Jumbo/Retired breeder rats every 10-14 days with regular bowel movements... Slow down the feeding i would say you need to give her a few weeks to be able to digest that meal if she hasnt already regurged it back up... I wouldnt feed that girl for 3-4 weeks if not longer to let her get ready for a new meal and clean out her system... Good luck with her and keep us up to date with her feeding..

Sincerley,
Rose Hipskind
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www.srsnakes.com

Thank you all for the info and really like the watching for poop thing. I plan not to feed her for three weeks or until the really big poop and will just let her digest this week. She is keeping them all down just fine. She is just starting her shed by getting pink underneath. Thanks again.