Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First, Darwin is just a gorgeous little guy (or girl) and is slowly becoming acclimated to handling, he doesn't freak when I pick him up anymore, hooray!

Second, I just started my own mouse colony and the females are already getting a little large around the middles so I'm anticipating two litters of pups in a week or so.

Darwin is about 18" or so (this is just a guess really) and is to the point where he eagerly takes two pinkies in a feeding. I give him one, he swallows it and then wanders around the cage, flicking his tongue, and looks at me like, "Well, where's the rest of my dinner, you wench??"

Is it ok to feed multiple pinkies as opposed to larger pups in a feeding? Could I, when he's ready, feed him 5 pinkies instead of something larger? Will this hurt him or is it ok?

Luckily the fiance is going to be the mouse executioner because I don't think I could do it (I'm such a sap). And I know if I let these pinkies grow up and open their eyes I'm going to get attached and not be able to let them go and having billions of pet mice just doesn't appeal to me. I only started a colony because pinkies here are expensive unless I want to mail order 100, which I don't. I figured this would be cheaper.

Oh, I also just bought a digital camcorder so hopefully I'll have a little movie of Darwin doing Darwin things

Thanks loads!

>Is it ok to feed multiple pinkies as opposed to larger pups in a feeding? Could I, when he's ready, feed him 5 pinkies instead of something larger? Will this hurt him or is it ok?

It's ok. Both larger pups and more than one pup will work fine when he is bigger.

>Luckily the fiance is going to be the mouse executioner (snip)

He can just pop the pinkies in a baggie and put it in the freezer. Quick and easy.

>Oh, I also just bought a digital camcorder so hopefully I'll have a little movie of Darwin doing Darwin things

Cool! But avoid winning a Darwin Award, please.

Paul Hollander

At 18" he should be eatting fuzzies not pinkies. Pinkies really don't supply a lot of nutrition and an 18" snake will be able to eat a lot of pinkies in one sitting! 2 large fuzzies would be better for him/her.

A mouse colony for one snake? You are gonna have a LOT of mice..lol

I looked in my books, and at 18 inhes my guys were taking in 2-3 pinkies a week, and I did this for 5 feedings then moved them to mouse pups for 6 weeks, and then rat pinks for 6 weeks. This is on the 5 day feeding schedule. Basically 5 days after they eat they eat again, occasional breaks due to sheds and what not. Now they eat a mouse or two every two to three weeks. and they are between 30-34 inches.

Ken
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0.1 Albino Cal. King (Fokker)
1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn (trouble)
0.1 Creamsicle Corn (Spot)
1.1 Bearded Dragons (Bob & Margret)
1.3 Dogs(George, Sandy, Cookie and Ladybird) they are rescues, Lhasa Apso, Mutt, Boxer, and Daschund mix
0.0.22 Bearded Dragon Eggs...more to come
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for too long, then your snake can get a pinhead, which would be a snake with an abnormally small head in comparison to his body. Don't know if it is true or not, it's just what I have heard.
phflame
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