Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This may seem like a stupid question,.. but I really want to know this, so I am going to ask it anyway in the hopes that you guys can supply me with an answer.

I often favor feeding my subadult pythons and boa females female rats that just had their weanlings taken from them. My logic is that their huge milk sacs are added nutrition for the young and thus "growing" snakes. Is this accurate? Is there any added benefit to these lactating rodents? Or is the fat content non-beneficial? Any insight would be appreciated.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

however I don't know the answer to that. It seems almost instinctual to want to provide extra fat and calcium to growing animals. I've done the exact same thing I also feed my prey prior to euthanizing them to feed my Burms and retics for the same reason. When I was buying prey I spent one year where a URI made the rounds over and over in my collection - it was infuriating- the vet bills that year were horrendous. Since I've been breeding and raising my own prey, my snakes are very healthy. I think there is a correlation to that refrain "You are what you eat." Keeping an eye toward a lean and healthy snake, I think a good keeper can almost intuit what his snake's nutritional needs are. And if it works.... then why not? Of course, this doesn't take the place of scientific evidence- I am working hard to come up with studies that will answer some of these questions for us.
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

Well, it's been my experience that lactating animals always take a beating, the longer they lactate, the more "worn down" they are. The extra calcium you might gain would be neglible, nontheless, we are talking a few milligrams at best. If you want the most bang for your buck, feed pregnant rats that are within a day or two of their due date. Guinea pigs are insanely high in fat, if you are looking to add fat (although I doubt you are). Rabbits are going to give you the highest quanitiy of calcium, if that's what you are looking for.

>>Well, it's been my experience that lactating animals always take a beating, the longer they lactate, the more "worn down" they are. The extra calcium you might gain would be neglible, nontheless, we are talking a few milligrams at best. If you want the most bang for your buck, feed pregnant rats that are within a day or two of their due date. Guinea pigs are insanely high in fat, if you are looking to add fat (although I doubt you are). Rabbits are going to give you the highest quanitiy of calcium, if that's what you are looking for.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

I tend to think of my colonies when posed a question, rather than commercially produced rats that probably are worn down. When I purchased large rats from the commerical houses the retired females looked pretty beat up to me. Do you think a lactating female rat with good weight would offer added nutritional benefits? A lactating rabbit would be too big for a growing (I was thinking under a year-old)constrictor, unless one finds a Netherland Dwarf or another Dwarf rabbit breed, but she would be at least 3 pounds anyway. I've tried the pregnant rat feeding. The babies came out the other end while being constricted. A waste of babies.
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

Marcia,

I still think the added benefit would be neglible. You'd be better off just feeding a male, since he would be packing more muscle and bone. I was suggesting appropriately sized rabbits, not lactating ones, just plain old rabbits have nearly twice the quantity of calcium to offer per pound (or gram, whatever) than rats. The protein content of both is comparable, but the rabbit is lower in fat by a long shot. I feed 2.5-3lb rabbits to my big boa girls (6-7.5 feet) so I'm sure that's appropriate for a juvie burm as well.

n/p
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

>>Marcia,
>>
>>I still think the added benefit would be neglible. You'd be better off just feeding a male, since he would be packing more muscle and bone. I was suggesting appropriately sized rabbits, not lactating ones, just plain old rabbits have nearly twice the quantity of calcium to offer per pound (or gram, whatever) than rats. The protein content of both is comparable, but the rabbit is lower in fat by a long shot. I feed 2.5-3lb rabbits to my big boa girls (6-7.5 feet) so I'm sure that's appropriate for a juvie burm as well.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

Brian, this is a good question. First, it needs to be realized that we don't fully know the nutritional requirements of many of the herps we keep in captivity; it is nearly impossible to duplicate their exact natural dietary needs (gut contents, prey species, etc.). So, it is my belief to take a "buffet" approach when feeding most of my herps. For example, my burms (even my 18' footers) get various sized rabbits, rats, and quail. Vitamin supplementation is also given in various intervals. Hopefully, by offering a little variety of various sized prey, we are at least providing a diet more appropriate for an opportunistic predator like burms and other large constrictors. Just my .02.

Rob Carmichael, Director/Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation