Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got to thinking this question and figured I would ask. I have maintained snakes for the past 12 years and dont think I have ever asked or been told exactly how often to feed them. I feed all my snakes 3-4 mice of the correct size every 2 weeks. They all eat on the same day. All of them are nice and fat and healthy so it apears this amount is ok but what about everyone ells?
My Research and Collection

Depends on what they are feeding on...

Snake eaters eat every 6-7 days.

The mice eaters eat every 3-7 days. Like babies that are growing fast, get 2 pinky mice every 3 days. My adult kingsnakes usually eat 1-3 adult mice or hoppers a week.
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Mike
http://www.freewebs.com/badyear2005
Check it out ^ Loss for loss for my year.

Wow thats a lot more than I feed mine now. As I said all mine are in awsome health so I wander if I should change what I do or just keep on going liek I have been all these years.
My Research and Collection

i feed mine
Gulf hammock rat- 3 fuzzies every 2 weeks(shes still young)
Ball python- 2 adult mice every 2 weeks
Eastern king- 3-4 adult mice every 3-4 weeks.
and the only reason for the king is because she is almost 15 years old and has been on that feeding schedule for over 10 years with no problems.
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"it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
1.0.0 bearded dragon
1.1.0 green iguana
0.0.1 columbian tegu(for sale)
0.1.0 knight anole(looking for male)
0.1.0 green anole
0.1.0 asian longtail grass lizard
1.1.0 golden gecko
1.0.0 ball python
0.0.5 oriental firebellied toad
0.0.1 green treefrog
0.0.1 barking treefrog
0.0.1 cuban masked treefrog
0.0.1 gray treefrog
0.1.0 gulf hammock rat snake
0.1.0 eastern kingsnake
0.1.0 siberian husky

Ic. Thats how I feed mine. Every 2 weeks. I guess I will just stick with it as I think its better than stressing the snakes by chaging what they have been doing forever.
My Research and Collection

All my hatchlings through yearlings get one appropriate food item every 4 days. My sub-adults and adults get one food item every 8 days, with the exception of my racer, he gets fed every 4 days as well. It seems his metabolism is way faster than my rats, milks, and kings.
Brian
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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

I deliberately feed mine on an irregular schedule. I feed 2-3 times per month, sometimes as soon as 5 days apart, sometimes as far as 3 weeks apart. To be honest, I feed when I have time.

Juveniles get fed more often. I try to feed them once per week if I can.

I also vary the size of the food. My eastern kings, baird's rats, and black milks get a small rat one feeding and 3-4 large mice on other feedings. Some feedings I stuff them, others I leave them a little hungry.

I don't have any real reason for doing this other than to vary their schedules. I don't like obese snakes.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Gee. I WISH my snakes would eat regularly like that. I tried every 3 days, then every 3 then 4 days, and am now at every 5 days because they eat so irregularly. It used to be that I could put them in a plastic shoebox and put the pinky in and they'd go to town. NOW, I have to put them in a SMALL container with whatever I'm feeding them (pinkies or fuzzies) and HOPE that they eat.

What do you do when your snakes don't eat?

Also, do you keep the uneaten food or throw it. I ALWAYS throw it because I'm afraid they'll get some kind of food poisoning and die.

Sorry I can't answer your question dan but I feed me corn and king on different days. I was first intent on buffing them up and didn't care about life expectantcy. But then I thought to myself,"I'm not even a breeder...". After that I do exactly what chrisH does, I sometimes feed after only about 4 days and sometimes I let them get a little hungry for an almost positive feeding response. I might switch to an exact day on a feeding schedule if I get 2 or 3 more snakes like I planned. But untill then its switched up but never to a point where they become emaciated or something.

Thanks for the response. I just wish I could get them on a schedule!!! LOL. Love them anyway.

I like to change the feeding schedule up, I usually feed every 5-7 days after I bring my snakes out of there winter sleep, for a couple months, then there might be times in the summer where they go 2-3 weeks between feedings. Hatchlings get fed every 7-10 days I keep them on a regular schedule. I think alot of people who own snakes over feed them.

GOOD QUESTION,
WES