Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Normally snakes don't need dietary supplements, but I don't always have complete food animals available, and I'm interested if anyone can shed any light on offering dietary supplements to snakes?

I read (but now cannot find) a post somewhere about feeding snakes gutted animals to reduce the chance of parasites, replacing missing nutrients from the organs with a supplemental capsule inside the body cavity.

I feed my Candoia bibroni bibroni with f/t house geckos, (I'm in Fiji and do not have access to "normal" feeder animals) but now they are getting bigger I'm having trouble getting enough, so am supplementing with frozen chicken wings and legs portions to supply extra muscle, skin and bones.

For 2 weeks I was totally out of geckos, so all they got was chicken. I've got geckos again now, but I'm wondering whether, if this happens again, I should supplement the chicken with something?

I have cat and dog vitamin tabs available, and could get a friend in the USA to buy something specific if anyone can suggest something suitable. All I have found on-line so far seems geared to insect-easting lizards.

Thanks for any help!
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HELEN, IF THEY EAT CHICKEN, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PUT THEM BACK ON GECKOS?....SEEMS THAT CHICKEN WOULD HAVE MORE NUTRITION THAN GECKOS...I HAVE NEVER USED ANY SUPPLEMENTS....JERRY

My problem is they aren't WHOLE chickens with organs etc, just portions with skin, bone and muscle, so I'm afraid they'll they'll get vitamin deficiencies.

I still get whole geckos often, so they are not entirely dependant on the chiken meat, but I just wonder where the healthy balance lies. Maybe I don't need to worry - everyone seems fine so far...

Jerry, how much direct sunlight, or tank light do your Candoia get? My bibroni simply don't come out during the day, and it's another reason I want to get their diet just right.

I would be careful with supplements. Some vitamins can be lethal when given in the wrong dosage.

If you are varying their diet between geckos and chicken I personally would not worry about supplementing their diet. I wouldn't think going several feedings on only chicken would effect them if in fact chicken is deficient in some nutrients (not sure that it is). It would most likely take a long time for vitamin deficiency issues to occur.

Just my 2 cents,

Chris
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Christopher E. Smith
Contact
Captive Bred Herps
Wildlife Research & Consulting Services, LLC

Thanks Chris,
Sounds lie I am worrying for nothing - GREAT!

Cheers
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I JUST OPEN THE BLINDS IN MY SNAKE ROOM EACH MORNING TO LET IN SOME LIGHT...NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT AT ALL.....I USE NO LIGHT BULBS OF ANY KIND...ALL MY CANDOIA ARE IN RUBBERMAIDS ON NEWSPAPER

Thanks Jerry, I'm obviously worrying unnecessarily, thank goodness. How nice that they are really this simple to keep!

Cheers, Helen
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