Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I wanted to get feedback from others who keep Philodryas baroni.

Does anyone else experience fairly low feeding responses from male animals?
Not a total lack of, but certainly less than a female.

My females don't skip a meal, and eat multiple prey items, but I have never had a male be that eager of a feeder.
I can get them to eat smaller prey, but they only seem to actually take it about half the time.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I have not noticed this, though I do feed my females more than my male. Are these babies that you are working with or older?
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Nick Puder
www.rnpreptiles.com

Adults and babies

my adult female will eat every time food is offered, my male maybe every other time, I have tried smaller food items, off tongs, leave in cage overnight, etc.
About the only thing I have not tried is live.

This has been the case since I got my original pair as babies, the male would go off feed for a month at a time occasionally, the female never did this.
All but one of the hatchlings from their first clutch were all strong feeders, but one of the males I gave to a friend is a slow feeder, wanting fewer smaller food items less often, just like my adult male did.

I am not really doing anything different husbandry wise, I do not handle them, and they are in a room with very little activity.
He has fine body weight for his size, so he doesn't appear to be malnourished.

I've heard babies will take guppies or minnows if they are picky, though I never had much luck offering those. Not sure if that would entice an adult or not. Sorry I can't be more help.
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Nick Puder
www.rnpreptiles.com

Thats right, baroni may take fish in captivity.Actually, the first time I kept a small group ( many years ago) , I begun experimenting and they took lizards, birds, mammals and frogs.
Many Philodryas will take fresh dead fish even though I dont think they actually catch live fish in the wild.I offer fish to baby P. aestivus that are not taking rodents and sometimes they take it.

As to males feeding less than females, I do see it once in a while,

David Fabius