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Feeding plan for better health?

vliberatore

vliberatore

New member
As most of you know, it is better for humans to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Wouldn't it be better/healthier for snakes to do a similar thing?

More of a hypothetical question rather than an idea I want to try.

Your thoughts?
 
At one large mouse every two to three weeks, that's effectively what my adult Corns already do.
 
What you're doing is feeding one large meal, not very often. This is how most people feed their snakes.

What I'm asking is about feeding smaller meals more often. If your snake eats 20g every week, then feeding it a pinky (2-3g) every day. Something along the lines of that.
 
I understand what your saying. But also understand that Reptile(snakes) metabolic rate is different than mammals. It takes several days for a mouse to digest completely. As for humans, it usually only takes hours. Also we are constantly on the go and burn our calories, when often snakes are not hugely active in comparison. So I think, if you were to feed lets say an Adult corn 1 weanling ever 4 days, that after a few months, you would have a fat snake.
 
Buzzard said:
I understand what your saying. But also understand that Reptile(snakes) metabolic rate is different than mammals. It takes several days for a mouse to digest completely. As for humans, it usually only takes hours. Also we are constantly on the go and burn our calories, when often snakes are not hugely active in comparison. So I think, if you were to feed lets say an Adult corn 1 weanling ever 4 days, that after a few months, you would have a fat snake.
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I completely forgot about metabolic rates. And calcium is also lower in younger mice than the adults, so the snake could end up with a calcium deficiency. Both are things I didn't think about at first.
 
I think the calcium would be there in my example, because weanling mice bones have developed. Perhaps on a breeding female that might be an issue The calcium would also come into play with subadults eating pinkies.

Just as an example. Research has shown that alligators only need to eat 10 percent of their body weight a year to survive. Some big boas and pythons and eat once every 6 months on a goat or deer and be just fine. Just some examples to think on.
 
Check out the BHB cornsnake feeding experiment.

This is why I started feeding my babies vitamins. I think I am going to just do it while they are on hairless, but I'm not sure. I feed a conservative Munson Plan, by gram weight, slit, every five days for snakes up to 180-200 grams.

PS- I love Snakebytes TV, because I love seeing people get bit by snakes!! This is a great episode for that!!
 
Interesting! I stuck some vitamins in a pinkie once for my little kinked girl, perhaps I'll try this out on my other babies.
 
What kind of vitamins? Where do you get them? I take it you just slit mouse and put vitamins in? I just ordered some nutribac from Kathy Love, I'll have to quick see if she sells vitamins and she could add them to my order.
 
Well Brian told me he just used any all-purpose reptile vitamins he had around. So I have some that I used to use for Isabel and Ares until I started using Repashy Veggie Dust. (Which is a REALLY nice lizard supplement!!)
 
Fatman608 said:
The mouse eats the alfalafa and the snakes eats the mouse so what is the difference if you put it on top of the mouse and not in it.
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That is true. I still feel uncomfortable adding more than what is already in the mouses gut.
 
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