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07-Jul-05, 12:50 PM
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hey oldfella, diamonds for example, breed from sept - nov not all year. if you've bothered to research about wild snakes, reseach has hown that wild snakes spend 80 % of their natural life with an empty tract.
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07-Jul-05, 01:10 PM
| | Suspended | Join Date: Mar-04 Location: sydney | | |
It seems to me that snakes dont starve to death easily or often. Captive snakes are in little danger of starving, since most new keepers suffer what I call 'mammal anxiety'. That is, having only previous experience of mammal metabolism, tend to feel snakes need feeding at a similar rate.
A snake offered food at regular intervals will still generally only eat when hungry, I have found they will tend to train the owner (provided the owner is observant) to their own schedual.
Given whole animals are a very complete meal (nutritionally) I find it hard to conceive that they can
overfeed beyond the capacity of their metabolism when young.
That said, the feeding instinct is strong, since survival depends on it, therefor an older snake, which would feed less often in the wild, may still take food at regular intervals in captivity, not having to burn sufficient energy to obtain extra meals, means that like us, it may become obese.
If I sit on the lounge all day (like today) and eat alot without excersise, no doubt i will be wearing a mumu, and requiring a phone dialing wand in short order! 
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07-Jul-05, 01:31 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jan-03 Location: Cairns | | | |
/me shrugs
I feed most of my snakes weekly and of the 11 juveniles that I'm feeding, at least 4 will refuse food on any given week. All but one will refuse a second food item if offered (BHP = pig).
I dunno how people get their snakes to eat twice a week.
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07-Jul-05, 01:48 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: May-05 Location: Brisbane Gender:  | | | |
I have two juveniles/hatchlings which I feed every 10+ days. They are always very active during the last 3-4 days before feeding, and they have always taken the food easily, and have never failed to feed. They both appear to be healthy, and are growing which I think are the most important things.
As they get older, and the meals bigger their feeding intervals will gradually get longer.
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07-Jul-05, 02:53 PM
|  | Regular Member | | | | |
Stevo,- Its actally the first 2 years that most the damage is done. They need time for eveything to develop propally,ie organs etc. Much the same as human or any other baby-adolesent animal. Over feed any of these when young and major complecations can occour even death in some species. I tend to keep pythons small for the first 18 months- 2 years and still manage to breed them at 2 1/2 to 3 years. Someone mentioned a snake pooing after 3 days?. A common tree will but not a python, even a hatchling python fed pinkies takes a bit longer to fully pass it.
Rob
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08-Jul-05, 09:56 AM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-04 Location: Melbourne | | | |
That makes alot of sense there Rock, but can you clarify further whether you mean that feeding to much in the first 2 years can kill or cause problems straight away or years down the track? I suppose what i dont understand is are you saying because of it they might suddenly drop dead at around 10 years old? That seems to be the jist I'm getting from discussions lately that it will shorten their lifespans but later on, which to me would happen if overfed for the majority of their life.
Stevo
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08-Jul-05, 10:42 AM
| | Regular Member | | | | |
It really depends on a number of factors, ie species of python, type of food item etc. Over feeding can harm both young and old but in my experiance it tends to be worse for the young. The main problem tends to arise from people trying to get their animals to breeding size to quickly. A juv needs metobolic rest the same as adults just not quite as oftern. Most pythons that have been badly over fed wont just drop dead, they will be plauged with ailments, rarely breed, tend to have a number of slugs when they do etc. This can happen realitvley soon or years down the track depending on factors. And yes years can be cut off their lives. Hope this helps.
Rob
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09-Jul-05, 12:29 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jun-05 Location: Bondi NSW Age/Gender: 34 | | | |
My 5 month old NW Python is so much more active since i've lengthed the period between feeds. He used to hang in his hide all the time and I thought this was just because he was shy or scared. It's so much nicer to see him out on the branch. I figure if he's hungrey he's gotta be out and about just in case something comes by. Hiding in a hole or crack won't get you fed. Since leaving him for longer periods he is out on the branch way more the later I go. I have been thinking of trying to totally randomise his feeding for example anywhere from 7-16 days break at a time but also feeding smaller and larger prey items and not just consistently the same size.
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09-Jul-05, 03:23 PM
| | | | less food= more active
Iceman i have some experience with diamond pythons  Whats your problem exactly and what would you like to know.You sound like someone with little practicle experience,whats this dogs stuff  |
09-Jul-05, 05:08 PM
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oldfella- if i wanted to know something u would be the last person on the face of the earth i would ask ok. if i wanted to know how to over feed my snakes an kill them b4 there time, then i would asks u ok. thats right u only have some experience, not alot of experience. where 4 i have handle an cared 4 nearly every snake in the python faimly ok. i am a full time carer of over 200 python. |
09-Jul-05, 06:28 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jan-03 Location: NTH QLD | | | | RE: less food= more active
I think you'll find oldfella has a lot more practical bush experience than you give him credit for.WHy ask or look for an arguement...you are not the only one with good solid opinions based on facts and observation!!!
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09-Jul-05, 08:20 PM
| | | | less food= more active
Dont worry browny Mr ice is an expert he has ckept all the different pythons in captivity. |
09-Jul-05, 08:29 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Jan-03 Location: NTH QLD | | | | RE: less food= more active
Actually it just seems like relayed second hand information and i doubt he's actually breeding the animals and again people seem to judge experience with good breeding results.
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\"In every good person there is a bit of bad and in every bad person there is a bit of good!\"
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09-Jul-05, 11:47 PM
| | Suspended | Join Date: Jun-05 Age: 33 | | | |
The best people to ask about this type of information are the guys that do field research with these animals. The guys that mark and release animals. Guys that measure and weigh animals in the wild over extended periods of time. Sure lots of people can keep snakes, Lots of people can keep them in outside cages. But the people that really know are the guys in the field. Go read some of Richrd Shines work on pythons in the wild, their metabolic rates, etc. It might be an eye opener to some!
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10-Jul-05, 08:38 AM
| | Regular Member | | | | |
Jules,- now your talking. Dont ever use a regular feeding schedule just feed when ever,
even give em a bit longer some times.
Morelia,- Couldnt of said it better myself. Its from reading works by people like Richard Shine that has governed the way I keep me animals. When it comes to keeping oz snakes everyone should at least read his Natural History. The guy in my opinion is in the for front of the natural history of oz snakes. Hes a ledgend.
Rob
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