Murray Darling Skarfing Question

[Wednesday]

Hey,

I'm a little confused right now because i've been given a mixed bag of ideas. I was told that it was possible to 'skarf' my murray darling. (I'm not going to, just wanted to clear a few things up) But on the other hand I've heard that overfeeding can lead to pinhead syndrome. Is this a regular occurrence in snakes that have been or are being 'skarfed'? Is skarfing actually overfeeding or something different entirely?

sorry if my terminology if out of wack...

Thanks

 

[mysnakesau]

I've been told there really is no such condition. But yes, skarfing means to overfeed. Some ppl think our Australian pythons should be chunky but they don't. Well growing and healthy is more important that having the heaviest snake on record.

I had a fella here the other day who reckoned he cried over the condition a mate keeps his snake. Reckoned it was skin and bone. Then he told me the snake was 4foot long and bit wider than a golf ball. He claims a 4foot python should be as thick as one's arm. I didn't feel like arguing with him, I let him ramble. But he was wrong.

I feed all my snakes weekly. I probably do overfeed but not because I am trying to. I just a sucker for punishment and can't get my head around the fact that reptiles don't look at you with hungry pleading eyes like a dog does. Especially with my olive who likes to try squeeze her way out of the gap in the glass or hits the glass restlessly until I do put something in her mouth.

How old/big is your MD?

 

[jessb]

THere was a really interesting thread on here recently about a study that was underway about overfeeding in the first year - it indicated that in the first year, overfeeding had no long term detrimental effects on snakes (ie pinhead syndrome) and the result was just a bigger snake, ready to breed earlier.

I think it qualified that overfeeding throughout life was, however a concern for the snake's long term health.

 

[craig23]

I think most herps dont know or fully understand what "overfeeding" for any given species might even be.
In the NT waterpythons from the fog dam area can and do grow to breeding size in there first season. This is because of the excellent supply of flood plains rats in the area and the fact they are active for most of the year. Is this overfeeding?

In reality snakes are oppertunistic feeders. In most cases they will eat whatever food they can physically catch and eat at any time. I am speaking from my own opinion, but this suggests to me that snakes of the same species from different areas may have a greatly vairied food intake in any given period. Morelia from the NT or north QLD are most likely to eat more and grow faster in the wild than Morelia in southern climates. Most people accept in captivity that some conservative scheme of one prey item a week or two is the correct amount. Well im sure this will provide adequate food for a snake to grow to an average size at an average rate and maintain condition, But in no way can one say this is a correct or natural quantity.

As a snakes growth rates slow down at 2-3 years of age food intake must naturally decrease or it will become fat. If a young snake is eating heaps and growing fast without being fat, I dont belive its overfeeding at all. Its exactly what happens in the wild if the food source is available.

 

[bitey]

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/herp-help/skaarfing-66603?highlight=skarfing

 

[daniel1234]

I have been told that snakes generally wont over eat, but the same person told me that his older bredli can look a bit chunky and in need of a diet some times:shock:. Southern Cross Reptiles have on their information pages made mention of over weight snakes when breeding, and say that you should be able to see the snakes back bone/indent. Dunno if this helps but I have wondered the same thing.

 

[craig23]

Snakes will become overweight if they are fed to much after thier growth rates slow down. Two main things determine growth rates, temperature and age. A snake kept at low temps of any age can become over weight if fed alot, and a older snake with low growth rates will also store excess calories as fat. Saying this, most snakes kept at abnormally low temps will refuse to eat.

I have also read snakes are less likely to breed if they are overweight.

 

[Ramsayi]

THere was a really interesting thread on here recently about a study that was underway about overfeeding in the first year - it indicated that in the first year, overfeeding had no long term detrimental effects on snakes (ie pinhead syndrome) and the result was just a bigger snake, ready to breed earlier.

I think it qualified that overfeeding throughout life was, however a concern for the snake's long term health.

Sorry but your take on the study is a bit off.The study concluded that they will readily take higher amounts of food up to a ceratin point where they woud start to self regulate their food intake.

It did NOT indicate that there would be no longterm detrimental affects in the future.The long term affects at this stage are not known as the study hasnt been going long enough.

 

[hawkesbury reptiles]

Just an observation of 'pin head syndrome'......One of my customers purchased an MD off me in January....he has been feeding it every 3-4 days or around about that. The snake has shown no ill effects whatsoever from this other than growing quickly but the head size is definately way out of proportion to its body size/mass.....'pin head syndrome'. So much so that he is going to stop feeding him over winter and then dramatically slow down the feeding after that, Will be interesting to see if the head size will actually catchup to the body.

 

[jessb]

Sorry but your take on the study is a bit off.The study concluded that they will readily take higher amounts of food up to a ceratin point where they woud start to self regulate their food intake.

It did NOT indicate that there would be no longterm detrimental affects in the future.The long term affects at this stage are not known as the study hasnt been going long enough.

Yeah, was just quoting it from memory - I hoped someone else could be bothered to look up the thread for me! Thanks for clarifying!