Appropriate food?

[baker]

This is going to be a simple question for everyone. I would also like to know the reasoning behind your answer.
What is 'appropriate' type for snakes?
Cheers Cameron.

 

[GeckoJosh]

One food type is not going to be appropriate for all snakes, what species are you asking about exactly?

 

[baker]

Just in general honestly. The last few days I have been confronted with the mind set that only rats and mice should be feed to snakes and that any other sort of food is going to kill them. I was to see what the majority of people think about this subject. Cheer Cameron.

 

[Tablemanners]

This is going to be a simple question for everyone. I would also like to know the reasoning behind your answer.
What is 'appropriate' for snakes?
Cheers Cameron.

Hey Baker,
I feed my snakes 25% of their weight when they are between 6-12 months. After that i feed 20% until they are fully grown. As long as the food you are giving isn't more than that then it doesn't matter weather its chickens, rats, mice or even rabbits.
Cheers, TM

 

[GeckoJosh]

I think a varied diet if possible is the best choice

 

[baker]

Woops I think i need to clarify that.
What is an appropriate food type? As in do people think that only rodents, quail's and chickens can be feed?
Cheers Cameron

 

[GeckoJosh]

Different for each species again, but for carpets I thing any of the above can sustain them as well as anything else.

 

[HarleyD]

I think for the most part rodents are the way to go as an exclusive staple diet, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with the odd Avian meal or small marsupial etc depending on the species.
I mean, at the end of the day these things are naturally programmed to slam just about anything of the right size and characteristics, Being the oportunistic '' high-tech scavangers'' they are.

HD.

 

[Bluetongue1]

If you are looking for a generalisation, which it seems you are, the appropriate food type for any snake is whatever whole vertebrate it is prepared to eat. Bottom line - snakes are adapted to eating whole vertebrates. These animals provide the full range of nutrients required by snakes. So, for example feeding rodents to a snake that might also eat birds, reptiles and frogs in nature, is not going to short change it of any of the required nutrients. So rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, quail, chickens, fish,finches or whatever vertebrates can be fed ecxclusively or in combination. What is often the deciding factor is the snake's preference for a particular prey item. This is NOT an indication that the given prey item is "more nutritious" for it.

There are a few individual issues related all fish diets and excessive fat for some species. These need to be dealt with on a species basis.