Skaarfing ?

[Retic]

Exactly right, that is why it is meaningless when captive conditions are compared to wild conditions.

 

[waruikazi]

How many of our snakes would have actually had a sole diet of rodents in their original natural conditions?

 

[hazzard]

How many of our snakes would have actually had a sole diet of rodents in their original natural conditions?

None (well except maybe water pythons around fogg) hence why it is important to study the effects of a sole rodent diet in captive conditions as this is how people are keeping them intensively!

 

[waruikazi]

With all seriousness none of what we feed our snakes (legally anyway) in captivity is even part of their original natural diet. We feed them on introduced animals, who knows what that could be doing them.

 

[wood_nymph]

god point waruikazi, i actually never thought of that although would our native marsupial mice be the same in term of nutrional content although as pointed out in the wild they wouldn't be the only thing they eat

 

[salebrosus]

After reading all that..................WOW...salute to Shane ...not that ive had the pleasure in meeting him!
I never considered myself as "skarffing".....just good at knowing what to feed & when!

Shane is a joy to meet, if you have any concerns or questions- just ask him. You couldn't meet a bloke more passionate about his animals.

I'm glad that hazzard and hugsta have explained what they mean by "skarrfing", i'm in total agreeance with their opinions of Shane and his feeding methods.

Hmmmmmm, now that i'm thinking of Shane, i wonder what i can buy off him this year?

Simone.

 

[hazzard]

god point waruikazi, i actually never thought of that although would our native marsupial mice be the same in term of nutrional content although as pointed out in the wild they wouldn't be the only thing they eat

We are investigating this as well with our native mammal unit!

 

[scorps]

the funniest thing about this thread is the lack of knowledge alot of people have about snakes in the wild, and hence snakes are a domesticated animal they still follow wild instincts, in the wild snakes can go for over 6 months without eating even though you feed him you normal feeding times he doesn't no they will take it ether they have just eaten or 6 months after their last meal as others have said snakes don't no when their next meal will be nothing to do with their hunger

 

[hugsta]

So how often would all these animals eat in the wild? Unless there is a mouse plague or something, I can't see a bredli eating 2-3 mice/animals every 5 days.

Also keep in mind that if a wild python came across a litter of rodents, it would most likely gorge itself till it couldn't move. Most wild pythons seem to eat as a large a meal as they can anyway, so when you feed them 2-3 mice, in the wild they may devour a rabbit, or possum and then hunt for food a week or two later.

 

[Magpie]

The only wild pythons I've seen any true studies done on are the water pythons and they were found to be breeding at 18 months of age and initial food availability had a strong positive correlation on long term health and survival.

 

[Colin]

One thing which I don't think has been mentioned is that some of the problems that have been attributed to high food intake may have something to do with the diets of the feeder animals and not the actual food intake levels.

I don't know one way or the other but it would seem a reasonable possibility to me. Or at the least worth further investigation.

Years ago in the early 1990's when not many people knew much better I can remember feeding my rodents dog kibble as part of their staple food diet. It was efficient cheap and they grew well.

I've since heard that the dyes that are in most dog kibble, and other additives can cause problems in snakes in later years when fed a diet of rodents that have been fed on these incorrect diets.

What I'm wondering is the possibility of certain problems attributed from high feed rates may have been caused by a diet of rodents that have been incorrectly fed?

 

[salebrosus]

Also keep in mind that if a wild python came across a litter of rodents, it would most likely gorge itself till it couldn't move. Most wild pythons seem to eat as a large a meal as they can anyway, so when you feed them 2-3 mice, in the wild they may devour a rabbit, or possum and then hunt for food a week or two later.

I have a friend who rescued a python a few weeks ago. It ate three guines pigs all from the one enclosure. The owners of the guinea pigs who were horrified called my mate who rescued it.......
The animal had a couple of injuries and was in care for a couple of weeks. That large bulge was non existent within a week, it's metabolism far exceeds any captive species i have ever seen.

Simone.

 

[hazzard]

The only wild pythons I've seen any true studies done on are the water pythons and they were found to be breeding at 18 months of age and initial food availability had a strong positive correlation on long term health and survival.

Exactly

 

[Chimera]

the funniest thing about this thread is the lack of knowledge alot of people have about snakes in the wild, and hence snakes are a domesticated animal they still follow wild instincts, in the wild snakes can go for over 6 months without eating even though you feed him you normal feeding times he doesn't no they will take it ether they have just eaten or 6 months after their last meal as others have said snakes don't no when their next meal will be nothing to do with their hunger

Someone buy this man a full stop

 

[Retic]

Colin, that is a very good and valid point. I am very careful what I feed my rats and mice because as they say you are what you eat.
I can honestly say that years ago I didn't give it any thought and would feed my rodents anything that came to hand.
I totally agree with you that many of these supposed over fed snakes could be the victim of the wrong food rather than too much food.

 

[Renagade]

Dragon - Thats not correct - if you offer a snake a feed every few days it will generally take it - that does not mean its good for it. If you offer a kid Maccas twice a day he will eat - that doesn't mean he won't get fat and bashed at school...

Ha ha ha!!

 

[moosenoose]

I thought it had something to do with a cheap "all-goods" store

 

[pugsly]

Wow there still around? Thought they got bought out a while back...

 

[cockney red]

Sanity at last. Well said Mr Bredli, was beginning 2 think everyone on here had lost the plot. Or is it just those motivated by $$$$$$$$$.

 

[cray]

snakes could be the victim of the wrong food rather than too much food.

That is why I am starting to fed my spotteds AHG's as a suppliment - every couple of feeds they get a gecko - frozen for a week+ then thawed just like the mice.

Studies have shown that for antaresia 25-60% of their wild diet is reptiles. (Study of museum specimens by R. Shine and reproduced in Pythons of Australia -Kend)

We try to mimic their environment, UVA, UVB, IR, temps, temp changes, humidity, winter cooling, hide places, etc.

But when it comes to food its mice, I know it is not practical for large collections or where options are not available, but I'm going to give it a try - we have an AHG plague so I'm killing them anyway.


As for scarfing?, - remember temps play a big part in digestion so they would need to be kept up otherwise the snake can not make themost of the extra food - good news about the study, I think it will find that as stated by others snakes are opportunistic and benefit from a good supply of food - what is too much, I dont think we will know the answer to that for some time.