Feeding a growing Olive: advice needed. (pics)

[kitling]

Hi guys

It's been awhile since I've posted, and my lovely Olive Python, Twist, has grown a lot in that time.

Here are some recent photos.

http://vurt.net/~hobbes/images/bear_arm.JPG

http://vurt.net/~hobbes/images/longtwist_renee_sarah.jpg

http://vurt.net/~hobbes/images/Twist_strike.JPG

He likes the cameras

http://vurt.net/~hobbes/images/wildlife_photography2.JPG

http://vurt.net/~hobbes/images/wildlife_photograpy1.JPG

Anyway - we've had him for a year now, and I believe he was about 6 to 8 months when we first got him. He is lovely and friendly and never bitten anyway, and I think he looks pretty healthy, as does the vet.

He has generally been a very good feeder, although it took a bit of effort to get him on to rats initially, but now he will happily chomp down his rats, striking pretty much as soon as they are offered. He was on 2 50gram rats, he is now on 1 100g rat a week. Last night he dropped the rat in his water bowl and kept eating. He currently weighs around 1kg. (Getting a bit big for the kitchen scales). We are still feeding him weekly, and by Sunday (feeding day) he is prowling around the cage looking for his rat, and after he has eaten the first, he is crawling around looking for a 2nd, he was still hunting for a 2nd this morning. Once he finds the pointy end of the rat, he swallows it within about 5-10mins and the bump doesn't last long. He doesn't always poo once a week, sometimes it takes longer, like about 10-11 days between poo's.

Anyway, the reading I've done indicates he should be eating less often as he gets older. But I'm wondering when that kicks in. I've read that obesity is a massive problem for snakes in captivity, so I'm wary of feeding him to much, but I also don't want to be feeding him not enough.

So I'm looking for some good rules of thumb about how much we should be feeding him. I've received so much conflicting advice, its hard to know what is right, I've kind of just been going with what feels right. I'm not interested in feeding him up for breeding or size or whatever, I just want a healthy happy snake.

Although speaking of breeding, what age should an Olive breed and as he is such a lovely snake, should I be looking around for someone who wants to breed him when the time comes?

 

[wokka]

I would guess, and it is a guess, that about 5% of his bodyweight each week will maintain his weight and anything beyond that will go towards growth. Once he has reached mature weight of say 5kg he is more likely to stack on fat instead of growing.
Your decision is to work out why you are feeding him ? What are you trying to achieve? Then tailor your feeding to suit.

 

[kitling]

my goal is a healthy snake.

At what point should Olive's reach their full growth?
At what point should they move from rats to rabbits?
I'm assuming that while he is still young growing, not feeding him enough could damage him, but I don't want an obese fatty snake either. At the moment he feels like one long muscle and not fatty, but then Olive's are supposed to get pretty large.

The percentile numbers sound good, we seem to be feeding him about 10% of his body weight a week, is that to much or not enough....

 

[Ramsayi]

I think 10% for a growing young snake is not enough,I would definately move him up to 15 or even 20%. Young snakes will keep growing in length without getting thicker and while ever they are doing that I keep feeding rates high.Once they start to bulk up a bit then I back the food right off.

 

[mysnakesau]

I think 10% for a growing young snake is not enough,I would definately move him up to 15 or even 20%. Young snakes will keep growing in length without getting thicker and while ever they are doing that I keep feeding rates high.Once they start to bulk up a bit then I back the food right off.

Well that answers one of my questions I have not asked. My 2 olives have piled on the length but I have wondered why they haven't been filling out width ways. They look long and thin. I can just force my hand around them but I still consider them long and slim. My 2 are wild caught so their age was not 100% certain although when I bought the female early this year I was told she was the size of a captive 2 year old (5 foot long). So I am guessing as a wild snake she would be older than a 2 year old, but still relatively young since she is still only half grown and hasn't started the middle-age spread yet. She is now just under 8 foot. I haven't deliberately overfed her but it has happend, she has grown 2.5foot since I have had her. And my male is same size as her. Both 8 foot long. I have been feeding her either 2 medium size (300g) rats or one large, but last 3 weeks she has eaten 450g rabbits, this week she ate a guinea pig. I have considered backing the male off the weekly feeds to fortnightly but continue giving female weekly to keep her condition up hopefully to breed with next season.

 

[kitling]

Any chance you can post pics of your Olives please?

 

[mysnakesau]

I have been posting heaps of pics lately, of my olives. They seem to be becoming popular with the attention.

Here's Marlow (male)

Marlow guarding his food..

Marlow shedding..

Marlow and Stella (female)

Stella

 

[kitling]

They are beautiful, now I want a pair

Thanks for the pics

 

[llasher]

Hey mysnakesau do you house your Olive pair together? I have a couple that size and am nervous about putting them in the same enclosure although it would save an awful amount of space.

 

[Crazy_Snake08]

Awesome looking snake!!! That's what I'm getting next!!!!!

 

[mysnakesau]

I have had them together even though I know it was getting late for the breeding season. They were fine together. They'd curl up together, no fights or problems. I don't think It would be a problem housing them together permanently but for breeding purposes they really need that break from each other. Of course I have to separate them for feeding, otherwise I've had no problems. Others might disagree with my comment, but of course I can only speak about my pair. They are placid - not a mean bone in them.