Spotted Python food size

[Diamonds85]

Hey guys,

First of all, sorry if this has been repeated a couple of times, i tried to find a similar thread for Spotted Pythons specficially but came up short.

Basically we have a 1year, 2month old Spotted Python. He is 60cm and is in a 3 foot enclosure.

We are currently feeding him 1 pinkie rat every 7 days. The problem is, he is always active, even after feeding he is out and about scouting around. Also he is very aggressive to anything going in the cage so we are finding it hard to hold him. He is fed outside of his enclosure so he shouldnt associate the 2 but anyway.

I have searched the internet for help as to when we should be moving him up a size based on length and head size etc but I cant find anything.

Any Spotty owners out there that can lend a hand?

 

[beeman]

That animal is being way underfed, At that age it should be on adult mice.
And as far as feeding it outside it enclosure there is no need to do this, this action will not
prevent bites at all.
Your animal is hungry this is why it will be on the agro side.

 

[Slats]

That animal is being way underfed, At that age it should be on adult mice.

I prefer weaner rats due to the unavailability of mice in my region. My pythons on rats have always seemed to fair better than the ones on mice too.

 

[Lesa]

Mine is on weaner rats and quite happily takes the ones on the larger size. Feed him more - you'll be surprised at what they'll handle.

 

[beeman]

We use both rat and mice and find no difference in snake condition at all, Rats how ever let you feed a larger meal in one hit rather than multiple mice.

 

[schizmz]

That animal is being way underfed, At that age it should be on adult mice..

At least..mine are on fuzzies,same age as yours m8..and pinkies app have no real "beneficial" value for the snake so we get em off asap...ie..lacks the neccesary vitamins etc.and onto fuzzies or velvets.. i skip mice....he's hungry m8.

 

[syeph8]

definately fuzzy rats at that size i would say, if you intend on keeping him on rats. That is approx same size as adult mice. although im a big fan of sticking to rats when you succeed in getting them there, i would PERSONALLY stay with mice all the way through with spotteds, or any of the anteresia family, as i have heard that feeding too far past the width of the fattest part of the snake is bad for the snake in comparison to larger quantities of smaller food. the only problem is, this may cost you more in the long run, depending on mouse prices or if you are breeding food.
i also know that sometimes if you switch between mice and rats as food sizes progress (particularly in JCPs) that it can be near impossible to get them back onto rats. i dont know if this is ever a problem with anterisias as they tend to bite and hold anything they get their hands on (IMO), but its something to consider if you do wish to keep him on rats.
i strongly welcome the oppinoin of anybody who has any more information on feeding size, but this is what i have been basing my feeding regiment on, and is the same rule followed by someone i know who has well in excess of 30 pythons at some points in time and always had healthy, well fed, breeding specimens.

hope it helps

 

[justbecausewhy]

I feed my female weaner rats and she loves them...she is also out and about her tank each night time only ...

 

[knowablesp]

mine is on pinkies sice its only 5 months old

mine is on pinkies since its only 5 months old

 

[cagey]

my spotted is the same age and eats either fuzzy rats or adult mice- attacks and comsumes either.

 

[unicorns_dreams]

Mine is about 16 mths old and is on adult mice (she won't eat rats ) sounds hungry to me,

 

[Serpentess]

My 3yr+ old female spotted was on small adult rats. My 2yr+ male spotted is on weaner rats. He was on adult mice at the age yours is now.

 

[Darlyn]

Pretty sure the size has been upped by now, or the spotted died of malnutrition.
This thread is a year old.

 

[wranga]

try feeding adult mice. pinkies wont fill your snake. snakes also need bone and fur in their diet which pinkies dont have

 

[cadwallader]

Pretty sure the size has been upped by now, or the spotted died of malnutrition.
This thread is a year old.

HAHA true that

 

[wranga]

oops