Stimson's Python Feeding

[derekm]

I have an 8-month old Stimsons python that is about 35-36cm long (up from 28-29cm two months ago). For the last 6 feeds, I have been feeding it one mouse (could be either large pinky or small fuzzy) every 8 days. The bulge from each feed disappears in about 48 hours, more or less. It is defecating regularly, about once per feed, and has shed twice since 18 June. I'm now thinking about feeding it two pinky/fuzzy mice of the same size at each feed, but extending the time between feeds from 8 days to 10 days.

I'm interested in opinions or advice on this approach, please.

 

[Lonewolf]

Hey mate you can feed it 2.. and still only wait 7 days. it doesnt matter.

 

[whcasual79]

i was feeding my childreni 2 pinkies when it was bout 5mths old ... then went onto fuzzy mice... started feeding him 2 fuzzy mice when he was bout 8mths old ... now he's 11 months old, he chomps down 1 hopper mice easy ... feed him every friday ...

i didn't extend my feeding times... still kept it to every friday and he was taking 2 fuzzies easy (that's when i switched him from 1 fuzzy to 2) .... same went for when i got him onto hopper mice....

give him 2 fuzzies every 8 days for bout 2 months and then get him onto hopper mice... it's much easier just feeding them one and seeing a massive bulge in their belly ...

hope that helps

 

[derekm]

Thanks for the advice. First mouse is going down now. I'll post again after the second one.

 

[amy5189]

some snakes might not take two in a row. i know my childrens doesn't. but if yours will then definitely give it a go.
also try and get it onto rats instead of mice asap. you can buy small pinky rats that are the same size as fuzzy mice

 

[anntay]

my little man just had his first feed at home on wednesday 1 week after i got him and i feed him 2 pinky mice he took both no problems and his belly has gone today. have only had him 1 week was being fed i pinky a week b4 i go him he is 7months

 

[derekm]

The second mouse has now been taken, even more eagerly than the first, and eaten. Respectable bulge in its belly now! Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll try that again in another 8 days and, next time I see my rodent supplier, I'll look at pinky rats.

 

[derekm]

some snakes might not take two in a row. i know my childrens doesn't. but if yours will then definitely give it a go.
also try and get it onto rats instead of mice asap. you can buy small pinky rats that are the same size as fuzzy mice

I fed my Stimmo his first ever pinky rat this morning and, after a little more examination than usual, he swallowed it, even though it was much bigger than the fuzzy mice he has been eating. I usually feed at night but my attempt last night was a failure. He got so intense about constricting the rat, that he fell of his rock shelf about 15cm into his water bowl then, after a few more minutes, unwound from the rat and went into his hide to 'sulk'. I left the rat in his enclosure overnight but, when he hadn't eaten it overnight, I tried one more attempt wiggling it with the forceps early this morning and was successful.

Thanks for encouraging me to start him on rats sooner that I otherwise would have.

One question. Now that he has taken a rat without problems, should I just keep him on rats until he's big enough to include both rats and quails in his diet, or should I also feed him mice alternately or occasionally?

 

[ivonavich]

I keep all my stable of snakes on rats... Just upped my 7month old Port mac from 2 rat pinkies to a rat fuzzy - He looks quite full

 

[derekm]

I fed my Stimmo his second pinky rat tonight. No careful examination this time - just snapped it straight out of the forceps abnd started constricting. He was so keen that I decided a camera flash wouldn't put him off, so I took some pictures.

 

[billsnake]

hey man i liked reading this story ive got A stimmy 8 month but hes kinda small hes on fuzzy im gonna put him on two fuzzyz every friday now cuz of ur story lol an after about 2 or 3 weeks ill put him on pinkie rats if hes capable thnx XD

 

[Curly56]

Derekm, that is a beauty snake you have there. That set of photos shows a respctable bulge. My stimmie is 9 months old and has moved on to fuzzy rats as of his last feed and he took the first rat more eagerly than the mice he was on. And he would never take a multi feed.

 

[derekm]

hey man i liked reading this story ive got A stimmy 8 month but hes kinda small hes on fuzzy im gonna put him on two fuzzyz every friday now cuz of ur story lol an after about 2 or 3 weeks ill put him on pinkie rats if hes capable thnx XD

Thanks for the comments. I hope it works out for you.

 

[derekm]

Derekm, that is a beauty snake you have there. That set of photos shows a respctable bulge. My stimmie is 9 months old and has moved on to fuzzy rats as of his last feed and he took the first rat more eagerly than the mice he was on. And he would never take a multi feed.

Thanks. I'm going to try mine on fuzzy rats just before I run out of pinky rats. I still have 5 to go, so probably in about 6 weeks unless I start on 2 pinky rats per feed. After the last two feeds, he as looked like he wanted a second rat straight away, and really really looked keen after a couple of days. Also, it is only taking a day and a half for the bulge to disappear.

 

[python_heath]

I see what you mean

I feed my 9mnth old stimmie a hopper mouse 1ce per week and he has no troubles.

 

[chellntrev]

i only feed our 8 month old stimmie 2 pinky mice every 8 days or so............. seeing what you guys feed yours........wow........am i feeding mine enuf??

 

[CML88]

I was thinking of feeding my 7month old stimmy for the first time tonight, ive had him just under a week and he was fed a week ago today. I had him out for about 15mins last night and he was perfect tempered, very curious. Couple of questions, should i feed him tonight? if so one pinkie or two? he was fed 3 pinkies at the shop last weekend and took all of them. Also should i feed him in his enclosure? or take him out and feed him so he dont eat the repti bark substrate.

Cheers

 

[Jarden]

Its upto you weather you want to feed him in or outside of the enclosure

Derekem thats a hot looking stimmy dont really like antaresia but youve got a nice one might put one on my to get list this season

 

[derekm]

I was thinking of feeding my 7month old stimmy for the first time tonight, ive had him just under a week and he was fed a week ago today. I had him out for about 15mins last night and he was perfect tempered, very curious. Couple of questions, should i feed him tonight? if so one pinkie or two? he was fed 3 pinkies at the shop last weekend and took all of them. Also should i feed him in his enclosure? or take him out and feed him so he dont eat the repti bark substrate.

Cheers

Two pinkies at a time should be good. It shouldn't be long before you can move up to pinky rats and/or fuzzy mice. The advice I was given is to feed him enough at each feeding so you don't have to feed again for 8-10 days. If the bulge in his belly is gone within 24 hours after feeding, you probably didn't feed enough.

I feed mine in the enclosure. I use aspen shavings and, while my snake usually eats on a fake rock shelf on the back wall, he has had a couple of feeds on the floor and hasn't swallowed any aspen. A few aspen shavings have "stuck" to the food while it was being constricted but as the snake was "walking" its jaws along the food when swallowing, they fell off. I wouldn't feed a snake on any type of sand, however.

The other trick with feeding in the enclosure is that when I'm feeding, the snake smells the food and strikes at it almost immediately. (He may also associate the appearance of the forceps with food but, because he flicks his tonmgue a lot,.I think smell is the main sense used.) When I am putting my hand in to get him out or clean up, the snake smells the soap I have used to wash my hands before I start, and never even looks like striking.

 

[derekm]

i only feed our 8 month old stimmie 2 pinky mice every 8 days or so............. seeing what you guys feed yours........wow........am i feeding mine enuf??

Depends on size. A couple of rules of thumb are that the width of the food item can be about twice the width of the snake's head and that, after feeding, the bulge should be still noticeable more than 24 hours after feeding. I feed my stimmie in the evening and I'm confident that I have fed him enough if he stays in his hide the next night and, when he comes out on the night after that, I can still notice the bulge in his belly.