# Overfeeding - Anyone got pics/examples?



## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

Just wondering if anyone has pics/examples of overfed pythons (especially Morelia)..


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## KathandStu (Apr 20, 2006)

You mean like "Pin Head Syndrome"? I'd be interested in seeing that too. Have you tried googling for images?


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## Retic (Apr 20, 2006)

I think you really have to stuff a snake for it to appear overfed. My feeding regime is seen by some as excessive but all my animals are sleek and active. I would be interested to see some photo's though.


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## NoOne (Apr 20, 2006)

Hey Boa don't you know that if you feed your snakes more than 1 fuzzy a month it's power feeding and your snake will die within minutes


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## Retic (Apr 20, 2006)

I know, I know but I just don't care, short term financial gain is what it's all about


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## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

heheh... I hope you've got your flame suits on.
Personally I like to feed my hatchies 2 adult mice everyday


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

This snake hatched in January 2005, this picture was taken in June 2005 (the snake was five and one half months old).







lots of this happened






She is now about 16 months old and a picture of health. Some will no doubt claim that she is about to drop dead or will die early. Time will tell.

Before anyone accuses me of trying to promote this sort of thing, I do not for a moment recommend this. Everyone do what you want, don't listen to me, etc etc etc, no husbandry advice being dispensed in this post etc etc etc. If I didn't post this, you wouldn't have seen it, I could have stayed silent and avoided flames but thought I'd post pictures because they were requested etc etc etc. No doubt I'll get abuse anyway, but at least this way you'll know I don't care etc etc etc

Okay, that'll do


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## Retic (Apr 20, 2006)

2 !!! They'll never grow.


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## MannyM (Apr 20, 2006)

Only 5 and 1/2 months!? Seems impossible. My bredli is 3 months now and she's tiny.


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## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

That WP is gorgeous!! Very nice animal you have there... doesn't 'look' to have been affected badly be the feeding regime either.


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

Yeah, I'd say she was pushing the limits as hard as was possible. At the rate she was going at that stage she'd probably have ended up about 8' long by one year of age, but that rate of growth doesn't seem to be sustainable for a whole year. It'll be interesting to see how large she ends up and how long she lives, I'm guessing she will live to a ripe old age (we don't yet really know what a ripe old age is for pythons).

Disclaimers: I'm not claiming she will grow large, live long, not invade China, avoid disrupting the space-time continuum or anything else.


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## waruikazi (Apr 20, 2006)

My bredli put on about three and a half feet and four or so kilos in about a year and a half

this isn't the best pic but this was just under a year ago now, i've had some people say she is overweight and others say she is just right





this one about 6 months ago





and this was just the other week (i think i've already posted this pic but oh well)


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## waruikazi (Apr 20, 2006)

> My bredli put on about three and a half feet and four or so kilos in about a year and a half



She is not a year and a half old... she was about three when i got her... sorry for confusion.


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

Here are a couple of more recent pictures of Jade "Kong", my growth rate snake.











Her dad was grown up fairly quickly, he was about 18 months old when he was involved in her production. Everyone told me I was going to get infertile eggs  She is now bigger than he is and catching up on mum! I might have a go at breeding her this year.

Disclaimer: I'm not claiming that breeding early is a good thing or recommending anyone to do it. For all I know, breeding snakes too early could result in aliens abducting you and your animals, or the bread in your fridge going mouldy earlier than it otherwise would. Choose your own methods, I'm not dispensing husbandry advice in this post!


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

This picture was taken of a bredli when she was (roughly) 18 months old. She was very roughly two metres long and I'd estimate 3-4kg in weight (very roughly). I could have fed this girl twice as much, she is an idiot, I think if I let her, she would eat herself to death, you can give her enough food to make her belly bulge enormously, but she still frantically searches for more. I don't know what I'd have to do to get her to stop wanting food. These days I barely feed her and she hates me for it, constantly hungry, absolutely horrible snake, definately the snake of mine which I hate most.


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## Snow1369 (Apr 20, 2006)

it's not a bad looker though looks great!


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## waruikazi (Apr 20, 2006)

Well i'll tell you what, cos i'm such a nice guy i'll take her off your hands for you. No no, don't thank me i'm happy to do it, i just like to help :lol:


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## CodeRed (Apr 20, 2006)

thats a pretty big bredli for 18 months :shock: 
doesnt look any worse for the it though

thought I was feeding my bredli too much when they got to 1.2kg at 13 months old.. better go and give them another feed :wink:


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

Just checked my records, the bredli was more like 13 months and 170cm at the time the picture was taken, and at that stage was probably more like 2.5kg (the masses are just guesses, I haven't kept records of them). They can grow quickly, but nothing like a Water Python, and they probably don't cope with it as well.

waruikazi: heh, yeah, when I talk about how much I hate bredli, everyone offers to take mine away  I think about selling them all the time, but for some strange reason I still haven't. If I breed them this year they'll be cheap to make sure they leave me quickly!

If it hadn't already been done, I'd like to do some growth rate trials on Scrubbies (I have a copy of the article somewhere, but off the top of my head can't remember which publication it was in). I'd guess they're capable of growing more quickly than any other Australian snake. I think Brian Barnett had some grow to over 7' within 12 months. I might have a go one day, we'll see.

If you're interested in "power feeding", it might be worth getting hold of a copy of an article by Simon Fearn. I can't remember the issue, but it was in Monitor a few years ago and gives the growth rate and feeding records of a Carpet Python, which reached 6' within 12 months. Nothing special by Water or Scrub Python standards, but not bad for a Carpet.


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## cris (Apr 20, 2006)

Is it true that 'power feeding' rats to BHPs and Jungles causes fatty liver disease?

Is it possible that claims that power feeding causes things like fatty liver disease and similar condidtions is more to do with a lack of exercise and a bad diet rather than the actual amount of food?


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## KathandStu (Apr 20, 2006)

Hey Sdaji, is that a phot of you with the python?


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## pythonkisses (Apr 20, 2006)

Found this good old DON hehehehehe

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2004/archives/2004/roadtests/reptiles/snakes_as_pets


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## pythonkisses (Apr 20, 2006)

Further information
John Weigel, Care of Australian Reptiles in Captivity (1989), Reptile Keepers Association ISBN 0 7316 3290 7 is an invaluable guide to keeping reptiles. RRP $21.00.

An excellent, informative website to help you get in touch with reptile breeders and owners: www.aussiepythons.com


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

KathandStu: it is. Are you wondering if I used a midgit to pose with the snake to make it look larger?


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## Spike14 (Apr 20, 2006)

> These days I barely feed her and she hates me for it, constantly hungry, absolutely horrible snake, definately the snake of mine which I hate most.


Sdaji that is one nice bredli, i personally would like a snake that loves its feed than havin trouble feeding like with some new hatchlings, how big is she know and whats her temprapent like?[/quote]


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

Spike: it's not her desire to feed that I dislike, I like a good feeder and won't often bother with something stubborn. I just hate bredli. Nothing wrong with them really, just not something which appeals to me. Carpets bore me. I haven't taken her out of her enclosure for a long time, I don't know how long she is, probably not much more than 7'. She is a Carpet, so I'd describe her temperament as 'boring' 

(Sorry to all the Carpet lovers, jokes aside, I don't think there's anything wrong with them, they're just not my thing).


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## southy (Apr 20, 2006)

cris said:


> Is it true that 'power feeding' rats to BHPs and Jungles causes fatty liver disease?
> 
> unsure on jungles but when i was at the vet, i spoke to him on what i had and he said that he tends to get a few bhps mainly females that livers burst due to the fat in the rats/mice and are usually get this from people bulking them up for breeding, bhps are mainly reptile eaters in the wild so when the occasional rat in the bush doesn't hurt them, but in capivity, its illegal to feed reptiles, so ive heard of it happening but not too much


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## pythonkisses (Apr 20, 2006)

cris said:


> Is it true that 'power feeding' rats to BHPs and Jungles causes fatty liver disease?
> 
> 
> 
> i was told by Vet to feed chicks and very now and then give a rat but the male rats hold more fat then the females do so i feed my bhps chicks if i feed rats i make sure there females i take all mine to the vet every 3mths for a check i keep a log book of every feed shed poo wee everything for each snake


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## SLACkra (Apr 20, 2006)

give the rats exercise wheels! 

john when you were powerfeeding were you providing any extra calcium or viatamin supplements to make sure the bones grew properly etc?

imo with the idea of doing that i would be far more comfortable with it if i knew they had all the right nutrients to grow properly. but i will not be trying to do that with my snake.

andrew


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## NaughtyByNature (Apr 20, 2006)

Call me nieve or a newbie but I thought they would eat if hungry and leave food if they arn't??


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

More rats means more calcium and more vitamins! 

No supplements, just thawed rodents.

(Heh, I should have told you about my secret formula and offered it for sale  Nah, it can stay a secret for a bit longer  :lol: )


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## mickousley (Apr 20, 2006)

nice snakes i wish i had pics of my scrubby eating


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## SLACkra (Apr 20, 2006)

> Call me nieve or a newbie but I thought they would eat if hungry and leave food if they arn't??



lol my little fella would eat anytime anywhere lol! i swear i could scent a small tommato with rat and warm it up a bit and he'd eat it. just a digestive system with scales 

ya i know but i would be concerned with that vast amount of growth so quickly and not having enough minerals to build strong bones etc. but thats just me 

also wee bit off topic but how many people here who breed rats provide wheels? less fat more protein!!

andrew


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## NaughtyByNature (Apr 20, 2006)

> lol my little fella would eat anytime anywhere lol! i swear i could scent a small tommato with rat and warm it up a bit and he'd eat it. just a digestive system with scales
> 
> ya i know but i would be concerned with that vast amount of growth so quickly and not having enough minerals to build strong bones etc. but thats just me
> 
> ...




Oh ok thanks for that I know with my Coastal sometimes wont accept food yet a week later will go for it before I open the glass door.

My Rats and mice have running wheels and play tunnels, my kids like watching the snakes food play :twisted:


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## hugsta (Apr 20, 2006)

How often did you feed your water Sdaji? And while on the topic, what are peoples ideas of what power feeding is? As in, how often would you feed to consider it power feeding.


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

I never fed my Water Sdaji


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## SLACkra (Apr 20, 2006)

> I never fed my Water Sdaji



further more what the hell is a Sdaji?


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

I am Sdaji.


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## pugsly (Apr 20, 2006)

Hugs, you probably know a few big breeders feed there snakes every 4-5 days, and they dont consider it powerfeeding. Shane once told me anything under 4 days apart would be detrimental, but 4-5 days is ok.


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## NaughtyByNature (Apr 20, 2006)

its a wonder they would have time to pass there food in 4 days


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## hugsta (Apr 20, 2006)

I know what I consider pwr feeding  , just curious as to what others think.

I hope you didn't starve your water sdaji then, not feeding it can kill it. :roll: 

So, how often did you (Sdaji), feed your water python (the one in the pic with you holding it) and what type of food (eg. rats, mice, chicken, snake sausages, turnips or something else you have had an incling to feed it) did you use to get it as big as what it is. :roll: :wink: :lol:


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

hugsta said:


> I know what I consider pwr feeding  , just curious as to what others think.
> 
> I hope you didn't starve your water sdaji then, not feeding it can kill it. :roll:
> 
> So, how often did you (Sdaji), feed your water python (the one in the pic with you holding it) and what type of food (eg. rats, mice, chicken, snake sausages, turnips or something else you have had an incling to feed it) did you use to get it as big as what it is. :roll: :wink: :lol:



Oops, sorry mate 

I, Sdaji, fed my Water Python (Jade "Kong"), approximately 4-5 days per week for her first few months. By about three months of age she was eating two or three adult mice per feed, at that stage I switched her to rats. I never gave her chicken, snake sausages (my butcher only has beef, chicken, pork and kangaroo sausages, yours must be a true gourmet!  ), turnips or Sdaji. Over the last few months I've been very busy and haven't had time to feed her more than every week or two  She is always looking at me, thinking I don't love her as much as I used to


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 20, 2006)

I like Bredli's...I want one when I get to NSW...They're cool looking- my daughter says they look like vens! Kids! 

Sdaji, 'Jade "Kong"' is lovely...pretty pretty snake!


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## hugsta (Apr 20, 2006)

Your butcher must be hopeless if they don't sell snake sausages, they are nice :wink: I heard you were feeding it everyday. :shock: Feeding it every 4 or 5 doesn't seem that bad and certainly wouldn't appear enough to get her to that size. Must be the steroids taking over. :shock: :lol:


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

No no, four or five days _per week._


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## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

Sdaji said:


> I, Sdaji, fed my Water Python (Jade "Kong"), approximately 4-5 days per week for her first few months.



ok.. does this mean that Kong had a feed around 4-5 times per week, or once every 4-5 days?


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## hugsta (Apr 20, 2006)

LMAO.


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

reptilemart said:


> ok.. does this mean that Kong had a feed around 4-5 times per week, or once every 4-5 days?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## basketcase (Apr 20, 2006)

i feed my animals so that they slough no more than once every 8 weeks. its a reasonable growth rate and certainly not too slow.

it seems to get females of most species up to breeding size in 2.5-3.5 years, which i think is about right.


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## SLACkra (Apr 20, 2006)

so john you fed it 4-5 days out of a week. so thats 4-5 feeds per week.

translating johns typing is interesting

andrew


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## serpenttongue (Apr 20, 2006)

cris said:


> Is it true that 'power feeding' rats to BHPs and Jungles causes fatty liver disease?
> 
> Is it possible that claims that power feeding causes things like fatty liver disease and similar condidtions is more to do with a lack of exercise and a bad diet rather than the actual amount of food?



I dont think it's really the amount of food thats the problem but the size of the rodent. X-large/jumbo rats are high in fat which could lead to fatty liver disease. If you stick with medium/large rats which have less body fat than jumbo's then you MAY be safe. 

I'd imagine lack of exercise would lead to less frequent bowel movements and possibly constipation rather than fatty liver disease. Just my opinion though.


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## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

SLACkra said:


> so john you fed it 4-5 days out of a week. so thats 4-5 feeds per week.
> 
> translating johns typing is interesting
> 
> andrew



agreed.

I'm guessing he means he fed it 4-5 rodents per week!!


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## CodeRed (Apr 20, 2006)

Sdaji said:


> No no, four or five days _per week._



:shock: thats alot of snake poo to clean up


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## moosenoose (Apr 20, 2006)

Geez folks there are some real *PORKERS* amongst that lot!  Must be a bit of "Hey boys, does my clocea look big in this?" sort of convo's going on between the sexes at breeding time hey? 8) :lol: (jokes)


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

reptilemart said:


> SLACkra said:
> 
> 
> > so john you fed it 4-5 days out of a week. so thats 4-5 feeds per week.
> ...



Sorry, I've obviously been unclear. I'm not really sure where the misunderstanding is coming from, but by "I fed her approximately 4-5 times per week", I mean that each week, I fed her about four or five times... I'm having trouble finding a way of wording it more clearly. Each feed was "large", initially it might have been one weaner mouse, after two months it might have been one or two adult mice. Enough to give her a large bulge (or generally, maintain the large bulge). As you'd expect, sloughing was very frequent (she is coming up for a slough in the first picture), sometimes I'd give her three-five days off in a row around sloughing time, other times I'd feed her right though the sloughing cycle.


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## pugsly (Apr 20, 2006)

Wow thats alot of feeding!


Thats alot of food!


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## reptilemart (Apr 20, 2006)

I still don't understand


:lol:


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## Sdaji (Apr 20, 2006)

reptilemart said:


> I still don't understand
> 
> 
> :lol:



I done gave 'er a 'ole 'eap o' grub.


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## cris (Apr 20, 2006)

Why do some ppl consider it bad to feed a snake that already has food in it?
Ive read this alot but never figured out y :? 

I reckon try feeding fish occasionally and u will get even faster growth rates.

My rats dont have a wheel but can climb, burrow and run alot.


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## Retic (Apr 21, 2006)

I agree, we often hear that you shouldn't feed a snake until it has excreted it's last meal, this is just ridiculous and doesn't seem to have any scientific basis to it.


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## NinaPeas (Apr 21, 2006)

I just don't think it's natural to feed a snake 4 or 5 times a week! I doubt they would get that much food in the wild, unless they fell into a wheat silo during a plague. Nope, once a week is fine for my snake. Considering it doesn't move around as much as in the wild.


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## Sdaji (Apr 21, 2006)

Nina, you seem to be suggesting that I've said it's normal, natural or good to feed a snake four or five times a week, I haven't said that and made the point clear in the first (and subsequent) posts. It's not at all normal by my own standards.

Most of my snakes are on 'normal' feeding regimes, they typically get fed every one to four weeks depending on species, age, individual, etc during the warmer months and not at all for the cooler months. I haven't fed any other snake anywhere near what I've fed Jade "Kong", it'll be very interesting for me to watch her progress over the next few years. I haven't spoken about her much at all because of the inevitable flames, the same reason many people keep quiet about a lot of things, the end result simply being that most people don't hear about a lot of stuff.

Maybe it isn't natural, but then again, neither is keeping them in a glass fronted enclosure with a thermostatically controlled climate. It isn't natural to keep them free of ticks or intestinal worms, it isn't natural to keep them in the absence of predators, it isn't natural to keep them in conditions which will let more than about 5% of hatchlings survive for more than a few months. Did someone say morph craze? Having said that, before calling it unnatural to feed a Water Python as much as it wants, have a read of the extensive work done by Prof. Rick Shine. Arguably, it's not natural to offer a Water Python less than it can eat. Have a read of some of the literature published by Shine on the Water Pythons of Fogg Dam, you might be very surprised.

Once again, no, I'm not recommending anyone to feed their animals in any particular way or suggesting any particular method is good or bad. That's a completely different topic which I'm happy to get into in a seperate thread. This thread was about "overfeeding", which I have a good example of.


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## reptilemart (Apr 21, 2006)

Sdaji said:


> Nina, you seem to be suggesting that I've said it's normal, natural or good to feed a snake four or five times a week, I haven't said that and made the point clear in the first (and subsequent) posts. It's not at all normal by my own standards.
> 
> Most of my snakes are on 'normal' feeding regimes, they typically get fed every one to four weeks depending on species, age, individual, etc during the warmer months and not at all for the cooler months. I haven't fed any other snake anywhere near what I've fed Jade "Kong", it'll be very interesting for me to watch her progress over the next few years. I haven't spoken about her much at all because of the inevitable flames, the same reason many people keep quiet about a lot of things, the end result simply being that most people don't hear about a lot of stuff.
> 
> ...



That's a good reply if i ever saw one!


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 21, 2006)

Will snakes eat more than they are actually hungry for? 

We've noticed some odd behaviour in our Stimson. She's only ever taken one weaner once a week (or fortnight in a couple of cases). Yet las weekend (15/16th) she was doing her usual 'I'm hungry- feed me' behaviours, and we thought we'd try her on two weaners (a fellow herper said to try, so we thought we'd give it a go). She took both within the space of about ten minutes. She was still looking for more at this point, but we thought we'd leave her to digest the two. 

Next day (sunday) we opened the enclosure just to check on her, and to redo her water, when she exhibited the 'hungry' behaviours again. We ended up giving her another weaner, which she took quickly. She has pooped since, and when I was checking her enclosure (and cleaning it out) she showed the 'hungry' behaviour again. So I gave her two weaners, which she took within a few minutes. 

Should I not feed her when she exhibits the behaviour, or should I feed her to a schedule, or should I feed her as long as she is not vomiting them up, and is peeing/pooing naturally, and behaving normal other than appetite? 

She's a fairly thin snake, and is at about 60cm now. I've always wondered at the thinness of her, as I have seen other animals of her size and species much bigger, which is why I'm so confused about the feeding thing. 

This seemed to be the right thread, as someone told me I was overfeeding her. This has only happened this past week- its not like I've been doing it since we got her. 

Advice?


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## Sdaji (Apr 21, 2006)

Age, size, type of food (I assume when you say 'weaner', you're talking about mice), etc etc etc.


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 21, 2006)

Unsure of her age- she was wild caught. 

She's approx 60cms long. She's approx an inch round with a full belly. 

And yes, she's on weaner mice.


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## Sdaji (Apr 21, 2006)

How long have you had her, etc etc. The more information you give, the more able people are to give advice. Has she lost weight while you've had her? Gained? Stayed about the same? Grown in length? Snakes are inherently 'skinny', so it's difficult to picture what yours looks like. What is a 'skinny' snake to one person is fat to another, and vice versa. Pictures would be handy. One weaner mouse per week sounds fairly reasonable for a 60cm Children's Python. It's worth keeping in mind that what people call 'weaner' mice varies between about 5 and 18 grams.


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## whatsup (Apr 21, 2006)

when you "power feed" a snake as such,do you up the temps much?i've heard of people "power feeding" and keeping the snakes on a higher temp to get the maximum growth rate out of them.

cheers dave


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 21, 2006)

We've had her since Feb 11th 2006. Her chart from the dealer says they had her at 12.10.05, and she was 48grams. She was feeding every two weeks or so with them. Once or twice she took two fuzzy mice. (Aren't weaners/fuzzy mice the same thing?)

She's stayed the same weight, but grown in length. 

Heres a recent pic - just before she shed. Its the only recent one I have. I will take some with her in a measuring box once she's digested the mice. 






I've no idea how much the weaners weigh, they are all about the same weight, and length.


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## Sdaji (Apr 21, 2006)

It's very difficult to tell for sure from the picture, but she looks like she'd be larger than 60cm and doesn't look skinny (it's difficult to tell with most of the body covered up  ) Fuzzies are smaller than weaners (a fuzzy is starting to grow/has just grown its fur, a weaner is weaned) the terminology isn't great and is usually used badly. It's best to describe them by weight, but few people seem to want to. You've only had her for about two months, so I wouldn't be expecting her to have changed all that much. How much has she grown? (1cm, 10cm?).


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 21, 2006)

about 3-5cm or so. 

What can I say- she loves to snuggle into my shirt- I'll get a better pic once she's finished her meal, and in a measuring box.  

Will also find out what weight the mice are that we have- I'll ask our supplier.


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## AntaresiaLady (Apr 21, 2006)

She's also shed twice since she's been here.


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## zulu (Apr 21, 2006)

*re Overfeeding*

Ive read some of this thread,sadjis certainly a whizz with the waterpythons,heres a pic of the 14 month NT bhp with the male,hadnt fed her for a month and shes been mating lately after she sloughed a week ago.Looked interested in a mouse so she was hungry and got a big feed of chicken necks,i can get chicks easy but they have too much yolk.Yeh the cage is dodgey but very effective,its a cocktail cabinet and the petition for the draws has rough holes drilled so they can go in and its cool all year.


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## olivehydra (Apr 21, 2006)

I have powerfed in the past. I had an olive feeding large meals from egg to 4 yrs. Feeding once sometimes twice every week with mutton bird oil injected into prey. Grew very fast and was way over 7ft within a year and 9ft just after 2 years. Small head did result. 7 years on and after a strict diet has resulted in a "normal" example of a captive python. The "control" in the experiment (an olive 0ne month younger) grew slower but is now longer but the same weight as the "accelerated" female. I also do not recommend this, but was curious all the same. Both are now fed once "everywhenifeellikeit" (3 -10 weeks).


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## Tristis (Apr 21, 2006)

ive seen yearling BHP at 8 foot, with normal sized heads. every one talks about power feeding pythons what about monitors ive seen hatcling grow and lay eggs in 6 months of hatching any one care to comment


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## zulu (Apr 21, 2006)

*Overfeeding*

Yeh tristis if you crammed a bhp and kept it warm it would get up to eight feet especially the QLD ones,the one i have pictured hasnt always ben crammed and is about 6 ft 3 when it digests the food it looks pretty normal.
In regards to little monitors tristan ive heard they can be bred quickly but have no experience of it myself.


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## aussiesnakelover (Apr 21, 2006)

A.L. can i ask who you got your childrens from?


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## cuddlykylie (May 10, 2006)

shes gorgous though, i'll buy her if you don't want it no more


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## NinaPeas (May 10, 2006)

NinaPeas said:


> I just don't think it's natural to feed a snake 4 or 5 times a week! I doubt they would get that much food in the wild, unless they fell into a wheat silo during a plague. Nope, once a week is fine for my snake. Considering it doesn't move around as much as in the wild.



IMO IMO!

And mine aren't thermostat controlled hehe


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## craig.a.c (May 10, 2006)

I don't see why people feed their snakes so much. If it's just to make them grow faster so that you can have a big snake, then go buy a big snake. My snakes get fed every 2-3 weeks, they are very healthy and have nice muscle tone (just look at my thread "just a few pics"). I have read and been told that by over feeding them, there internal organs don't grow as fast as the body and causes problems. IMO, overfeeding/powerfeeding just puts them in an early grave. Just my two cents worth.


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## NinaPeas (May 10, 2006)

I agree


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## waruikazi (May 10, 2006)

There's power feeding and then there's over feeding. Two different things IMO. Over feeding is bad, power feeding i think is open to debate.


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## AntaresiaLady (May 10, 2006)

Aussie Snake Lover - She's a Stimsons  

Did you pm me about her?


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## C'baoth (May 10, 2006)

I wouldn't want to be the farmer breeding the food for this baby


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## C'baoth (May 10, 2006)

Sorry about the file size hope no ones on dial up .


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## Rennie (May 10, 2006)

Those shots have been around for a while, quite impressive though.
There's a couple of stories that go with them, I've heard that it is a Scrub Python on a sheep farm in Australia and also that it is an African Rock Python (in Africa somewhere obviously)
I've also seen a third photo from that set (supposedly) where they cut it open to find a fully grown impala in the stomach. :shock:


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## AntaresiaLady (May 10, 2006)

Its last meal was also supposedly one of them small hippo type animals...Starts with a K I think...

Another urban myth. But you're right- breeding the food for that one would be a task n a half!


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## Rennie (May 10, 2006)

I think it was an impala


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## C'baoth (May 10, 2006)

The first is the story I heard & in that story the snake lived so I'm just gunna take that as gospel . I don't want it to die .


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## Rennie (May 10, 2006)

I think its an electric fence its caught on sorry :cry:


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## C'baoth (May 10, 2006)

At any rate I don't over feed my pythons . 
I feed them eratically sometimes twice a week then I'll let them go for a few weeks without . 
Last thing i want them to think is that they're gunna get fed everytime i get them out .


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## cuddlykylie (May 11, 2006)

i have a 2.4 year old atherton jungle python, are you only meant to feed him one mouse/rat per feed, just curious cause i fed him last nite and he was looking around for more
kylie


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## Mangles (May 11, 2006)

Depends on the size of the snake and the size of the rat/mouse you are feeding.


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## waruikazi (May 11, 2006)

2.4 year old atherton should be around 3.5 to 5 foot, should be eating small to adult rats depending on where it is on the scale. If it were my snake i would be feeding once a week.


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## cuddlykylie (May 11, 2006)

yeah i;m feeding once a week it's just i fed him an adult mouse and he ate so fast and then he was looking for more
kylie


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## waruikazi (May 12, 2006)

It should be eating something approximately 1.5 times its girth at the thickest point of the snake.


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## jeramie85 (May 12, 2006)

this topic has been rather interesting so far


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## NSavage (May 16, 2006)

I've been feeding my yearling coastal small adult mice. The coastal is approximately 80cms long and i recently started feeding her 2 mice per feed. Thing is i fed it one mouse 2 days ago and another tonight and it's still looking for more food! Should i feed her again? i don;t know if that would be a good idea she looks absolutely chockers at the moment lol. What would everyone else do?


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## pythoness (May 16, 2006)

your yearling coastal would easily eat juvi rats. i have a 15 month old coastal and she can eat a half grown juvi rat with ease.


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## snakedance (May 16, 2006)

how much would you sell the bredli for???


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## NSavage (May 16, 2006)

pythoness said:


> your yearling coastal would easily eat juvi rats. i have a 15 month old coastal and she can eat a half grown juvi rat with ease.



How bigs a juvi rat? I've heard that changing to rats can be a problem as the snake wont take the rat. Has anyone had similar?


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## Mangles (May 16, 2006)

I have herad some people say they have had problems, but with all of mine there has been no problem whatsoever. The snakes took the rate exactly the same as they were the mice.

Would depend on the snake, and if it does have trouble you may have to scent the rat with a mouse just to get them started.


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## raptor (May 16, 2006)

Sdaji said:


> This snake hatched in January 2005, this picture was taken in June 2005 (the snake was five and one half months old).
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No Flame here, How often and what were you feeding to obtain this rate of growth with seemingly health issues? I am very interested, pm or catch me in chat if you dont want to post.
Cheers
Jo & Chilli


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## Sdaji (May 16, 2006)

I was feeding her mice at first, up until she was eating 2 or three per feed (about 5 times per week at that stage). She has only ever eaten thawed food, almost always it's thawed dry, the wet rat in the picture was one of about five or ten feeds she has had thawed in water. What do you mean by 'seemingly health issues'? 

I took some pictures of her a couple of weeks ago, I was going to post them, but decided against it after I saw the direction of the thread and then heard rumours that I was feeding _all_ my snakes as much as this one! :shock: Heh, ya just gotta love herp gossip  Currently, she is actually quite slender considering the amount of food she has been given, and not surprisingly has grown a bit since the posted pictures were taken.

Zo: I had a carpet comfortably eating adult rats at ten months of age, without pushing it all that hard. I know of one which was eating two adult rats (about 400-500 grams) per week, about weekly, at one year of age. That bredli of mine would sometimes get two adults at around one year of age, and would probably have eaten six adults if I let her.


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## reptilemart (May 16, 2006)

raptor said:


> Sdaji said:
> 
> 
> > This snake hatched in January 2005, this picture was taken in June 2005 (the snake was five and one half months old).
> ...



I think if you search earlier in this thread sdaji stated that he fed it around 4-5 times per week.


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## kwaka_80 (May 17, 2006)

Rennie said:


> I think its an electric fence its caught on sorry :cry:



couldnt be eletrick look at the metal stakes , electricity and metal dont mix


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## waruikazi (May 17, 2006)

The electric fence is just behind the snake and the back half of it is stuck underneath it.


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## Rennie (May 17, 2006)

kwaka_80 said:


> Rennie said:
> 
> 
> > I think its an electric fence its caught on sorry :cry:
> ...



Actually they mix very well, most metal conducts it quite well :lol: 
If you look close there are little plastic thingies holding the wires to the stakes.


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## RustyShadow (May 17, 2006)

little thingies being insulators so that the electricity flows only along the wire, not the stake


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## Rennie (May 17, 2006)

I thought it was something like that, obviously I'm not a sparkie or there would be a serious cause for concern :lol:


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## cuddlykylie (May 19, 2006)

mines not overfed, but this pic was taken a day after i got him and i thought it was awesome


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## cuddlykylie (May 23, 2006)

cool hey


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## fishead (May 23, 2006)

Sdaj that's the most magnificent mullet I'v ever seen!!!


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## Fuscus (May 23, 2006)

coastal


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## DrOsteo (May 23, 2006)

what did you feed it???


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## waruikazi (May 24, 2006)

Maybe it's not a bad idea to let your cats out  hehehe :lol:


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