Oz Geo

[Fuscus]

The current Australian Geographic (apl-jun 04) has an interesting article on Water pythons at Fogg Dam.
You can read the first few paragraphs here
http://editorial.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/index_journal.aspx?ID=31
lots of good photos in the mag (not on the web site) including one that appears to be mainly yellow.

But the most interesting part to ALL python keepers was when they were talking about good and bad years and I quote

"It's called the silver-spoon effect. In good years, all of the bite-sized rats running around guarantee that the lucky baby serpents will grow quickly that year and beyond. But if a python hatchs out in a bad year, when there isn't much to eat, it is doubly cursed - not only will it grow slowly that year, but it will continue to do so for the rest of its life.
The conditions a baby python experences in the first six months of its life causes something to switch on in its body that makes it store energy as fat instead of using it to grow."

Definatly something to think about.

 

[Simon_Archibald]

I read that article at the doctor's surgery about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Very interesting stuff indeed.

Simon Archibald

 

[instar]

yes intresting. wouldnt most captive hatchies have optimal conditions/food though.?

 

[Fuscus]

yes intresting. wouldnt most captive hatchies have optimal conditions/food though.?

good point, but what about the ones who are slow to start feeding?

 

[africancichlidau]

Well I have always thought that the slow starters don't obtain the full potential for their species if they go TOO long without food. The question is how long is too long?
I think if you get them going in the first 2 to 3 months they are fine but any longer and it's a bit of a grey area. JMO

 

[instar]

Might be fine line between optimal and overdone. Ive read of herpers in america, giving hatchling snakes all manner of growth hormones and stuff aswell as bulk feeding to optimise growth to breeding etc. you can only do your best to get a captive feeding at an aceptable rate.
have studies on captive hatchies/growth been done over a few years? what are the pos/negs of standard hatchy feeding?

 

[earthmother]

I read an article on the glut of buffalo in the Northern Territory years ago and that led to the crocodiles of that generation to be huge. Like the "Wyndham Croc".

As well as the larger Amethyst Pythons found, by Worrell in the 1st place, in 1 region that is fairly remote and probably had an abundant wildlife population to support them.
velly intellesting/
Em

 

[Incredible_Reptiles]

Adam here. I agree totally. I have a stimpsoni that is 2 years old and is only 40 grams, she is my difficult feeder that only eats live rat pups and has done for the last 18 months. She only eats a rat pup every 2 or 3 months and is not growing very fast at all. I honestly cab't see the day when she will ever breed for me. So afro I agree about the 3 months or so cause they still use the egg sac.BUT after that it is a grey area indeed, and IMO I think once they are stunted beyond the first 6 months of their life, then they will always be a smaller snake. I have her brother as well from the same clutch so I have a good comparison to go on.He is about 160 grams and eats day old chickens,speaking of which he is the one who had a swolloen jaw and is now on .01 ml of baytril daily and responding well, he must have torn his gum, cause it got infected and swollen again, but I have been treating for one week with REALLY good results. He also reieved one eight of a stomorgyl tablet crushed into 3 mls of saline and he responded instantly to the treatment.

 

[Fuscus]

As far as the wild WPs go, its not just the first 3 months. If they are born in a bad season then food is scarce until next season.

 

[Adam]

This is true Fuscy. I think that would apply to any animal that is born in a bad season. For instance if a cow gives birth in a drought then the baby cannot get enough milk cause the mum can't eat enough grass, and if a Diamond is born in a bad season then that means that the food source for them will aslo be insufficient untill next season when there is enough grass and grain to feed the cows and young the same as it for the rats and feeding their young. ( you know what I mean) But in captivity, the snake that are difficult to feed for the first year would probably die in the wild, as we all know ( well us smart enough to know) There is not a very high survival rate of wild born snakes or any herp for that matter.So the difficult feeders should be culled by us instead of maintaining them on force feeding and doing what we can???????Like feeding live prey?? I think the sensible answer is no. Sorry Fuscy, went off track there for a minute. What I meant to say is, I think once stunted, always stunted.