What do you feed your Spotted python?

[Serpent_Gazeux]

As the title says.

My mac is two and half years old and 95cm long. The reptile bloke that I buy my rats off tells me hopper rats are the way to go for now. However, I've just read on Dolittle farm that rats aren't advised for macs but small quail are, so the point of all this is do any of you mac owners feed your python small quail?

 

[stimigex]

What a load of BS, Antaresia along with all other snake do very well on rodents (rats/mice)

 

[The_Geeza]

I have a stimi same age alittle over 1m and he eats the occassional mouse...(very fussy) but hammers 2 week old Quail or Day Old Chickens...right pain to feed lol........it advisable to get them to still eat the odd rat or mouse

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But my 2 Hatchies this yr r now eating machines and they will take whatever is on offer

 

[Serpent_Gazeux]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I might try him/her on a quail tomorrow and then maybe start a quail/chicken and rat rotion.

 

[Xeaal]

I have never fed my spotted python any quails, but every week she enjoys one hopper rat very happily.

 

[Miss-Mac]

I moved my Spotted onto quails this year from mice. The beak and feet get cut off, sometimes the wings too(She likes to eat backwards sometimes, lol) But since the change her shedding has become a whole lot better, less retained and broken up. She is 2-ish and roughly the length of my forearm+hand (maybe a little smaller, I haven't measured her).

Good luck with the change!

 

[cathy1986]

Quail are great and really good for snakes

Cathy

 

[Grogshla]

I feed hopper mice or fuzzy rats for the time being. Never fed quail. Not going to bother when the snake smashes his rodents.

 

[Serpent_Gazeux]

I moved my Spotted onto quails this year from mice. The beak and feet get cut off, sometimes the wings too(She likes to eat backwards sometimes, lol) But since the change her shedding has become a whole lot better, less retained and broken up. She is 2-ish and roughly the length of my forearm+hand (maybe a little smaller, I haven't measured her).

Good luck with the change!

Quail are great and really good for snakes

Cathy

Sounds very promising.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Xeaal]

Is there a particular nutritional benefit to feeding quails?

 

[cement]

I have a group of 6 year old spotteds that breed perfectly, very healthy, fed on rats only.

 

[Serpent_Gazeux]

Apologies if I've rubbed anyone the wrong way I'm really just curious at the different foods people feed their macs.

 

[saintanger]

my spotted has only ever eaten rats/ mice. and he is very healthy and sheds very well. never refused a feed.

 

[cement]

No apologies necessary mate, macs are probably the most bullet proof aussie snake you can keep. They can handle a bit of dud husbandry, and though you can get the odd fussy feeder, they generally are feeding machines. In fact some of the feed responses from macs, pound for pound would probably top some of the bigger species.
Another great thing about them is that if they are kept a bit on the cool side they will go off feeding, so generally with maculosa, if it aint feeding its probably being kept to cool or its gravid. Great beginner snakes.

 

[Miss-Mac]

Apologies if I've rubbed anyone the wrong way I'm really just curious at the different foods people feed their macs.

I don't think you've rubbed anyone. It's more or less personal preference to what you want to feed. I've found what works for my little girl, but something else will work for others.

 

[Rob]

Apologies if I've rubbed anyone the wrong way I'm really just curious at the different foods people feed their macs.

No need to apologise. You asked for opinions and you got them, some good ones, too.

FWIW, my (almost) 1yo Childreni has been on fuzzy rats for a while now, though she will be moving up to hoppers soon.

 

[Xeaal]

Discussing with other people who own the same type of snake is how we all learn. It's great to get different points of view and hear about other people's experiences.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

I have always fed my 2 macs rats and occasionally mice..... mine are about 3 yo and chug down 65g rats.... 2-3 per feed (the snakes weigh 785g and 525g)..... the rats look way too big for them, but they vaccuum them up like little hoovers :lol:

I once or twice fed them day old chooks, but it seemed alot harder for them to get them 'right way round' to eat..... was frustrating to watch funny tho,it looked like they were trying to snort a pom-pom:lol: but the main reason I dont feed birds to my pythons anymore, is that it made thier poop steeeeeenk! Baaaaaaaaaaad! What a PONG! Also, I found day old chooks had less weight more volume (all feathers wings and feet) I would rather (personal opinion) continue feeding my 2 macs rats and would advise you to do the same

Whatever you have read regarding not feeding macs rodents is very wrong in my opinion..... macs will do well on anything really, well, mine do absolutely fine on rodents...... I would say tho, up the size, unless your snake has an unusually small gob, hoppers sound a wee bit small..... Mine eat rats easily, that are 4 times the size of the snakes head

 

[Miss-Mac]

I once or twice fed them day old chooks, but it seemed alot harder for them to get them 'right way round' to eat..... was frustrating to watch funny tho,it looked like they were trying to snort a pom-pom:lol: but the main reason I dont feed birds to my pythons anymore, is that it made thier poop steeeeeenk! Baaaaaaaaaaad! What a PONG!

I've also noticed they do spend some time trying to figure which end to eat and it looks quite awkward though I find it quite amusing! Oh the poop, it's quite bad (I thought it had quite the smell when she was on mice too though) but also when you thaw the quail out it smells worse!

 

[fourexes]

Agreed, just to add:

I haven't had my mac all that long though I've only fed him one rat and he's refused three. He now enjoys adult mice and quail and never turned either down even with occasional difficult angles & reverse feeds, he's even eaten a young quail sideways. He is 6 years old and on the tubby side weighing 1 kilo even with nothing in his guts.
I believe (disclaimer: personal opinion everyone!) that adult mice are probably going to be more loaded than juvenile rats with more developed organs, allbeit smaller, making up with quantity. If there was any chance I thought my mac would look at any adult rat in the rest of his time I would consider it but I'll worry about that when I get there and to be honest I don't think I will. But that's just how I feel at this level of experience. Open for discussion.

I will also add just in reference to something that was mentioned earlier, that when I got my mac he still had spots of retained skin & evidence of a troubled shed. Since he's been with me and eating quail, weather it be good husbandry or the quail he sheds perfectly now in a low humidity environment. The oil in the birds could be a factor in this but I really have no scientific explanation.

Just to add some colour:


Also slightly off topic but I got my water python onto rats early and he struggled. I feed him multiple mice now and he seems to cope better. I try to throw a bit of rat in the diet though just to ease the transition later on. keeping in mind he's only just coming up to yearling stage.
The point is I'm sure I've read that multiple smaller items of prey are better for the digestive system of the snake because allows for more surface contact with acids etc. I think it comes down to the individual snakes size & capabilities.