How often should a one year old 4 foot long retic eat

[KyleKennedy]

Is a jumbo rat a week okay or every two weeks?

[IW17]

Jumbo rat is too big for a four foot retic. More appropriate would be a weaned/small rat weekly.

[KyleKennedy]

Jumbo rat is too big for a four foot retic. More appropriate would be a weaned/small rat weekly.

I fed him a jumbo last night. Took him about an hour to swallow it, but he did. Weaned/small rats are way too small. I am thinking he can already take small bunnies.

[KyleKennedy]

Here he is after taking a jumbo. He looks dead, but he's not.

[KyleKennedy]

During the process of swallowing it

[that1guy]

Wow, that is way too big of a meal for that little guy. I don't understand how you can't tell that. I mean just from looking at that picture the snake is stretched to it's limit. I agree it should be eating a small, or possibly medium at the maximum, rat once every 7 days. Just because a snake can force huge prey down doesn't mean you should feed them huge prey. After that large of a meal I wouldn't feed it for at least a month. Over feeding them huge prey items week after week to force them to grow faster is unhealthy for the snake.

[CosmicOwl]

In another thread, you said that you fed a ball python a jumbo rat which it hadn't digested in a week. Now you ask if a jumbo rat is too big for your retic, and then ignore the advice of a poster and feed your snake a clearly oversized rat. On top of that, you make the worrying statement that think you can push the snake further.

This isn't a competition. There is no reason to stress your snakes out by feeding them massive meals.

[SnoopySnake]

Yeah that is wayyy too big, especially taking that long to eat it...if small rats are really too small then try mediums... I don't understand the whole deal with feeding them the biggest they can eat, its completely unnecessary, unhealthy and added stress...

[EL Ziggy]

I have to concur. That's obviously too large of a meal for the snake. You really should heed the advice you've received and dial back the prey size.

[jossh27]

The first picture reminds me of my brother after Christmas dinner.... Except this time he ate the entire turkey

[Albert Clark]

Yeah Kyle, too big for him now at his size. Maybe in the wild that would be the norm but try to go with mediums for now. You can always increase the frequency of the meals.

[RAD House]

I hate to say it but I think the best thing for you and your uncles snakes are for them to be sold to someone who can properly care for them. One of the most basic and agreed upon pieces of information in this hobby is that you should not feed an animal that is more than 1.5 times wider than the snake at its widest part. You either ignore this information, did not bother to do any research, or just don't care. I can't shake the feeling your are going to kill your snakes with all the issues you are having. I can't understand how you think getting more snakes is a good idea if you have not gotten the hang of the care of the ones you already own? Also you should refrain from giving advice to others until your own situation is fully under control and you have a better understanding of snakes in general.

[eminart]

That's too big.

Just because a snake CAN eat something that large, doesn't mean it should. Snakes in the wild eat whatever they can, because they don't usually get too many opportunities. Getting a huge meal may be risky, but it's better than the alternative of starving to death. In captivity, we can provide optimum conditions and food. No need to take any chances or push the limits.

[KyleKennedy]

I hate to say it but I think the best thing for you and your uncles snakes are for them to be sold to someone who can properly care for them. One of the most basic and agreed upon pieces of information in this hobby is that you should not feed an animal that is more than 1.5 times wider than the snake at its widest part. You either ignore this information, did not bother to do any research, or just don't care. I can't shake the feeling your are going to kill your snakes with all the issues you are having. I can't understand how you think getting more snakes is a good idea if you have not gotten the hang of the care of the ones you already own? Also you should refrain from giving advice to others until your own situation is fully under control and you have a better understanding of snakes in general.


I do know how to properly care for snakes. I love my snakes, and they get fed well. Sometimes they eat better than I do. So what if this snake ate a jumbo. Hes' already pushing 4 feet. He isn't a baby.

[Minkness]

Seeing as how they get over 16 feet....4 feet IS a baby. =/

[Mikoh4792]

A jumbo rat for a 4 foot retic is not "too" big, but it most certainly is for a 2.5 foot ball python. Most snakes will eat what they can because they are opportunistic feeders and they don't know when their next meal will be. In captivity there is no reason to push their limits. I would advise feeding smaller meals from now on.

Could you post full body pictures of both the retic and ball python? I would like to see the size of the lumps the rats have left in their bodies.

[KyleKennedy]

Seeing as how they get over 16 feet....4 feet IS a baby. =/

He is almost a year old. Pretty much a juvenile.

[KyleKennedy]

A jumbo rat for a 4 foot retic is not "too" big, but it most certainly is for a 2.5 foot ball python. Most snakes will eat what they can because they are opportunistic feeders and they don't know when their next meal will be. In captivity there is no reason to push their limits. I would advise feeding smaller meals from now on.

Could you post full body pictures of both the retic and ball python? I would like to see the size of the lumps the rats have left in their bodies.

My uncle doesn't have the ball python anymore. He traded it for a baby iguana. I will post pics tho of the retic later after work.

[Mikoh4792]

My uncle doesn't have the ball python anymore. He traded it for a baby iguana. I will post pics tho of the retic later after work.

Was it done digesting the rat?

[KyleKennedy]

Was it done digesting the rat?

Somewhat. Not 100 percent fully digested.

[CosmicOwl]

A jumbo rat for a 4 foot retic is not "too" big, but it most certainly is for a 2.5 foot ball python. Most snakes will eat what they can because they are opportunistic feeders and they don't know when their next meal will be. In captivity there is no reason to push their limits. I would advise feeding smaller meals from now on.

Could you post full body pictures of both the retic and ball python? I would like to see the size of the lumps the rats have left in their bodies.

It's not too big in the sense that it would outright kill the snake but it's not healthy to stress a snake by feeding prey items that push the limits of what it can handle. Just because a snake can eat something doesn't mean it should. A prey item that takes an hour to consume is unreasonably large. I'd say that the bigger issue here is that the OP asked for advice and when they didn't hear what they wanted to, they went ahead anyway.

[Mikoh4792]

It's not too big in the sense that it would outright kill the snake but it's not healthy to stress a snake by feeding prey items that push the limits of what it can handle. Just because a snake can eat something doesn't mean it should..

That was my point, and why I put the word "too" in quotations.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Yeah I'd be saving the jumbos for 6' retics...a jumbo rat would be too big for a 6' boa constrictor (I have a 6' BCI and he gets large rats atm so that's the closest I have to compare which is why I included the boa constrictor bit), but if I'm not mistaken a 6' retic should be able to take jumbo rats?

A large meal like that should be ok for an occasional treat, but I would by no means be giving that size of meal regularly, as others have said, it would put too much strain on their system eating that big of meals regularly.

[KyleKennedy]

Yeah I'd be saving the jumbos for 6' retics...a jumbo rat would be too big for a 6' boa constrictor (I have a 6' BCI and he gets large rats atm so that's the closest I have to compare which is why I included the boa constrictor bit), but if I'm not mistaken a 6' retic should be able to take jumbo rats?

A large meal like that should be ok for an occasional treat, but I would by no means be giving that size of meal regularly, as others have said, it would put too much strain on their system eating that big of meals regularly.

Well if it's not going to kill the snake by giving him large rats, then what is the problem? He is not obese or anything. He is healthy and active. I want him to reach maximum size which is also why I feed him large rats. A well fed snake that continues to grow at a rapid pace is the sign of a healthy snake. What do you mean a jumbo rat is too big for a 6 foot boa? I have a 6 foot red tail that proudly takes 2 jumbos during feeding time.

[KyleKennedy]

The first picture reminds me of my brother after Christmas dinner.... Except this time he ate the entire turkey

LOL that's funny

[serpentgirl123]

I agree with everything that has been commented so far. Also there is the danger of possible regurge (some people take it too lightly in my opinion) and obesity. Not too long ago, I was dealing with some one who weekly fed their 2yr old boa xl rats and needless to say the boa was far from being healthy and ended up dying not too long later. My motto has always been slower, steady, and healthy sized meals=healthy snakes=healthier breeders (haven't gotten there yet).

[Mikoh4792]

Well if it's not going to kill the snake by giving him large rats, then what is the problem? He is not obese or anything. He is healthy and active. I want him to reach maximum size which is also why I feed him large rats. A well fed snake that continues to grow at a rapid pace is the sign of a healthy snake. What do you mean a jumbo rat is too big for a 6 foot boa? I have a 6 foot red tail that proudly takes 2 jumbos during feeding time.

It doesn't need to kill him in one go to be bad for him. Eating a meal filled with preservatives and high sodium won't kill you that day, but the damage being done builds up over time. It's just a point of causing undue stress on the system.

But anyways, I think it's too early to say this meal is too large for him. We will need to see how big that lump is before going any further.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Well if it's not going to kill the snake by giving him large rats, then what is the problem? He is not obese or anything. He is healthy and active. I want him to reach maximum size which is also why I feed him large rats. A well fed snake that continues to grow at a rapid pace is the sign of a healthy snake. What do you mean a jumbo rat is too big for a 6 foot boa? I have a 6 foot red tail that proudly takes 2 jumbos during feeding time.

No, growing rapidly IS NOT A HEALTHY SNAKE. It is a snake that is being OVERFED, and power-feeding them LOWERS THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY.

You may want a max-sized snake, but power-feeding does not give you a bigger snake, just a bigger snake SOONER. Imo you need to be more responsible and do what's right for the snake. Feed it properly so you will have a long-lived and healthy snake. Back off on the food.

How on earth...? 2 jumbos? For a 6' boa constrictor? You do realize that boa constrictors have very delicate digestive systems compared to any python right? They are VERY prone to fatty liver disease, and will die quickly. They really cannot handle fat very well. You shouldn't be feeding one jumbo let alone 2 to your boa...An adult boa constrictor should be eating something that leaves NO BULGE ONCE A MONTH.

My 6' boa couldn't even physically get a jumbo down, I've tried. Maybe a thicker boa of his size could, but mine personally could not get a jumbo down even if he wanted to (and believe me, he would).

You are going to kill all your snakes feeding them like this. Everyone in this thread is telling you to back off, you should be listening.

[KyleKennedy]

No, growing rapidly IS NOT A HEALTHY SNAKE. It is a snake that is being OVERFED, and power-feeding them LOWERS THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY.

You may want a max-sized snake, but power-feeding does not give you a bigger snake, just a bigger snake SOONER. Imo you need to be more responsible and do what's right for the snake. Feed it properly so you will have a long-lived and healthy snake. Back off on the food.

How on earth...? 2 jumbos? For a 6' boa constrictor? You do realize that boa constrictors have very delicate digestive systems compared to any python right? They are VERY prone to fatty liver disease, and will die quickly. They really cannot handle fat very well. You shouldn't be feeding one jumbo let alone 2 to your boa...An adult boa constrictor should be eating something that leaves NO BULGE ONCE A MONTH.

My 6' boa couldn't even physically get a jumbo down, I've tried. Maybe a thicker boa of his size could, but mine personally could not get a jumbo down even if he wanted to (and believe me, he would).

You are going to kill all your snakes feeding them like this. Everyone in this thread is telling you to back off, you should be listening.

So a boa that eats just once a month is healthy? My boa eats 6 jumbos a month and she is healthy and thick as around as lightpost.

[bigsnakegirl785]

So a boa that eats just once a month is healthy? My boa eats 6 jumbos a month and she is healthy and thick as around as lightpost.

A lightpost????? Is that accurate, like literally as big around as a lightpost? It has a 2'-3' diameter? My 6' BCI is as big around as my arm, maybe 8" in diameter. Could you post pictures? If your boa is seriously that big around at that length it sounds obese. Is there any scale separation? Rings in the tail? Can you feel hard knots down it's sides, etc.?

And yes, he eats every 4-5 weeks and is hard as a rock muscular, very healthy.

[CosmicOwl]

Well if it's not going to kill the snake by giving him large rats, then what is the problem? He is not obese or anything. He is healthy and active. I want him to reach maximum size which is also why I feed him large rats. A well fed snake that continues to grow at a rapid pace is the sign of a healthy snake. What do you mean a jumbo rat is too big for a 6 foot boa? I have a 6 foot red tail that proudly takes 2 jumbos during feeding time.

You're putting your obsession ahead of your snakes well being.

[serpentgirl123]

I am beginning to wonder if KyleKennedy really wants advice or just to argue/be confrontational. It is obvious to me reading through this and other threads he has started that he doesn't seem to want to take any advice that has been freely given by those who have had more experience taking care of retics and other reptiles. I worry about the health and safety of his animals if what he is posting is true.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I am beginning to wonder if KyleKennedy really wants advice or just to argue/be confrontational. It is obvious to me reading through this and other threads he has started that he doesn't seem to want to take any advice that has been freely given by those who have had more experience taking care of retics and other reptiles. I worry about the health and safety of his animals if what he is posting is true.

You and probably most everyone else in this thread...everything he's said so far has my jaw dropping to the floor, I never thought anyone would think the way he's feeding (and has fed) his animals would be ok.

Sure, one or two big meals like the one he gave his retic is ok, shouldn't hurt it, but it shouldn't be getting meals like that every 7 days. His little 2.5' ball python shouldn't have even gotten one, period, ever. I'd be seriously worried of internal damage popping up in the future, the rat had to be nearly as big as the snake.

[CosmicOwl]

You and probably most everyone else in this thread...everything he's said so far has my jaw dropping to the floor, I never thought anyone would think the way he's feeding (and has fed) his animals would be ok.

Sure, one or two big meals like the one he gave his retic is ok, shouldn't hurt it, but it shouldn't be getting meals like that every 7 days. His little 2.5' ball python shouldn't have even gotten one, period, ever. I'd be seriously worried of internal damage popping up in the future, the rat had to be nearly as big as the snake.

In another thread said that they used to feed live and had a tazer on hand to stun rats if they started biting their snake.

[Mikoh4792]

So a boa that eats just once a month is healthy? My boa eats 6 jumbos a month and she is healthy and thick as around as lightpost.

Yes, boids in general have slow metabolisms...especially as adults. Some snakes like cay caulker boas and diamond pythons only eat several meals a year as adults... and this is because of the way they evolved in their natural habitats.

I would like to see a photo of your boa, because if it's as big as you say it is I can almost gaurantee that it is obese.

[IW17]

The OP's response thus far has proven that he is either foolish, or trying to incite argument. I would also like to see a pic of the snake for size reference. Both the retic and the boa.

[RAD House]

I do know how to properly care for snakes. I love my snakes, and they get fed well. Sometimes they eat better than I do. So what if this snake ate a jumbo. Hes' already pushing 4 feet. He isn't a baby.

The only thing you have proven since being on this site is that you clearly have no idea how to properly care for your snakes. If you truly do "love" your snakes you need to swallow your pride and either take the advice given or sell the poor things. As you should be able to tell from nearly all the responses your idea of a healthy snake is completely misguided.

[prairiepanda]

That first picture of the retic swallowing that rat almost made me cry :( Poor little guy...why are you so impatient for him to reach full size? Retics grow crazy fast even without powerfeeding...

Like everyone else here, I'm very worried about the health of your snakes. Huge does not mean healthy. Have you got pictures of both the boa and retic so we can see their overall size?

[KyleKennedy]

one day after taking a jumbo. Looking nice and healthy

[KyleKennedy]

My 6 foot boa taking down a rabbit with ease

[SMSreptiles]

Did I read a 6 foot boa is thick around as a lightpost. I am sorry to say that is a obese snake. And why do you want them to grow fast? What is the purpose?

[RAD House]

You are not getting it. Just because they can take it does not mean they should. That is how the retic should look just after eating the prey not after an entire day of digesting it. One and a half times bigger! You can eat a whole pizza every night if you wanted to, but should you? As for the boa I am have no idea how you should be feeding it, but the consensus is you are over feeding it. Snakes are evolutionarily programed to take what they are given because in the wild they may only get a meal once a month. In captivity they owner is responsible for feeding in the interest of the snakes health. You frankly are not doing this, but are over feeding for selfish reasons.

[sirtalis]

I do know how to properly care for snakes. I love my snakes, and they get fed well. Sometimes they eat better than I do. So what if this snake ate a jumbo. Hes' already pushing 4 feet. He isn't a baby.

but you just fed a 4 ft snake a jumbo rat...
I always have read that a meal should cause a slight bulge, it shouldn't make the snake look like it will explode any minute.

[sirtalis]

That rabbit looks too big, and that boa looks obese. I don't even know if a 6 foot boa should eat a jumbo rat every week, let alone 2 rabbits per meal

[CosmicOwl]

Both snakes look obese. You can see the fat deposits building up near the retics tail.

[serpentgirl123]

Again, I agree with the comments here. I feel so sad for the animals in your care. They are the only ones that are suffering at this moment and I fear they will meet with a grim and early death if you don't change what you are doing and fast. That rabbit is WAY too big for that boa. I wouldn't even feed 1 of those to my adult male who is over 8ft and surely not at the frequency as you claim to be feeding. A 2-3lb rabbit was more than enough for my boa every 3 months and I had to switch him back to rats because I could see he was getting too fat after 6 months. THAT is what a responsible owner who cares for the pets in their care would do, put the animal FIRST. Not their own selfish desires and wishes.

It is my opinion that you have wasted everyones' time here by starting this and the other threads as it is clear to me you have no clue what you are doing nor do you seem to care about the health and well being of the animals in your "care."

[eminart]

So a boa that eats just once a month is healthy? My boa eats 6 jumbos a month and she is healthy and thick as around as lightpost.


There was a time when I assumed the more you could feed a snake, the better. But, that's just not true. A LOT of snakes in captivity are OBESE. Most snakes evolved in situations where they often go very long periods of time with no food at all. Their metabolisms are designed to operate that way. They expend very little energy, and eat when the opportunity arises. In captivity, that opportunity arises frequently, in many cases. Their incredibly efficient bodies store all the excess.

A young, quickly growing snake can eat more often than adult with no ill effects. But, a boa isn't supposed to be as thick as a light post. Boas seem to be particularly prone to this. If I were you, I'd cut back on how much you're feeding her if you want her to have a long lifespan.

[REM955]

Both snakes look obese. You can see the fat deposits building up near the retics tail.

I ask for further detail.
These fat deposits are where the snakes body bulges near the tail? From the picture it appears the body slims down then expands near the back end.

[KyleKennedy]

I think it's funny how pretty much everyone here is calling me ignorant and a bad pet owner, when actually I love my animals and make sure they get taken care of. My snakes are healthy, not obese. If I was a bad owner, I wouldn't feed my snakes my at all like most people do. My snakes are smart and by now, they realize every Sunday is feeding day when I tap on their enclosure. I'm not going to feed my retic jumbos every week, but probably every 2 weeks. I usually wait until the snake defecates anyway. As for my boa, she will get 2 jumbos a week, and a rabbit once a month. She's about 6 feet and 35 pounds, but she can still move around quickly.

[KyleKennedy]

There was a time when I assumed the more you could feed a snake, the better. But, that's just not true. A LOT of snakes in captivity are OBESE. Most snakes evolved in situations where they often go very long periods of time with no food at all. Their metabolisms are designed to operate that way. They expend very little energy, and eat when the opportunity arises. In captivity, that opportunity arises frequently, in many cases. Their incredibly efficient bodies store all the excess.

A young, quickly growing snake can eat more often than adult with no ill effects. But, a boa isn't supposed to be as thick as a light post. Boas seem to be particularly prone to this. If I were you, I'd cut back on how much you're feeding her if you want her to have a long lifespan.

The boa is 14 years old. She doesn't have much years left in her anyway. In the meantime, she is going to get well fed and treated good for the remainder of her life.

[KyleKennedy]

2 Days after eating it, he is already digesting his ''way too large'' meal pretty nicely

[Mikoh4792]

I think it's funny how pretty much everyone here is calling me ignorant and a bad pet owner, when actually I love my animals and make sure they get taken care of.

You can love your snakes and be misguided at the same time. I would say you are willfully ignorant, by posing a question and then refusing advice from more knowledgeable and more experienced keepers. This could change if you would just heed the advice given.


My snakes are healthy, not obese. If I was a bad owner, I wouldn't feed my snakes my at all like most people do.

Overfeeding and underfeeding are both issues. The key is to feed appropriately.

My snakes are smart and by now, they realize every Sunday is feeding day when I tap on their enclosure. I'm not going to feed my retic jumbos every week, but probably every 2 weeks. I usually wait until the snake defecates anyway. As for my boa, she will get 2 jumbos a week, and a rabbit once a month. She's about 6 feet and 35 pounds, but she can still move around quickly.

The feeding schedule is a human construct.. Snakes are opportunistic feeders and do not know when feeding day is. They eat when there is food because they don't know when their next meal will be.

[eminart]

The boa is 14 years old. She doesn't have much years left in her anyway. In the meantime, she is going to get well fed and treated good for the remainder of her life.


The average lifespan of a BC is 20-30 years with documented cases of them living for more than 40 years. But, you're right, if she's overfed and obese, 14 years might very well be getting near the end.

[eminart]

And anyway, I don't want to be part of the lynch mob. I just think your ideas of feeding are a little skewed.

Two good books to read about boas:

Complete Boa Constrictor: A Comprehensive Guide to the Care, Breeding, and Geographic Races

Boa Constrictor Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)

[Mikoh4792]

And anyway, I don't want to be part of the lynch mob. I just think your ideas of feeding are a little skewed.

There is no lynch mob. Most of the criticisers here are being civil.

[Princess-dad]

A human child for the most part , will eat until they become ill . If a child is presented meals that are inappropriately large the child will become obese . Now I no a snake isnt a child but you like a parent of an infant you are responsible for the proper care of your charges . You were trying to feed that retic jombo's since the time it arrived . Do you not remember when every other post was help my retic wont eat , and me telling you to offer an appropriate sized meal . Well if I remember right it wouldnt eat until you quit insisting it eat something to large . Well congratulation you have achieved your goal your snake is now eating way to large a prey item . Oh by the way over feeding a child is considered at best bad parenting . I consider it child abuse . May I ask are you young and do you consider it cool being able to say how much or how big an item you can get your poor abused animals to eat . If I were you and I intended to keep abusing my animals I would quit documenting it on a public forum , before someone in animal control in your city reads your posts and investigates your abusive husbandry . Sorry ignore that last line hopefully some one will ! Its obvious that you will not stop and will keep acquiring more animals to abuse so maybe a visit is the best thing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You dont deserve animals as proven by your many posts relating the abusive way you treat your animals . Hope I didnt offend anyone other than Kyle , I dont know about anyone else but I have been getting a very bad feeling about his animals well being and the feeling gets worse every time he posts a new subject . I believe I just put into words what most here are thinking . And if you wonder about what Im refering to My retic wont eat My retic is not shedding completely I dropped my retic and on and on all you posts as pertaining to your Retic have left me with a very bad feeling about your ability to properly care for animals .

[AlexCrazy]

I hate to say it but I think the best thing for you and your uncles snakes are for them to be sold to someone who can properly care for them. One of the most basic and agreed upon pieces of information in this hobby is that you should not feed an animal that is more than 1.5 times wider than the snake at its widest part. You either ignore this information, did not bother to do any research, or just don't care. I can't shake the feeling your are going to kill your snakes with all the issues you are having. I can't understand how you think getting more snakes is a good idea if you have not gotten the hang of the care of the ones you already own? Also you should refrain from giving advice to others until your own situation is fully under control and you have a better understanding of snakes in general.
Sorry for my language everyone but.
Please stop being an A*!& HOLE! and listen to people who know what the hell they are saying... the don't say it for fun of it! they say it for the sake of your poor snakes! you might love them too bits.. but you must stop being an idiot and consider that they are suffering cos of your ego or freaking size needs! with pets you need love, dedication and PATIENCE! not treat them as if they are growing machines!
how about you try and put a hole freaking apple in your mouth and eat the freaking thing! or eat 5 plates of what ever crap you eat! just because you can eat it don't mean its good for you! to much of a good thing is bad! water is good but try drinking 5 gallons! you will feel like Cr*p! get the point! I almost cry-id wen a saw your snake with a freaking bunny in it! listen to people! i suppose that was the dam idea in the first place wen you posted! or are you one of those sh*&ti people that just look for trouble!?!
And what the hell whent throug your mind to have a tazer incase the bunny moves! my goodnes!.
Sorry everyone. i just had to let it out.

[AlexCrazy]

A human child for the most part , will eat until they become ill . If a child is presented meals that are inappropriately large the child will become obese . Now I no a snake isnt a child but you like a parent of an infant you are responsible for the proper care of your charges . You were trying to feed that retic jombo's since the time it arrived . Do you not remember when every other post was help my retic wont eat , and me telling you to offer an appropriate sized meal . Well if I remember right it wouldnt eat until you quit insisting it eat something to large . Well congratulation you have achieved your goal your snake is now eating way to large a prey item . Oh by the way over feeding a child is considered at best bad parenting . I consider it child abuse . May I ask are you young and do you consider it cool being able to say how much or how big an item you can get your poor abused animals to eat . If I were you and I intended to keep abusing my animals I would quit documenting it on a public forum , before someone in animal control in your city reads your posts and investigates your abusive husbandry . Sorry ignore that last line hopefully some one will ! Its obvious that you will not stop and will keep acquiring more animals to abuse so maybe a visit is the best thing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You dont deserve animals as proven by your many posts relating the abusive way you treat your animals . Hope I didnt offend anyone other than Kyle , I dont know about anyone else but I have been getting a very bad feeling about his animals well being and the feeling gets worse every time he posts a new subject . I believe I just put into words what most here are thinking ..
You did it for me..

[SnoopySnake]

I seriously can't handle this lol. Why is it SO HARD for people to listen when someone knows better than them? 6' and 35 lbs is obese. The lump from prey should be 1/2 size after digesting 2 days, that jumbo looks like it was just eaten. Why are you even here if you're not going to take the advice you ask for?

[that1guy]

I think it's funny how pretty much everyone here is calling me ignorant and a bad pet owner, when actually I love my animals and make sure they get taken care of. My snakes are healthy, not obese. If I was a bad owner, I wouldn't feed my snakes my at all like most people do. My snakes are smart and by now, they realize every Sunday is feeding day when I tap on their enclosure. I'm not going to feed my retic jumbos every week, but probably every 2 weeks. I usually wait until the snake defecates anyway. As for my boa, she will get 2 jumbos a week, and a rabbit once a month. She's about 6 feet and 35 pounds, but she can still move around quickly.

I also think it's funny that everyone else here thinks the way you feed your snake is incorrect. I suppose you think all these people that have been keeping snakes for years are wrong? Most people here never called you ignorant or a bad pet owner, they just pointed out that you were feeding your snake a too large of a prey item. That doesn't mean you're ignorant or a bad pet owner just that you've made a mistake. However you should be able to look at this thread and all responses to it telling you that you're overfeeding your snakes and take the advice offered and realize that maybe you should cut back on the amount, and size, of meals you are feeding your snakes. If you ignore the advice of all these experienced keepers and continue to overfeed your animals after knowing that it is wrong, that is when you will truly become a bad pet owner.

[sirtalis]

Heck, I only have 2 leopard geckos, and have only handled a few snakes ever but I can easily tell that your prey is way to big :no:

[CosmicOwl]

I ask for further detail.
These fat deposits are where the snakes body bulges near the tail? From the picture it appears the body slims down then expands near the back end.

Exactly. The body gets thinner, then thicker near the base of the tail and the abruptly becomes much thinner. There is nothing wrong with a snake having some extra body fat, but when a snake with a metabolism as high as a retic has fat deposits it is clearly being overfed.

[RAD House]

Personally I think he is both ignorant and a bad pet owner. He refused to do any research, which is shown by the fact that he continually has issues which can be avoided by even a miniscule amount of looking around. He asks questions, but then ignores any advice given. He treats his pets like property by doing whatever he wants with them regardless of the effects on them. This guy is the reason people like PETA and the ASPCA go after pet owners so aggressively. If everyone were responsible pet owners they would have no leg to stand on.

[bigsnakegirl785]

My 6 foot boa taking down a rabbit with ease

Your boa is overweight. It does not have that classic loaf shape, and the muscles, even where it's constricting the rabbit, is very hard to distinguish even with the light back-lighting it. The rabbit looks a the right size for it, depending on how fluffy that fur is, but it looks like you're feeding it too often. How much do the rabbits weigh? If your boa is 6', you should be feeding it rabbits 4-8oz in weight.

And I agree, that lump should not even be present after the amount of time that has passed after it ate, that lump is very large. You need to step down in size.

YOUR BOA IS EXTREMELY OBESE. A 6' should NEVER EVER EVER EVER weigh 20 lbs, let alone 35!!!!!! How did you get it that heavy?????? Your boa should be 8-10lbs.

14 years is nowhere near as long as they can potentially live, she could still get another 14+ years if you cared for her properly.

That bulge in the retic's stomach should not be noticeable at all after 2 days, and it should be defecating 3-4 days after it eats with a proper meal.

[Albert Clark]

Kyle, you can love and care for your animals without showering them with excessive food to show it! Why don't you rechannel that care and love by keeping their enclosures super clean and or interacting with them more without a feeding being the sole reward? We are all trying to explain to you how important it is to phase out the overly large meals. Everyone is concerned about the health of the animals. If you really love and care for them then show it and give their jaws a break and let them get back to being the opportunistic creatures they are supposed to be. Stay in peace and not pieces. Good luck man. Its called comfort food and it leads to obesity!

[millertime89]

I'm looking through who commented and what has been said, it seems like nobody that actually has a significant amount of experience with these animals has really chimed in. Kyle, that size is fine, but I would feed every 10-14 if you're going to feed that size. It's big, but not too big. It looks weird in the first picture because it's still in his throat and he hasn't finished swallowing.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I'm looking through who commented and what has been said, it seems like nobody that actually has a significant amount of experience with these animals has really chimed in. Kyle, that size is fine, but I would feed every 10-14 if you're going to feed that size. It's big, but not too big. It looks weird in the first picture because it's still in his throat and he hasn't finished swallowing.

Are you sure? It had been 2 days and bulge hadn't even dissipated, he showed a picture of it later on and it still looked like it was going to burst from the meal. Shouldn't he go a bit longer than every 10-14 days with it being that large? Or does that depend on when the bulge ended up going away?

I just don't see this being a good staple size, even when spaced out. Snakes digest smaller, more frequent meals easier overall. It would be less stress on the snake's digestion to feed it smaller meals every week or biweekly. I don't see it hurting anything having a meal this size every once in awhile, though.

[millertime89]

I'm positive. It still shrunk which is good. If it hadn't shrunk at all then I would be concerned about another issue. If the meal is gone in 24 hours then the meal was too small. 10-14 days is fine for a meal of that size on a young snake. They're metabolisms are higher than an adult animal's so they'll digest it faster. I personally wouldn't have this be an "every meal" size myself, but if you space out the feedings a bit more it'll be fine.

[RAD House]

Why not feed the snake more reasonable portions every week? There is no reason to push the animal to it's limits. He is causing the animal undue stress. Who knows if this behavior would cause the animal an early death, but why risk it?

He was overfeeding the snake no matter how you look at it. I don't think he would have taken your advice to feed less often just as he refused to take any advice in the rest of his silly threads. Through out all his posts the only thing I learned about is that he treats the animal as a toy and not a living being that needs to be respected.

[Mikoh4792]

I'm looking through who commented and what has been said, it seems like nobody that actually has a significant amount of experience with these animals has really chimed in. Kyle, that size is fine, but I would feed every 10-14 if you're going to feed that size. It's big, but not too big. It looks weird in the first picture because it's still in his throat and he hasn't finished swallowing.

It's already been expressed that this is less of an issue for the retic, but the boa and ball python? Feeding a jumbo to a ball, and feeding the boa until it is obviously overweight...these need to change if he cares about his animals.

[Albert Clark]

You don't need experience with a animal to see that this prey item is insurmountably larger than what the animal should be eating at a sitting. Stevie Wonder could see that. Its unhealthy and unnecessary! :eek: :eek:

[Mikoh4792]

Sorry I left out that the ball was 2.5 feet.

but the boa and ball python? Feeding a jumbo to a ball, and feeding

[sirtalis]

Heck, the only experience I have with boas is that I held one, once.... but that food item looked massive, for both snakes.

[millertime89]

Why not feed the snake more reasonable portions every week? There is no reason to push the animal to it's limits. He is causing the animal undue stress. Who knows if this behavior would cause the animal an early death, but why risk it?

Who knows why? Sometimes that's all the person has available. There could be a dozen reasons why.

He was overfeeding the snake no matter how you look at it. I don't think he would have taken your advice to feed less often just as he refused to take any advice in the rest of his silly threads. Through out all his posts the only thing I learned about is that he treats the animal as a toy and not a living being that needs to be respected.

No, he wasn't. He asked a question. Sure he said he gave a 2.5 ft ball python a jumbo, but that doesn't mean he's going to feed jumbos to a 4 ft retic weekly. He said in post 49 he would feed jumbos every other week, which is exactly what I recommended.

It's already been expressed that this is less of an issue for the retic, but the boa and ball python? Feeding a jumbo to a ball, and feeding the boa until it is obviously overweight...these need to change if he cares about his animals.

I don't have a lot of experience with boas and balls which is why I only talked about the retic. Also, it's in the giants section. That said, It's hard to judge the size of the rabbit and the boa from that one picture. If it's a 10lb boa and a 2 lb rabbit then it's fine. Rabbits are shaped funny and the bodies kind of bunch up, but then stretch out and look really thin. I need to set some food out to thaw so if I remember I'll take two pictures to demonstrate.

You don't need experience with a animal to see that this prey item is insurmountably larger than what the animal should be eating at a sitting. Stevie Wonder could see that. Its unhealthy and unnecessary! :eek: :eek:

No, it's not unhealthy for the retic. Unnecessary? Sure, but that doesn't make it harmful to the snake. If it was insurmountably larger then the animal wouldn't be able to eat it.

Insurmountable; adjective: too great to be overcome.

Heck, the only experience I have with boas is that I held one, once.... but that food item looked massive, for both snakes.

It was big, but that's not a reason not to feed it to the snake.

Both snakes look obese. You can see the fat deposits building up near the retics tail.

Just saw this post. That's not fat deposits, that's poop, the snake is going to leave a stinky brown and/or white present.

[Mikoh4792]

I don't have a lot of experience with boas and balls which is why I only talked about the retic. Also, it's in the giants section. That said, It's hard to judge the size of the rabbit and the boa from that one picture. If it's a 10lb boa and a 2 lb rabbit then it's fine. Rabbits are shaped funny and the bodies kind of bunch up, but then stretch out and look really thin. I need to set some food out to thaw so if I remember I'll take two pictures to demonstrate..

No need, I agree with you that the rabbit is not too big for the boa. I'm just stating that it is overweight.

[millertime89]

No need, I agree with you that the rabbit is not too big for the boa. I'm just stating that it is overweight.

It's not the best picture to really gauge the size of the animal IMO. But that's a discussion for the boa section

[Mikoh4792]

It's not the best picture to really gauge the size of the animal IMO. But that's a discussion for the boa section

In my opinion, that photo is very telling of the animal's overall shape. Boas should have a lean, "bread loaf" structure. In that photo one can tell it is round on the sides. And if he is going to post a photo of it in this thread to make a point, I think it's worth noting.. since the animal's health is at stake. I don't care to wait for a thread posted in the boa section, just for the sake of relevance.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Who knows why? Sometimes that's all the person has available. There could be a dozen reasons why.



No, he wasn't. He asked a question. Sure he said he gave a 2.5 ft ball python a jumbo, but that doesn't mean he's going to feed jumbos to a 4 ft retic weekly. He said in post 49 he would feed jumbos every other week, which is exactly what I recommended.



I don't have a lot of experience with boas and balls which is why I only talked about the retic. Also, it's in the giants section. That said, It's hard to judge the size of the rabbit and the boa from that one picture. If it's a 10lb boa and a 2 lb rabbit then it's fine. Rabbits are shaped funny and the bodies kind of bunch up, but then stretch out and look really thin. I need to set some food out to thaw so if I remember I'll take two pictures to demonstrate.



No, it's not unhealthy for the retic. Unnecessary? Sure, but that doesn't make it harmful to the snake. If it was insurmountably larger then the animal wouldn't be able to eat it.

Insurmountable; adjective: too great to be overcome.



It was big, but that's not a reason not to feed it to the snake.



Just saw this post. That's not fat deposits, that's poop, the snake is going to leave a stinky brown and/or white present.

Actually, a 10 lb boa should be eating a rabbit that's 1 lb or smaller (1lb being the largest the snake could physically get down; 1/2lb being the size that would allow the snake to maintain a healthy body tone). A 10 lb boa is a 6' boa, which is the size my boa is. He's 8.5 lb and getting on average 4-6 oz rabbits, with 8 oz being the biggest. He also gets large rats, but a 2 lb rabbit is bigger than a jumbo rat. I honestly think his boa should be on large rats or 1/2 lb rabbits. He should also start lengthening his feedings. If his boa is really 35 lbs and 6', it's morbidly obese and needs to be on a diet now. I wouldn't go straight to a 4-6 weeks schedule, but starting it on every 3 weeks and then slowly working to 4-5 weeks would be best. It's so overweight you don't want it to go without food for too long or it could die. As it is, if the snake ever went on a feeding strike, the chances of fatty liver disease is extremely high, and the snake would probably die.

I also pointed out that the retic was probably going to poop as well. The retic honestly doesn't even look overweight to me. I'm just worried about him feeding that snake a jumbo rat all time, even if he only fed it every 2 weeks. I'd feed a rat that size every couple of feedings at most, because it is easier on their stomachs and easier to digest smaller meals. You'll get as good of growth off a 4' retic eating small or medium rats as you would one eating a jumbo rat.

[millertime89]

Actually, a 10 lb boa should be eating a rabbit that's 1 lb or smaller (1lb being the largest the snake could physically get down; 1/2lb being the size that would allow the snake to maintain a healthy body tone). A 10 lb boa is a 6' boa, which is the size my boa is. He's 8.5 lb and getting on average 4-6 oz rabbits, with 8 oz being the biggest. He also gets large rats, but a 2 lb rabbit is bigger than a jumbo rat. I honestly think his boa should be on large rats or 1/2 lb rabbits. He should also start lengthening his feedings. If his boa is really 35 lbs and 6', it's morbidly obese and needs to be on a diet now. I wouldn't go straight to a 4-6 weeks schedule, but starting it on every 3 weeks and then slowly working to 4-5 weeks would be best. It's so overweight you don't want it to go without food for too long or it could die. As it is, if the snake ever went on a feeding strike, the chances of fatty liver disease is extremely high, and the snake would probably die.

I consider a meal 10-20% of the body weight to be sufficient. Hence the 2lb rabbit/10lb boa example. I must've missed the 35 lb amount somewhere. Yes, that would be an obese boa and if that's the case the rest of your advice seems sound to me, but again, I'm not an expert in boa physiology.

I also pointed out that the retic was probably going to poop as well. The retic honestly doesn't even look overweight to me. I'm just worried about him feeding that snake a jumbo rat all time, even if he only fed it every 2 weeks. I'd feed a rat that size every couple of feedings at most, because it is easier on their stomachs and easier to digest smaller meals. You'll get as good of growth off a 4' retic eating small or medium rats as you would one eating a jumbo rat.

Yeah, the retic's weight looks healthy to me. I stand by what I said, a jumbo every other week is ok. Would I do it differently? Sure, but to each their own. At 4 ft I would feed med-lrg rats every 7-10 days.

[Albert Clark]

As for unhealthy, it certainly is. Especially when Kyle makes it clear that he is going to continue to feed the animals these oversized meals. As far as insurmountable, semantics. He swallowed it but it was a extremely excessive, massive meal. One that is frowned upon on every reptile feeding front. :D

[bigsnakegirl785]

I consider a meal 10-20% of the body weight to be sufficient. Hence the 2lb rabbit/10lb boa example. I must've missed the 35 lb amount somewhere. Yes, that would be an obese boa and if that's the case the rest of your advice seems sound to me, but again, I'm not an expert in boa physiology.



Yeah, the retic's weight looks healthy to me. I stand by what I said, a jumbo every other week is ok. Would I do it differently? Sure, but to each their own. At 4 ft I would feed med-lrg rats every 7-10 days.

Boa constrictors are NOT the kind of snake you want to be feeding 10-20% of weight to, even as babies. You want to go by girth. If you can get a weight on their average-sized prey item that's cool, but don't base their entire feeding regimen off their weight. Their metabolisms are eeeeextremely slow, even as babies. I'd say similar to blood pythons, if not even slower. They poop more often, but they grow slower and can make use of less food. I mean, it takes them 6 years to get full-sized. You, optimally, want to feed them something that doesn't leave a bulge, but as babies 1.5x width is ok until they turn about a year or two. Even what I'm feeding my boa now is slightly too much for him, he's put on some weight since I ended his fast. He's slimmed out slightly putting him on rats, but he could honestly be eating even less than what I'm giving him and be perfectly healthy. He's still a good weight as-is so I'm not worried about it that much.

Yeah, I'd personally back off on the food. I think that would be best for the snake tbh, but the retic isn't being as overfed as the ball python and boa constrictor were, by far....