2 or 1

[phenyx]

Does it take longer for a snake to digest 2 smaller mice that equal, say, 24 grams than it does for a single 24 gram mouse? It seems like there might be more bone in 2 mice than there is in one.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I believe it does, and in my experience they'll also poop on multiple occasions. A number of times equal to or greater than the number of prey items they ate. They also grow a lot faster on multiple prey items vs just one, even when the weight of those prey items are less than or equal to a single appropriate prey item.

[craigafrechette]

I've read contradictory reports on this topic. Some say there's no difference, some say a single digests faster and some say multiples digest faster. The same goes for growth rates.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I've read contradictory reports on this topic. Some say there's no difference, some say a single digests faster and some say multiples digest faster. The same goes for growth rates.

Growth rates would depend on how the person normally feeds I suppose. A keeper that normally heavily feeds their snakes and has fast growers probably isn't going to see much of a difference doubling up prey items since they're already feeding them pretty heavily.

I'd say to digest all, it would take at least as long as a single prey item to digest it, if not longer. But, if you're normally feeding them again before they defecate, you aren't going to know when the snake digests the entire meal because you don't know what poop belongs to what meal, or they'll all be pooped out at the same time. Since the prey items are smaller, they can defecate out the first prey item pretty quick, within a few days in some cases. But to defecate out the rest could take much longer.