Prey Size concerns...

[Invictus]

I hear a lot of people feeding their snakes smaller prey than they should be, and others concerned about prey being too big.

A lot of people say never give a snake anything that is wider than the widest part of the snake. I think this is a crock. Here is a picture of my 3.5 foot Miami Corn taking down a fully grown adult mouse like it was nothing.

Enjoy. :)

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=8703

[Tim_Cranwill]

Yup! I once had a wc garter who not only ate bigger prey than I thought he could, but he wasn't satisfied until he ate 6 in one sitting! They are amazing animals who can eat tremendously huge meals, but that's not to say you should "challenge" them every time! ;)

Anyway, they will usually let you know if they are still hungry...

[The_Snake_King]

The reason many people state that the size of the feeder should only be as big as the fattest part of the snake is that it takes longer to digest a big meal. If you feed your snake that size meal on a regular (weekly) basis, he is not going to digest the entire meal correctly and it will end up stressing the snake.

In the wild, if a big retic get himself a deer, he may not eat for an entire year. Same with the smaller snakes. THe larger the meal, the longer they need to digest it. When people give that size comparison, it is basically based on how that person feeds their snake. Most people feed on a weekly to 10 day schedule. Looking at your pic I would say your snake wouldn't need to be fed again for at least 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.

So, it is not about "being a crock", it is about everyone's individual feeding schedules.

If feeding your snake larger meals less often works for you and the snake is healthy and content, then stick with it.

[Solid Snake]

i feed my BP every 4 days when he ate fuzzies with i think were really small. Now that i have switched him to Rat pups i'll have to feed him every week.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Corns and garters have a much quicker metabolism than a retic. A 3+' corn could eat an adult mouse per week without stressing at all....

[gonesnakee]

All depends on your purpose. A general rule of thumb for a young snake is 1 or 2 prey items (approx the same girth as the snake) every 5-7 days. Adults weekly or even every 10 days to 2 weeks. If it is a female that I'm growing up to breed (or a breeder) I'll feed her more smaller prey more often because of the higher fat content & the digestion factor (easier to do with the smaller prey). Gravid females will keep eating longer with smaller prey also. Remember snakes can eat too much & can become obese & will be subject to health risks as a result of their obeseity. Snakes are also similar to dogs in that they will eat too much & make themselves sick. Regurged rodents are by no means pleasent to deal with & when they puke em back up it's hard on the snake & kind of defeats the purpose of power feeding. Mark I.

[Herpkingdom]

Actually garter snakes have a slower metabolism than that of most mammal eating snakes. THat is why it is not a good idea to feed them just pinkies. They require a more diverse diet mainly consisting of amphibians and fishes. Pinkies and earthworms can be added as a more rounded diet.

[Invictus]

My corn in that picture eats every Tuesday, and believe me, she digests it fully. She poops every day after a meal like that. :)

As Cranwell said above, Corns have ridiculous metabolisms. My corns don't even have fat bellies the day after taking an adult mouse, and about 5 days after feeding they aren't even pooping anymore.

[Tim_Cranwill]

The garter I was talking about was fed frogs... just so ya know! :D