Feeding size for bloods and short-tails

[peregrinefalcon]

I know the common rule to feeding snakes is "no prey item wider then the girth". While this is probably the safest way to go, it does seem like bloods can take a much larger prey item then most other snakes. What are your opinions on this?
Adam

[Linds]

All snakes are capable of taking prey much larger than the size of their girth. Anacondas wouldn't be chowing down on capybaras if that were the case. However in captivity it can present problems, since these meals take much longer to digest, you cannot handle your snake for an extended time which interferes with routine cleaning, etc. It also can cause regurgiation on occassion as well due to the difficulty in digesting such large meals. Its best to err on the side of caution ;)

[burmer]

I'm giving my borneo jumbo rats now. They are right about as wide as the girth of the snake or a hair bigger. He has had no problems with them. Linds is right that all snakes a capable of taking much larger prey. There is always a temptation to feed bigger. I try to feed sensibly.

[Grant vg]

I try to feed sensibly.

Best advice right there....:)

[SD-SNAKE]

My female will take 2 jumbo rats at every feeding she is about 4 1/2 to 5 ft and dog tame. take care Nick

[Invictus]

I'm of the school of thought that if there isn't a visible lump in the snake's belly, you're not feeding it enough. Think of it this way - when they are neonates and you feed them a pinky (assuming it's a colubrid in this example), they are taking in a prey item that is sometimes 3 times their girth. If that's what they take in as babies, that's what they should be taking in as adults. I do this with my snakes, and it doesn't take them any longer to digest than it does if I give them a small meal. Snakes are nature's elastics. :)

[Mike177]

it realy depends of the snake, the point of time in its life, and the size of the preay. baby burms grow like no other they can grow 9 feet in a year!! so it would be ok to give them meals that are a little big but there is realy no point to just feed them monsersly every month or so. yes it is that in the wild they will do this but in captivity where we dont have to make mistakes like that there is no point in doing so.

[Lisa]

While we tend to feed about the same size as the snake once in a while we'll give a bit bigger to stretch the snake a little, then the week after we'll skip the feeding.