Fuzzies

[blindfireak40]

When I got 'Celli, the herp lady at the store said that he was on 2 pinkies a week. I've only fed him once (the second attempt he was in shed, and didn't eat), but I was wondering if I could move on to fuzzies. The pinkies left a barely noticeable bulge, and he was cruising pretty good around his feeding box for a while before he finally hid so I could put him back. Obviously snakes are really elastic, but I've never seen fuzzies in relation to Pinkies. Are they that much bigger that it'd be a poor choice to move him up to them? Or should he be alright? I have no idea as to age, I think he's about 15 inches long and a healthy girth. Not sure as to weight, don't have a letter scale lol

[NennaMeerkat]

Word of thumb never give a snake anything thicker than itself and this image might help for the stages.

http://images.canadianlisted.com/nlarge/frozen-feeder-mice-rats-natals-asf_4544473.jpg

[blindfireak40]

AWESOME! If the fuzzies I can purchase are that size, he should be fine with eating one! Thanks a bundle, Neena :)

[NennaMeerkat]

No problem at all :) Always glad to help!

[Ch^4]

Word of thumb never give a snake anything thicker than itself and this image might help for the stages.


Actually, it really depends on the snake; many snakes can consume prey much thicker than the thickest part of their body.

Carpets can easily take prey twice their circumference. But again, it does depend on the species.

[NennaMeerkat]

Oh well pardon me then LOL It is all I have ever been told

[Lankyrob]

You should feed the majority of snakes a prey item 1.5 to 2times the thickest part of the snake. Out JCP and GTP are both eating RATS that i would put as medium on Neena's scale and their bodies are barely more than an inch in diameter, my SD retic is eating the same size and he is much thicker bodied, it really does depend on the snake.

My yearling corns are easily eating fuzzie mice based on that scale also and my adult is eating Jumbo mice

[infernalis]

My version of the chart.... food should fit just like this.

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/cy3.jpg





http://www.thamnophis.us/close/subi2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/subi3.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/lady.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/lady2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/lady3.jpg

[blindfireak40]

Hahahahaha AWESOME Wayne!! I like your feeding chart a whole lot too lol...is that last guy in shed?? He must be a little piggy :)

And thanks to you too, Rob, based on your information I'll definitely go ahead with the fuzzies. What size are your yearlings? I know snakes all grow at different rates and lots of factors play in, but I'm trying to figure out roughly how old mine is...I'm guessing about 8 months to a year, I can't imagine him being older than the last breeding/hatching season. Although, if he should have been on fuzzies by now and the store still had him on 2 pinkies, I guess that could have slowed him up a bit.

[infernalis]

Yes she was in shed, and really pregnant too.

[Lankyrob]

They were hatched a week apart, one is just over two feet long and is almost finding fuzzies too small,am sure if i chucked a grown rat in with him the greedy bugger would have a go!! The other is a couple of inches under two foot and finds the fuzzies a slight challenge. If i didnt know better i would say there was three to six months difference in age.

[NennaMeerkat]

Nice version of the chart Infernalis! Though I did post up that chart that I have always used for my snakes I have to wonder how accurate it is to the names they are giving the food. It seems accurate enough considering what I have gotten for my snakes in the past.

[Lankyrob]

The trouble is each shop has their own scale. I went to a different reptile shop to get food one week cos it is nearer, asked for a jumbo mouse and they gave me one stage up from the hopper, i think my young corns could have nearly eaten it. When i buy from my normal supplier they just let me rummage through the freezer to get the sizes i want.

[NennaMeerkat]

I know the new store I go to will ask if the size is correct and will continually show me babies until I find what I am looking for. I am finding that my hognose, though big enough for slightly larger food than what she has been eating, really likes pinkies with absolutely no fur. Though as I said she is big enough for something besides that.

[infernalis]

I am finding that my hognose....really likes pinkies with absolutely no fur. Though as I said she is big enough for something besides that.


Have you tried rat pinkies? rat pinks are twice the size of mouse pinks.

[NennaMeerkat]

Yeah tried that about a week ago. She didn't take to it at all. She rolled it around and such but never took it.

[blindfireak40]

Huh. Picky little girl, huh? lol

[NennaMeerkat]

Yeah she is very picky. Though I figure either she will eat when she gets hungry enough or I can find the exact thing she likes LOL

[blindfireak40]

Yup, one of the two. Hopefully both at once :)


Update! I didn't realize quite how much larger fuzzies were until I bought them and got them home, and so I've decided not to move him up to fuzzies just yet. However, after his two pinkies today, he was quite active for a little while. Should I move up to three?

[Lankyrob]

Can you post a pic of the snake with something to compare it to in terms of size? If he is taking two pinkies easily and looking for more it is quite likely that he can go up a size. Also a pic just after he has eaten a pinky showing the bulge would be great.

[blindfireak40]

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5059.jpg

That's about the best I have for size comparison right now. After he's done digesting I'll try to get some better ones. My biggest concern is his neck, which is about the size of a jumbo Bic pen right now. As for the pinky bulge, it's not very noticeable, pinkies are about exactly his size. Again, it's not the entire process I'm worried about, just getting it down his throat without him popping...he also has an unfortunate habit of swallowing his food backwards, silly little guy.

[infernalis]

My corn eats mice arse end first all the time.

Those little necks can stretch in ways that will amaze you.

Looking at the size of the snake, I would feed two big pinks at a time, fuzzies may just be a little big for your snake just now.

In this picture (again) it illustrates the stretch and look at the orientation of the mouse. butt first.

BTW I really like the colouring of your snake.

http://www.thamnophis.us/close/cy3.jpg

[bci/boa75]

im with lankyrob on this lol .love your food chart infernalis nices pics and snakes :crazy:

[blindfireak40]

Yeah, I've decided to keep him on two pinkies a week for a little longer, maybe until his next shed. Thanks all for the advice, I really appreciate it!

And thank you, Infernalis! I really lucked out with him, I actually picked him because of the two there he seemed more inquisitive and had more personality, but I love the colors too!! He has some great little markings on him as well, almost a perfect wishbone shape on the top of his head, and he has a perfectly symmetrical villain-style moustache sort of marking on his nose. It's adorable!! :)

[infernalis]

I need to take a top shot of mine's head. Same "Y" mark....

[blindfireak40]

I wonder if specific markings are somewhat heritable? As in, if there's a family resemblance between generations...that'd be something neat to watch for. You breed yours, right?