Obese snakes?

[Kaetlinv]

i've wondered about this for a while, and I'm honestly just curious.

How would one be able to tell if a snake is obese? For me specifically, how would one tell if a Ball python is obese? i'd imagine that the snake would become increasingly sedentary and look fat in comparison to it's length.

Not sure if there's a thread for this already, if there is feel free to redirect me to it.

[Wildside]

I don't think you could judge by them looking fat because different species are built so differently. Perfect example: Blood Pythons. Tell me they don't look like the Fat Albert of the snake world.

[Kaetlinv]

Well I was thinking about that too - i meant from species to species as well. I know blood pythons are stout and fat, haha. But within species - how would you be able to tell? I know right now I'm not over feeding either of my snakes, but i'd like to know signs in case i some day do on accident. :)

[Wildside]

Well I was thinking about that too - i meant from species to species as well. I know blood pythons are stout and fat, haha. But within species - how would you be able to tell? I know right now I'm not over feeding either of my snakes, but i'd like to know signs in case i some day do on accident. :)

I think it's probably hard to overfeed a snake. Though I have had customers ask if you have to feed them a mouse everyday.

[Kaetlinv]

I think it's probably hard to overfeed a snake. Though I have had customers ask if you have to feed them a mouse everyday.

Seriously...? they obviously didn't know much >XD

[Wildside]

Darlin' I had some of the most ridiculous people you could ever imagine come in.

[Kaetlinv]

I believe you, haha. :)

[mykee]

I would imagine that it is damn near impossible to get a ball python fat. They'll stop eating eventually, they're not THAT stoopid...

[Kaetlinv]

yeah i was just trying to be safe, haha. My girl is pretty big - just wanted to make sure i wasn't feeding her too much

[snake man12]

I would imagine that it is damn near impossible to get a ball python fat. They'll stop eating eventually, they're not THAT stoopid...

You'd be surprised at how stupid they are. Snakes are opportunistic feeders meaning if there needs are met they will eat when food is given.

[KORBIN5895]

Here is a picture of Leah, the female sunglow I got last month. She is bloody fat.

See the bulge by my ring that is a bunch of fat in front of her vent.
http://s10.postimage.org/bsitzaer9/IMG_20120816_223434.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/bsitzaer9/)

Here is the rolls when she is just sitting there.
http://s15.postimage.org/98oo8a9nb/1345167568090.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/98oo8a9nb/)

[Kaetlinv]

Wow. She is pudgy. I know of a fat female breeder Cornsnake - absolute sweetheart snow named Nora. The owner offered her to my friend - completely free, if he had a 20 long or larger tank to put her in. Sadly, while he had the money to buy a tank, he's living with friends and has no space to put that size tank. He can barely house the 10gal I'd given him for his 18th birthday so he could get his Okeetee cornsnake girl, Shakespeare.

Here is the darling Nora;

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/428775_10152004061545472_379308510_n.jpg


She literally had marks from the fat rolls she had. :D curious and friendly snake

[Terranaut]

When a snake gets "fat" you can see scale seperation. Look at pics of gravid snakes on google and you will see obvious scale seperation. It looks a little different on every kind of snake and is harder to see on light or albino snakes. Typicaly its hard to make a young or sub adult snake fat but once full grown it's not to tough and many do it by accident. Also sometimes a snake will hold on to its fecal material for a long time and look fat. After a big crap they are back to normal. My female jcp did this. I thought she was getting fat but she had one massive dump (I mean it was bigger than my yearling Royal) after 4 months of not going and she was back to normal right after.

[Kaetlinv]

well then that corn snake was as fat as they could get. There was a centimeter or two in between every scale past her 'neck' section. you can't see it in that picture - it's from a phone, but in person she definitely had spacing, haha.

[Wildside]

Here is a picture of Leah, the female sunglow I got last month. She is bloody fat.

See the bulge by my ring that is a bunch of fat in front of her vent.
http://s10.postimage.org/bsitzaer9/IMG_20120816_223434.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/bsitzaer9/)

Here is the rolls when she is just sitting there.
http://s15.postimage.org/98oo8a9nb/1345167568090.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/98oo8a9nb/)


LOLWTF? Hamster diet?

[Will0W783]

Oh my gosh, that is one pudgy sunglow boa...what the heck were they doing, pumping protein shakes into her? lol

[mykee]

"You'd be surprised at how stupid they are. Snakes are opportunistic feeders meaning if there needs are met they will eat when food is given. "
How did you amass all this (ahem) wonderful knowledge with only owning one ball python?
Wikipedia?
Not true. Ball pythons will only eat until they are full.
I'm gonna call you out on every incorrect thing you say on this forum.
Just so you know.

[marvelfreak]

For Bloods this chart is what i go by. A healthy blood you can still see the spine when they move. If you can see it on any snake they are obese.

20285

[Aaron_S]

For Bloods this chart is what i go by. A healthy blood you can still see the spine when they move. If you can see it on any snake they are obese.

20285

I'm glad you posted this. Haven't seen it in some time.

[Wildside]

For Bloods this chart is what i go by. A healthy blood you can still see the spine when they move. If you can see it on any snake they are obese.

20285

Just to be clear... What????

[iBaman]

I think he means "if you can't see it on any snake, they are obese"

[Wildside]

I think he means "if you can't see it on any snake, they are obese"

I can't see the spine on any of my boas and only one of 2 my corns.

[snake man12]

I can barley see the spin on my hog island but I think this just applies to bloods and short tails.

[Wildside]

I can barley see the spin on my hog island but I think this just applies to bloods and short tails.


My boas just look like pure muscle.

[iBaman]

*shrug* I was just trying to interpret xD

[snake man12]

My dum boa is like a body builder. LOL
Somebody should make some of these charts for ball's and boas and especially corns.

[Wildside]

My boas just look like pure muscle.

Except this one

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/kaldridge84/snakes/100_3314.jpg

She might be a bit chunky but all that black just makes her look sexy so I don't know :O_o:

[iBaman]

she's just...voluptuous ;] gorgeous snake though <3

[snake man12]

She does have some major girth close to the vent. lmao.

[Wildside]

She does have some major girth close to the vent. lmao.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/kaldridge84/snakes/100_3321.jpg

I just don't know! May as well be Beyonce's shake :/

[snake man12]

That mad my nite!! still lmao

[Rogue628]

When I first saw this thread posted, for some reason it reminded me of people saying Twinkie is an obese snake. So I messaged Jay about his thoughts on the subject, not really expecting a response. Two days later, I got a response. Here it is, even with typos.

She is a abnormally thick snake even her head and neck is large and as far as fat she is a Very dense snake She only eats about her weight per year no where near most of our large constrictors..But I guess if you only look at a pic you could think that as for she is a huge snake! By the way glad you enjoy my stauff

I've never heard of a large adult eating their weight a year on average. Is this something I've completely missed somehow?

[Rogue628]

Stupid internet....double post....

[Jay]

When I first saw this thread posted, for some reason it reminded me of people saying Twinkie is an obese snake. So I messaged Jay about his thoughts on the subject, not really expecting a response. Two days later, I got a response. Here it is, even with typos.



I've never heard of a large adult eating their weight a year on average. Is this something I've completely missed somehow?

...Jay who?

[Rogue628]

Jay Brewer from Prehistoric Pets. He's Twinkie's keeper.

[marvelfreak]

Except this one

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/kaldridge84/snakes/100_3314.jpg

She might be a bit chunky but all that black just makes her look sexy so I don't know :O_o:
This picture is what i am talking about. If you look at the back as the snake turns or makes the loop you can just make out the spine. If you have a obese snake even when moving around you wouldn't see the spine.
You just want to be able to barely make out the spine. I was told to look for this years ago has a way to tell if and snake is under or over fed. The Boa in this picture is a perfectly healthy looking weight.

As a side note i was told this was something to look for when looking at Blood Pythons. Over the years i have found it works for all snakes.

[Kaetlinv]

All the information has been wonderful. Thanks for offering up answers guys ^.^ The spine thing seems like a pretty universal way to tell, and I'll keep it in the back of my mind. :D