Repti-links for reptiles - Alternative food source for reptiles

[Mikoh4792]

I'm not sure if this has been posted here before, but I thought you guys would find this product interesting. These are not to be confused with the "snake-steak" sausages sold in the past...this is a completely new product being made by different people. All they are, are whole animals(venison, chicken, rabbit) ground up and stuffed in protein/collagen casings. So that includes meat, bones, and guts. They also make a meat/veggie combo for those who keep omnivores like tegus.

Reptilinks.com

Here is a discussion on it by the owners on this podcast episode for those who are interested.

» The Nick Mutton Show – Herp Nation Radio Network – Herp Nation Media

[Mikoh4792]

I've begun feeding these to some of my snakes, and will be keeping track on growth and overall fitness compared to a rat only diet.

[serpentgirl123]

Yes, please keep us posted as I am very interested. I had thought about getting repti-links but after talking to one of the owners decided it would not be the best food choice for me and my snakes.

[Sasha2]

Sounds awesome. I wouldnt make it a staple but would keep them for emergencies.
The more you mess with stuff the more problems arise.Mixing gut contents with the meat could be a problem.Bacteria can multiply so fast, especially when you heat it up to feed.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I don't see this as an option for me and my snakes, whole prey is perfectly fine and easy to obtain for me.

I would like a link to the nutritional chart for these, as I've heard the fat content is extremely high and the protein very low. I'd like an actual chart to compare to see for myself, if there's one available.

[that1guy]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

I don't see this as an option for me and my snakes, whole prey is perfectly fine and easy to obtain for me.

Agreed. I heard about these before but why? It's not like there is a shortage of rats or rabbits. I can understand the meat, veggies,and fruit mix for large lizards that are picky eater about eating their veggies. I don't see any reason for the links for snakes though when natural whole prey is so easy to obtain.

[reptiledude987]

Originally Posted by that1guy

Agreed. I heard about these before but why? It's not like there is a shortage of rats or rabbits. I can understand the meat, veggies,and fruit mix for large lizards that are picky eater about eating their veggies. I don't see any reason for the links for snakes though when natural whole prey is so easy to obtain.

There was a thread for this product a while ago and the same question was asked. What it came down to was the nutritional content per gram. The links have higher vitamin and protien content than the raw animal. Also if I remember correctly they remove the fur from the prey items also making them easier to digest.

[serpentgirl123]

I agree with you bigsnakegirl785--

It is the main reason I decided against the repti-links--the fat content and calorie levels were too high for me (2-3x more than a mouse/rat of the same size). I have mostly boas, which tend to have a slow metabolism anyway and don't digest fat particularly well, so I will probably stick to rats.

[Tiny Boidae]

Link Nutrition & Sizing ? Reptilinks whole-prey
^There's the nutritional chart for the links

No where near enough protein content for a carnivore. About half what is needed, and the fat is ridiculously high. It might be good to fatten up a previously-sick animal, but I'm not sure how easy these hotdogs would be to digest. Definitely wouldn't feed this as a staple, but it probably has it's uses in certain situations (a female after she's laid her clutch, an emancipated animal, MAYBE getting an animal to eat with you (not sure how easy it is to get them to eat this, but they probably like it after all everything delicious and right with the world is bafflingly unhealthy for you)). Thanks for sharing, but it kinda seems like a cash-grab with a pretty sticker on the front to me.

[Aaron_S]

I'm impressed by the simple fact that carpet pythons are eating these. Carpet pythons are notorious for being difficult to switch prey items.

On a side note, it just seems like it came up as a way to get people's snakes larger and closer to breeding in less time frame. The issue is, for me, as a person who breeds snakes, larger (aka fat) snakes don't necessarily make the best breeders. So this is a no go for me.

[lady_bug87]

I wouldn't mind keeping these in hand for the omnivorous lizards. Just to add variety and i hate crickets.

[sirtalis]

Those pictures lol

[jjhill001]

Pretty sure that one of the big problems with reptiles is obesity. Most people over feed their animals in general and the fat content is way different than a rodent. I like the idea of using them to feed skinny rescue animals and recently laid females.

[Mikoh4792]

The fat content for the pure rabbit links are about 5% less fat than rats and mice. They are also producing venison/chicken links as well... I'm not sure if they will start doing all chicken in the near future but I would guess so. But even with the higher fat content of the other combinations over adult rodents, the smaller sizes will contain less fat and more protein compared to mice or rat pinks....which is something to consider for hatchling or baby snakes. Afterall, pinks are basically just bags of fat.

I seriously recommend just listening to the podcast and hear out their reasoning for this product. I think they are heading in the right direction.

[kwhitlock]

The podcast is insanely informative and a great listen. If they can do as they were saying with making pinkie size, this product will change the game. I'm strongly debating on changing my milk snake to these. If I had a tegu or monitor I would be using these all the time. Skinks as well