Quote:
Originally Posted by phenyx
He has a hot spot that's 87 degrees. 
I had been thinking of offering a fuzzie at his next feed, but there's been so much debate about how much and how often to feed and the math you're supposed to do to figure out
(1/3% X WTF^2)
Air-Speed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow
that I don't know what I'm supposed to feed anymore.
BigSnakeGirl, you seem to be very knowledgeable about Boas. May I PM you? |
Sure, go ahead!
I'll also go ahead and publicly put on record...if you're basing this reply off of that post by BallBuster7653, do not get too worked up over the maths of it all. It's really not as complicated as they're trying to make it out to be, and they're vastly overestimating what their snake needs to grow and thrive. They also don't seem very experienced with the species they're trying to create this feeding regimen for, so I'd take their advice with a grain of salt.
Now, in my experience with my BRBs, they do seem to have a higher metabolism than boa constrictors, or at least a need for slightly more food. I feed the same sized meals, proportionate to their girth, just slightly more often. I like to give my BRBs meals that just barely leave a noticeable bulge, if you can pinpoint the bulge yourself but a stranger can't see it without pointing it out, it's perfect. If a stranger can tell it ate even without being told, the meal was too large...
For frequency, I do find 7-10 days to be more preferable for this species vs the 10-14 days for boa constrictors...I also maintain that until they're at least 2 years old. At that point, they're moved to a 14 day schedule, and as adults I have been advised to feed every 3-4 weeks when feeding meals roughly the same size as their girth.
Now, I do allow for the occasional larger meal, so no sweat if that happens. Just wait an extra week or two before you offer food again, and feed a smaller prey size. Feed your boa as per its individual needs, which will only come with experience. It is ok if you don't get feeding exactly 100% correct and on the dot. These guys are resilient, and as long as adjustments are being made to feeding regimens, they will bounce back from any under or overfeeding. It's when you continue to feed too much or too little over long periods of time that it becomes an issue...
I'm sure even that all looks pretty intimidating as a new owner, but just breathe and relax. Take it one step at a time, and you'll get there. In the meantime, any mistakes you make feeding won't harm your snake.
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