feeding sizes

[tHeGiNo]

It could work, sure! But then you have to ask yourself if it is worth the hassle. If you don't mind not having the aquarium, I would definitely recommend rubbermaids. Especially to get the guys established, you want everything as easy as possible, so that you can achieve all of the snakes needs accordingly.

[rip_this_joint]

One of my phytons is in glass the other plexiglass..for the one in glass, I attached the subtank heating pad directly on the glass, then but a nice rock slate over the hot spot inside (90-95farenheit)But Ive heard that if you put a heat source directly on the plexiglass, it can omit bad vapours....could this be the same for rubber? Regardless, I attached the heatpad to a piece of glass(the underside) and then fit the glass right under the plexiglass..plexiglass,then glass, then heatpad. I get the heatpads that stick. Seems to work well...Regarding cutting heads off mice...etc...I've done everything but..and after 9 years finally have my snakes eating from my hands..literally. I thaw my mice in a way so that they are dry and the same temperature as live prey would be..then I shake the prey by its tail in front of the snake. They snap it right from my hand, and thinking its alive, proceed to constrict it ....just like live...It's truely awesome and I am willing to share my method if anyone is interested.

[blazinreps]

plz share if just thawed them in hot water and my snakes wont take um maybe im not leavin um in enough they seem to be more afriad of the food when i move it.

[rip_this_joint]

FEEDING METHOD – SHARE WITH OTHERS
(use food item of suitable size-apparent body girth of prey animal nearly equal to thickest girth of snake-below I’ve stated 3 inch mice-this is the perfect size for my snakes)
Note: Hatchling and subadult ball pythons should be offered food every 5 – 7 days; adults, every 7 – 10 days. The body girth of prey animal should be nearly equal to the thickest girth of the snake. Adults can be offered 2 or 3 prey items, if a larger prey can’t be found.

1/ Put one 3inch FROZEN mouse or rat into an air tight zip-loc bag , and than into another air tight zip-loc bag. Make sure all of the air is out of both bags and that the bags are sealed tightly. IF IT’S FEEDING TIME FOR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME,WHICH I USUALLY TRY TO DO, FOLLOW THE EXACT SAME DIRECTIONS AS YOU WOULD FOR ONE.

2/ Place into a one liter yogurt container(or other plastic one litre container) and fill with the hottest water that comes from the tap. Then put that yogurt container into a pot in the sink, also filled with the hottest water from the tap. Do not boil the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3/ Let heat for ½ an hour. Do it again. Wait another half hour. One more time. An hour and a half to two hours, depending on the size. Never over 3 ½ inches. When you take it out of the bag, it’s the exact same temperature as real prey would be. And it’s dry. If you shake it around just in front of the snake, he or she will snap it up and constrict it. Grab it right out of your hand.

*****IMPORTANT NOTES*****

1/ Never feed if cold-that is, the snake is cold. Always make sure snake is at least at 80F. Therefore enclosure is at least 80F for awhile.

2/ Never feed if entering shed. Angelo wouldn’t go for it anyway, but Logos might.

3/Once you’ve given the snake its prey; even if you have to put something back into the cage, whatever you do, especially with Logos, wash your hands before you put them back into the cage. She’ll smell the mouse smell on your hands and think you are offering her more food. It’s the only time she ever bit me. I kind of liked it. Rinse your hands well, hopefully in something that is not too perfumed. I’ll usually wait until the next day to put back things I had to move to feed. It seems lately I’ve been able to feed both of them without having to move a thing. They just snap it right out of my hand.

4/ Don’t hold snake until at least 3-4 days after feeding. And it's a good idea to wait until they have dumped before ya feed them again.

[Auskan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rip_this_joint
2/ Never feed if entering shed. Angelo wouldn’t go for it anyway, but Logos might. [QUOTE]

I've heard differing opinions on this. I'm not sure I agree that you should feed during a shed cycle. I have certainly done it, not necessarily because I knew, but because I didn't know they were in shed. For eg, although I check on my snakes EVERY day, if they are in their hide and don't need cleaning, I don't always disturb the hide to drag them out and check on them, and therefore can miss a couple of blue-eyed days, if they don't happen to come out during those days. Therefore, I can feed, no knowing that a day or two before, their eyes were blue. I don't realize until the old/new skin appears, only a couple of days after eating - and I've never had a problem.

[Auskan]

Originally posted by rip_this_joint
4/ Don’t hold snake until at least 3-4 days after feeding. And it's a good idea to wait until they have dumped before ya feed them again.

Again, I kind of disagree with this. A corn, maybe, since they "dump" so often. But my BP - and many others from what I've heard on here - only defecates once every few months (many times I've heard that they only defecate once every few feedings). If I had to wait until afterwards to handle her, she'd never be handled.

[rip_this_joint]

Thanks for your reply Auskan..I've actually accidently fed when I didn't know the snake was entering shed too, with no problems. I've just heard , as a general rule, it's not a good idea to feed them when in shed as it makes a lump in their belly, thus making the shed a little more difficult. And you have actually cleared something up for me. One of my snakes (both are ball phythons) has pretty much religiously defecated about 4 days after each feeding. But my new one will defecate every third mouse...I was worried, and I held often trying to massage, etc...Now that I know this is common you have put my mind to rest. Thanks again!

[elevation24]

I feed during sheds and have never had a problem. Some of them take it, some of them don't.

And mine defecate once or twice a month. I would never wait until they defecate to feed again.

[rip_this_joint]

thanks again...I haven't been waiting with my female...and if it goes on for too long....a good long warm up on me with some massaging usually triggers a crap....sometimes while im holding...lol

[TannimBP]

one way that I've found that will get my BP's attention is that I will take a FT rat and have it in the brown bag that I brought it home in with it still frozen I will set it on top of her screen for about an hour or three then get the frozen and run it under hot tap water until the head is warm and the body is flexible(no longer cold) EVERYTIME I have done this she eats right away.

Normally only do this if tried feeding before and she wouldn't eat...wait a few days that put the bag on top and down the hatch it goes.