Quote:
Originally Posted by shaunyboy
stop feeding him mice and get him onto rats.....
sometimes the older a Carpet Python gets,the harder it can be,to get them to switch over from mice to rats,and it takes a lot of mice to feed an adult Carpet mate
take some pictures next to a can of coke to give us a size reference of the snake
he will definitely take rat pups,but more than likely he will manage rat fluffs/fuzzies,a Carpet Python will take Prey 3,4,5 times it's girth with out issue,i feed large prey less often and they seem to thrive on it
i feed hatchling Carpets rats straight out the egg
i feed hatchlings right up to sub adult hood once every 7 days
adults every 2 to 4 weeks,winter only 2 to 3 feeds
Diamond Pythons i feed once every 2 to 3 weeks,also i don't feed them for 6 month of the year
Carpets should be lean and muscular,i would not increase his feeds
imo the reason he is still pacing around the tank,remaining active after feeding,is he is still in hunting/feeding mode and now feels secure enough to look around his enclosure
imo he's Tracking your movements because you are a heat signature to him,and he's tracking it because he's either still in feeding mode,or he feels vulnerable after just eating and is making sure your not a danger to him
cheers shaun
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Thanks shaun, that was an incredibly helpful reply and I appreciate your help immensely.
On mice vs. rats - I will follow your advice and purchase some frozen feeder mice next week for his feeding. I did see that some people recommended to start them on rats as soon as possible, but I had already made the newbie mistake of handling him too soon and was worried he'd be too stressed to accept the change in his diet. Well, I haven't had a single problem with him not eating, his feeding response is excellent. Hope I can make a smooth transition to rats. Bummer though because I just bought a pack of mice... guess I'll give it to the cats!
On size - I don't have any soda cans in the house but will be sure to find something else universally known and get pictures for perspective in a few days. For now, these are the best I have, unfortunately
Wrapped around a female gloved hand (not because he's nippy, because he actually isn't... I had just come in from outside)
The white climb is a part of a clothing hanger, maybe that can give some perspective for width?
I'll try to get more useful pictures in two days!
On feeding f/t rats - should I be purchasing the fuzzies? If I feed every 7 days, how soon will he outgrow fuzzies and move on to pups? Happy to learn that Carpets can take prey several times its girth; I actually had observed that the mice fuzzies do not leave a very distinct bulge in his body (rather, he just looks a little chubbier).
And thank you for explaining about the cruising/pacing and the tracking my movements, that's very good to know and makes sense. Really appreciate your expertise in the matter shaun - thanks again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KORBIN5895
I personally feed a meal that is quite a bit bigger and feed less often. My female bci was 8 months old when she went to small rats biweekly yet I know many boa people that are still feeding rat pups at a year plus.
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Looks like I'll have to change a few things with the feedings, then. Thanks for answering, I appreciate it! Plus, even with larger feeders, being able to feed less frequently is bound to save me money in the long run. Naturally, I don't mind that plan at all!
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