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Python_Pete Elmonoloco Elmonoloco Python_Pete Snakey68 Python_Pete Snakey68 Python_Pete Snakey68 Snakey68 Python_Pete Snakey68 Elmonoloco |
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Python_Pete View Profile |
Feeding Python Enough?
BTW: Are short-tailed pythons known for being rather clumsy at killing prey? Thank goodness Crunch is eating frozen-thawed, because he looks slow, clumsy, and rather lacking in intelligence when catching, constricting and eating his prey (he tends to eat his rats butt-first). Compared to our Everglades rat snake, I wonder how these things make it in the wild. 3-26-08 Butt-First Yawning Handful Ratsnake |
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| 03/30/08 07:33pm |
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Elmonoloco View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1682586 Feeding Python Enough?
as far as size of meals, that rat hes eating looks fine. depending on how many are in the bag you have, Id just finish off the rest of the rats. you could probably up it to two of those size in a couple months, unless you are in a hurry for him to get big. take your time and dont rush his growth. just keep him healthy. before you know it you will have a 10 lb, 4 foot long monster like I do...and mine is not even 2 years old yet. she still has a couple feet to go! crunch looks good. youre doing just fine with him! |
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| 03/31/08 12:22am |
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Elmonoloco View Profile |
Message To: Elmonoloco In reference to Message Id: 1683126 Feeding Python Enough?
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| 03/31/08 12:26am |
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Python_Pete View Profile |
Message To: Elmonoloco In reference to Message Id: 1683129 Feeding Python Enough?
I am in no hurry to accelerate his growth - I have not built (or purchased) his adult enclosure yet. |
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| 03/31/08 08:47pm |
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Snakey68 View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1684320 Feeding Python Enough?
One of mine, the 30Ib male occasionally eats prey back to front don’t worry about it. Great snaps btw I would feed 2 of those rats you have left every 10 days till you get them done. After that step up a size to small rats. I always extend the time between feeds now and again and find it works well with mine. I feed on average every 10 days but will randomly extend to 14 days as well I find it works well. Slow and clumsy are not two things I would associate with a blood python when feeding lol no way. Young and clumsy is fair enough I feed all mine with the intention of getting a healthy feeding response and my bloods are extremely fast at striking as anyone with an adult blood will tell you. Mostly the rest of the time they are ponderous and lazy its their nature to conserve energy sit and wait for prey then explode into action. Mine spend the majority of their time lying in their water bowl. Gone are the days of lifting mine out, I have to drag mine out now. |
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| 04/01/08 06:30am |
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Python_Pete View Profile |
Message To: Snakey68 In reference to Message Id: 1684779 Feeding Python Enough?
I will wait ten days and try feeding him two of the smaller frozen rats (they vary substantially in size, with some of the larger ones qualifying as hoppers, not fuzzies). I had not heard previously about randomly extending the feedings, but will try that (keep the little rascal guessing!). Crunch seems to come out of the cypress substrate and soak in the water bowl starting three or four days after feeding. I often find him in there when I come home from work. I suppose his days of burying himself in 3" of cypress mulch are numbered... How often do you handle your adult bloods? I leave Crunch alone for two days after his feeding, but handle him an hour or so per day the rest of the time. He seems content to wrap around my arm and watch while I surf the internet (all age-appropriate sites, I assure you). Do you keep your adults in an Animal Plastics enclosure? They seem a bit pricey, but it may be a better enclosure than anything I could build. |
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| 04/02/08 12:15am |
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Snakey68 View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1686006 Feeding Python Enough?
Yeah I change teh frequency now and again for feeding as I try to replicate somewhat the amount they may encounter in the wild, I doubt very much they will eat regular every week in the wild. So I vary it and find it helps when I do offer food they always take it rather vigorously. Its down to preference I just think this works best for me having tried various methods over the years. I handle mine once a week regular but leave for a week or so after feeding without handling. Sometimes its more depends on the time I have tbh. Every week due to cleanout etc but if I have visitors then inevitably the bloods come out after the Royals. I custom built tanks for my bloods although both are together in the males tank as I modify one of the others, but its 7ft long and has plenty of room so they are fine for the time being. here is the link to a thread of my male blood Hercules lol ignore the typo of 38Ibs weight its not that heavy at the time I meant 28Ibs but turns out when I weighed him he was over 30Ibs. Link |
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| 04/02/08 06:21am |
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Python_Pete View Profile |
Message To: Snakey68 In reference to Message Id: 1686113 Feeding Python Enough?
What type of heat source do you use in your custom enclosures? I currently have an undertank heater and a ceramic heating element, but have heard about radiant heat panels for the walls of custom-built wooden or plastic tanks. |
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| 04/02/08 08:13pm |
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Snakey68 View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1686923 Feeding Python Enough?
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| 04/03/08 07:03am |
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Snakey68 View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1686923 Feeding Python Enough?
I use an undertank heater as well with supplemental lighting on a 12 hour on and off cycle, my humidity hovers around 60% of which I raise to 75 % or higher pre-shed unless I see them lying up in water days before. If they lie up in water I leave the humidity at 60, I always get full clean sheds this way. I dont like the cermic heating myself as I dont think them reliable or safe enough on the whole but if it is working for you then fair enough. Never seen the radiant heat panels and tbh I still think I would stay the same set up and keep things simple but stable. |
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| 04/03/08 03:01pm |
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Python_Pete View Profile |
Message To: Snakey68 In reference to Message Id: 1687842 Feeding Python Enough?
I don’t recall seeing photos of your python enclosures. Are you using a wooden enclosure or plastic tubs? I’m not certain how to set up under-tank heaters with a custom-built wooden enclosure unless I put a false floor in it...which may not be a bad idea. BTW: Just fed Crunch - he ate his rat butt-first again. Maybe I need to find some educational videos for him on proper eating etiquette? |
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| 04/03/08 08:16pm |
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Snakey68 View Profile |
Message To: Python_Pete In reference to Message Id: 1688298 Feeding Python Enough?
you might want to heat up the head of the rat with a hair dryer before offering to avoid the butt 1st approach. assuming your feeding frozen thawed that is. lol |
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| 04/03/08 11:52pm |
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Elmonoloco View Profile |
Message To: Snakey68 In reference to Message Id: 1688607 Feeding Python Enough?
in response to your questions about crunch’s adult enclosure, I myself just purchased my bloods adult enclosure a few months back (although with her not even 2 years old and already 4 feet long I may have to upgrade again). anyways, when I was shopping for her cage I looked at animal plastics, as well as vision cages. both good cages, but I decided on boaphile plastics. its really a good site for people newer to snake keeping as it answers a lot of questions about heating and cage size, etc. I bought a cage from them and its great. it took a while to get to me, but Id say it was worth the wait. check it out and let me know if you have any questions. Link |
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| 04/04/08 05:03am |
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