feeding an 8 ft python

monty_python

hi.. i have an 8ft long costal carpet python. at the moment i feed him a jumbo rat once a week. it leaves a noticeable bumpin him for about 2 days. is this enough or should 1 start giving him a jumbo and a medium rat every week.
also a few times he has swolled a few wood chippings while getting his mouth around the rat.. is this a big deal or nothing to worry about??

Our man in Havana

Ideally they should not be fed on substrate.

I would stick with the 1 large rat a week - especially if he nearly fully grown - my 7 foot red tail boa gets 2 medium or 1 jumbo rat every 2 weeks now. I find now he is not interested in weekly feeds.

Caroline B

Depends how big/widthways he is. you can feed less often when they are adults - mine are all every 10-14 days (not strictly, sometimes more time passes dependant on season/mood of snake!). general rule is to feed one appropriate size food item, that is to say, 1-1.5times the width of the widest part of the snake. you should really feed above something none digestable, i suggest putting a tea-towel/piece of card etc over your substrate with the food item on to prevent it swallowing substrate.

Padjo1981

+1 for both coments. I have a paving slab in the corner of the viv with my snake. it is handy just leave the rat on top and don't need to worry about the substrate.

Caroline B

slab is great idea! i've kitchen floor tiles under the substrate in one of my lizard vivs alright.

some people may feed outside the viv, but then you've to put back the snake with a feed, which can make them regurge..

monty_python

the paving slab is a great idea.. but my snake drags it arounds the cage someties be4 eating it..
i think i mite be overfeeding him.. he is 8ft long and about as heavy as a 6 pack of beer..(dont have a scales to get the proper weight)

Caroline B

you can normally tell if a snake is overweight, it's scales will be bulging - like spaces between the scales?

monty_python

yeah he like that towards the end of him but not on his head/neck

Caroline B

when he has just eaten or usually?

monty_python

it more noticable when he has just eatin... ill have to get him some slim fast!!!!

Caroline B

I'd feed him less often, every 10-14 days or so. you don't have to be strict with times between feeds, it does no harm to mimic natural habitat!

The noticeable bump you mentioned earlier after feeding is normal. it's how the rat looks before it's digested by the snake, some take more than 2 days to do that.

Demonique

You could try feeding him in a feeding tub seperate from his viv to avoid him ingesting substrate. It also has the benefit of him not associating his viv with being fed

monty_python

Demonique wrote: »

You could try feeding him in a feeding tub seperate from his viv to avoid him ingesting substrate. It also has the benefit of him not associating his viv with being fed

sorry dude but i dont agree with that. i put my hands in the tank 3-4 time a day and only feed him once a week! why would he think my hand is food?

here is pics of him http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/montypbucket/?special_track=nav_album_album

he climbs away from me sometimes when im not watching him... hehe

nhughes100

Agree that 10-14 days for a python that big is fine, when they're that big they can go months without eating. It could be worth checking your temps as well as making sure that their poo is ok. Maybe change your substrate to paper? Makes cleaning poo easier if nothing else and boy can pythons poo.

I've two jcps so I've to seperate them for feeding but I'm lucky enough to have a spare viv that I can keep one in for a few days while he digests(I usually seperate the male since he's smaller).