'Spring' took his first f/t yesterday.

[matthend]

My 06 bci 'spring' took his first f/t mouse today. I had given him a weanling rat pup last sunday, because i was having issues finding frozen locally. I called a local PetSmart, and was told they have frozen feeder rats. When I got there, they dont have rats, but do have frozen mice. I bought a 4-pack of the largest mice they have. When I gave him one, he took it , 'killed' it, and swallowed it really quickly. He was definitely still in feed mode for about 30 min afterwards, and seemed to be looking for more. Should I have given him two of the mice? The mice ware about 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter, and he is 1 to 1 1/2 inches at his widest. He didnt really have a noticable bulge at all after eating either. Should I offer him 2 next time, and when should that be? Thanks a lot, this site is a GREAT resource!!

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[danktat]

Good deal. always nice to get over that hump

[matthend]

yeah, he took it right off the tongs within 15-20 seconds of offering it. I was very proud, but i dont think my wife was as impressed when i told her about it...lol. What do you guys think about the meal size though? Should I offer two mice this weekend?

[CreepingDeath]

meal size should be a little bit wider than the widest part of the snake.

[CreepingDeath]

cangrats on getting him to eat f/t. always a good sign when they go right for it.

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[Jatango]

Generally feeding 2 prey items drives up your chance of regurgitation, which is a huge pain to deal with because it requires a lot of work to get them back on track. The ideal would be to get one larger rat to feed. If one mouse does leave a tiny lump, 2 mice would probably be too much. That's a lot of total mouse meat for those digestive enzymes to break down.

That being said, I have fed two prey items without an issue. It's really up to you. I doubt it's really going to effect him if you feed out all of the mice on a once a week basis and then get him a better sized prey item.

[Stargazer]

Occasionally, I have had to feed undersized meals (mouse instead of rats) for various reasons. In those cases, I have had no issues with either of my boas eating 2 or more mice. I once offered mice to my 3' boa to bring him off a fast. He ate 4 of them and did fine. I now feed a large and small rat put to my Guyanan boa because he is too thin for a small adult--it puts too big of a lump in his belly. He does fine with 2 smaller rats. That is just my experience, which is limited to 2 boas.

[deadliestformula]

Rats are better for Spring than mice are. And you really should feed prey that is equal in girth to the snake at it's widest point. However in a pinch, 2 prey is better than no prey. Have you checked Petsmart in addition to Petco? They have Frozen rats. RodentPro.com is also an option. Reptile Shows often have feeders for sale at a good price in bulk. Contacting your local Herp Society could also get you some good sources of Frozen feeders at a decent price.

[matthend]

I agree on rats vs mice, and would much rather have fed rats. When I called petsmart I was told they had rats, or I would not have made the trip. Once I got there, i was a little upset that they not only didnt have rats, but i had to buy 4 mice instead of just one. Luckily, rtb's own Morti is local to me and has offered to assist in my quest for frozen rats. (Thanks Morti!) I guess I will use up the other 3 mice i bought though, since i paid $11 for four of them (ouch). I will try to take a pic of one of the mice and Spring, with a common denominator for size comparison tonight though. Thanks for the advice so far guys!