Gut flora

[phaedrus]

Alright, I've read this term in here a couple of times and I know it has nothing to do with a diet of flowers. I'm assuming it has something to do with the digestive process. I've read topics about not feeding too often because the gut flora won't be replaced and other stuff that i can't seem to recall. While Ted can eat a full grown mouse, I feed him two hoppers. I know the girth rule, but I also thought that smaller can help the digestion process. I only feed him two, every 7-10 days, but I'm scared that I'm over-feeding even tho he seems content in his hide box most of the time.
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[eddie]

The flora is the bacteria that naturally live in its stomache to aid in digestion.
As long as he is passing the food as poop on the other end of his body and not regurging either, then you shouldn't have any probs with the flora.
However, if you are feeding him mice, it isn't really enough to get him the nutrition he needs.

[addsig]

Gut Flora = microorganisms (bacteria)

they are really what do the digesting, breaking down the prey items cells into the chemical components which the consuming animal then uses to construct/maintain it's own cells/tissues.

In proper balance, they are beneficial, but in overabundance they can be deadly. In the right amounts E. Coli allows us all to digest animal proteins. But an overabundance of E. Coli is bad, they kind of do a little more than they're supposed to.

Too much food, not enough bacteria, some food isn't properly digested and rots in the stomach. When the ph hits a certain level, reverse perastolis kicks in and the stomach rapidly expels the nasty stuff. Along with it a big chunk of bacteria. Couple of regurges close together and you don't have enough bacteria left to digest even a small meal.
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[phaedrus]

Thanks Eddie. I know, I know...I'm getting him switched over to rats soon. I went to a local pet store over the weekend that I knew sold feeders and asked them about rats. Unfortunately, their rats aren't breeding at the moment so they didn't have any. Seems to me, I came across a website or posting here that showed a size comparison of mice and rats. What's comparable to a hopper/adult mouse in a rat? A pinkie rat? A fuzzy rat? I'll have to go back to my regular food store to get them and then slowly at the same time, I'll switch him over to frozen/thawed. Luckily, they sell both. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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[phaedrus]

And thank you, too, J Riley. Originally, I was feeding him the smaller food only because he seems to spend a lot of time in the cooler end of the cage, where it averages mid 70s. The other end isn't too hot, mid to high 80s, under tank heatpad and a hide half on the pad, half off. Humidity goes from 40 to 70 from one end of the tank to the other, with a small basking lamp at the hot end. But he never seems to go on that end, even when I turn the light off at night. I just wanted to make sure that he was digesting properly. Me, being a new father, am probably making a lot of mistakes, but that's why I got you guys! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] Thankfully.
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<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Seems to me, I came across a website or posting here that showed a size comparison of mice and rats. What's comparable to a hopper/adult mouse in a rat? A pinkie rat? A fuzzy rat? </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

check www.rodentpro.com, they have the charts..

I beleive a pinky rat is roughly = to a hopper mouse
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