prey too small?

[mattj]

Hello,

My ~7' bci aquired a few months ago has taken f/t rats like a champ several times. I'm trying to switch to small rabbits. I've heard a recommendation to do this by feeding a smaller version of the usual prey item followed by a smallish version of the new prey item. Last feeding was 15 days ago, 2 medium and one jumbo rats.

So, I introduced a small f/t rat to whet his appetite and he has shown absolutely no interest. Will boa's refuse prey items that are too small?

Thanks,
Matt

btw - I double checked temps today with the new Temp Gun my wife got me for my birthday and they are correct.
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	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[eddie]

Welcome to Redtail!
Sometimes boas won't eat due to not being hungry yet. Other times for what ever reasons, such as such as prey size, odor, color, warmth etc..

Have you tried just the rabbit yet?
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[mattj]

I have previously tried to feed just a rabbit and it was refused. Trying to provide an appetizer first this time. Also doing it this way to make sure he's hungry before thawing out the rabbit. I had to pitch the last one and would like to avoid that this time.
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[eddie]

Ok, give it a day or two and try again, using a slightly larger rat and scenting the rabbit with it as well.

Quite a few here with large boas do give a little extra every few feedings, and usually both food items are close to what size that is normally fed any ways.
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[ratsickle]

HI,
Many of the Boa breeders I talk with only feed jumbo rats, Have you purchased any from
a rat breeder.. The last order I recieved the Rats were nearly twice as large as the ones I buy
at a pet store. They are much cheaper if you buy in Larger Amounts My last order was for 15 large rats and forty just weaned.. The just weaned were as large as they small ones at a pet store and much cheaper. The large rats were as large as some Jumbo's Ive seen locally. They all vaccum sealed in little bags (vaccum sealed for freshnessand to prevent freezer burn with storage up to 2 years.).. hehehe
You'll get a bigger food item,, yea you pay extra for shipment but you really save on price and freshness.


I wonder how big their Jumbo's are?????..
Doughttp://www.cajunmice.com/

I ordered some at Big Apple and they came in a Box from rodent pro,


_________________
Aint them BOA'S COOL --http://www.rodentpro.com/index.asp?referid=5

[mattj]

Thanks ratsickle. I actually just got in a huge shipment of rats, chicks and rabbits (not just for snakes). I've got one of the colossal rats in with my boa now. He hasn't taken it yet though. It's only day sixteen - guess I'm just impatient. One of my BPs just made the switch from mice to rats so at least I've got that settled.

You are right on about the price/convenience of doing it this way. I can get 1.5 to two months of food shipped from rodentpro for what I would pay for a week or two if purchased locally.

I will be adopting a couple larger boids (probably Burms) soon so I'll save the rabbits for them.
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	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

[DogVsRaptor]

I don't own any boas, but I have a ball python, and just a about a half an hour ago
he made the switch from medium sized mice to a good sized rat, took it down in amazing
fashion. Good Luck.


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[captainmorgan]

to me 2 rats every 2 weeks is a bit much...why not spread it out to a 3 week period. remember, the bigger the prey size the more you'll have to spread out the time of feedings. I'd wait for like another week and do the same thing....go with the smaller rat and then the rabbit.....maybe rub the rat over the rabbit for scenting issues....just my .02
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[ratsickle]

Here's an interesting article about feeding Giant snakes and over feeding problems
now with boa's the time frame for the rest cycle would be maybe a week or less post
passing the poo..


Zoologists at the University of Jena study digestion process of giant snakes

At the University of Jena, zoologists examined the digestion process of giant snakes. The most modern medical equipment, like supersonics and MRIs, were used for this. That way, the digestion process could be examined (thank God) on the living object.

According to the zoologists, this research has already delivered amazing results: Giant snakes are equipped with some sort of a turbo-digestion, in which the inner organs extract in an extreme manner. The metabolism can reach higher levels than the one of a 100-meter runner.

The reptiles perform heavy-duty labor during the digestion. Amazingly, only the head of the prey is dissolved in the stomach of the animals at first. Only afterwards is the headless body dissolved. Within 2 days, the prey is turned completely into mush. As time passes, the mush then flows into the tube formed intestine. Within a few hours, the digestive tract swells up to three times of its original size.

The weight of the digestive tract also increases drastically. This is the only way that the sudden wave of nourishment can be mastered. In order to digest a whole pig, a giant snake needs little more than a week. During the process of swallowing, the snakes already begin to breathe deeper and heavier. Heart and lungs perform highly.

During the digestion of a large prey item, snakes use forty times as much oxygen as they do while resting. Only racehorses achieve this at full gallop for a few minutes, while giant snakes can keep this up for several days. This digestive maximum performance leads to only half of the calories reaching the energy storages. The rest is already used up during the digestion process.

But, the animals have no choice. They have to digest that quickly. The unchewed prey begins to decay from the inside immediately after being swallowed, producing gases that lead to painful bloatings.
Even far more dangerous are the developing ptomaine. Some giant snakes have eaten themselves to death with oversized prey items. Long breaks in the feeding cycle are necessary, because the intestinal tracts are strained to such a degree, that it sometimes takes months to regenerate them.




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[captainmorgan]

that's pretty cool info Ratsickle.....but isn't he feeding 2 large rats? One rat I'd figure, but I thought it was a bit much for 2.....I've overfeed my snakes before, and now I'm really exercising them so they can get in tip top shape. I try to keep mine very healthy and fit. Something I even lacked for a few months. I used to never take them out, just feed and sit there and clean cages. But they need more than that for a good dgestion. So now I've smartened up and actually enjoy taking them all out and playing with them. So 2 large rats is okay huh? Where did you find that study?
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[mattj]

Great info on feeding on the giants! I'm getting into Burms/Retics so it's especially helpful now. I'm waiting until next week to try to feed my BCI yet. May just stick to rats after all.
[addsig]

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