Snake Book says....

[NicoleRussell]

I was reading a book I bought for my daughter on snakes and it said to always keep a snake on one type of food...meaning if it's mice then it's mice---you should not feed rats--mice---birds---pick one and stay with it.
Any truth to that?
With lizards, the more variety the better, so I was curious.
I have been feeding mice and rats, so if this is bad I'll stick to one type of rodent
Let me know all you experts.

[trinitywolf]

Rats tend to be the best nutritionally Nicole. Refer to this page on the nutrient composition of whole vertebrate prey.
That being said, I don't believe variety will hurt them, but if you get a snake that is a fussy eater, you may find yourself throwing many unwanted prey items away. Fowl is supposed to create very nasty poo (although I've never been brave enough to try it for a month) and for larger snakes, mice are simply not an option when they reach adulthood. I would never presume to tell someone what is best for them, but I prefer to stay with one prey item, just to avoid headaches.
I say if you feel like switching things up from time to time and are comfortable with the extra work (if indeed it turns out to be) then go for it. I don't see it causing any problems with digestion or other health related problems, so long as your prey items are of a good quality anyway.

[Ed_r]

I personally believe the prey size is more important to what type of prey. Granted rats ARE more nuticious, but I have a ball Python that totally refuses rats, but will chow down jumbo mice like they are going out of style.

Also with my Boas, very little time in their life can they actually have mice, but as adults i switch them from rats to rabbits, and some times even guiney pigs. Variety is ok, not necessary but its ok.

[Bry]

Remember, snakes are opportunistic feeders. If a wild snake encounters one type of potential prey they don't usually get other times, they probably won't hold out because they don't know when their next meal will come along. If a snake will eat road-killed prey, they'll eat anything else.

Bry

[trinitywolf]

If a snake will eat road-killed prey, they'll eat anything else.

Does this mean my kin in Eastern Kentucky that eat R/K possum will eat anything?! LOL

[Ace]

I feed my boa a med chick occassianally, but mostley rats. and have not run into any problems.

[NicoleRussell]

I have a freezer full of quail and chicks as well for the lizards, but someone here had suggested (when I first started posting) that the beak might puncture the snakes belly---which of course led me to believe this was very very bad lol

[Wrasse]

well then, if the beak can puncture a snake belly, what can the sharp teeth of a full grown rat do? As they are only covered by a thin layer of skin. I wouldn't be too concerned about a beak and if you are, just snip the 'sharpish' bits off.

My snakes all happily switch to and from mice and rats. They don't seem to care one way or the other, but then I have never been fussy about what I offer them either. If it comes out of the freezer, looks good and is about the right size, that's what they get.

[NicoleRussell]

have you ever fed birds of any kind?
Also another point someone brought up was the fact that your snake might get hooked on quail, which is more money then rodents which might not be good in the long run.
I wonder though how my snakes would react to a bird once in a while .....

[Ed_r]

snake might get hooked on quail,

Would that be like quail-udes? LMAO

I think throwing one in for a mix once in a while would be fine. I know snakes like ball Pythons can get picky when they find something they really like, they can try and hold out for it.