Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[JStroud]

Didn't receive it mate, stroudster @ hotmail.com
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Regards James Stroud

[pmpimbura]

yeah ok post it . James ill send it again!

[mark]

Irinpreet Gill
FCH01

Herpetology Assignment 2

(Q4)
All snake keepers, at one time or another, have encountered snakes that have refused to feed or do not feed on a regular basis. There are a number of factors which may influence a snakes feeding response, or lack of. Stress is one of the main contributing factors to a snake not feeding and can be brought on by a number of things. When snakes are stressed they begin to produce excessive amounts of lactic acid, which in high concentrations can kill. In extreme cases, snakes that do not eat for a long period of time may begin to lose condition and eventually become malnutritioned.
In order to get a snake feeding, the first thing to check is whether the prey item is correctly prepared. Almost all foods available for snakes will be frozen. To defrost foods they should be allowed to thaw naturally over a period of 12-36hrs, depending on the size of the prey item. When defrosting the food it is recommended not to touch it, as human scent on a prey item may put the snake off feeding. If the prey item is touched, wash it with luke warm water.
Prey items should never be defrosted in microwaves or by placing them directly onto a heating element. This will activate enzymes in the prey item, which when eaten may cause the snake to get salmonella. Also by heating the prey item it will remove it’s natural odour, which may also put the snake off.
The only prey item that is to be heated slightly is fish. Once fully thawed it is recommended to heat the fish to about 30C for 30-60 seconds. This is to denature thiaminase B, an enzyme that attacks B1 vitamins. If this enzyme is not destroyed snakes may suffer from vitamin B1 deficiency, which has an ill effect on the snakes nervous system.
Family Boidae posses heat sensitive pits and therefore it may be necessary to dip the prey item into hot water, for a few seconds only. This may stimulate a feeding response, because the snake can smell the prey item but can also sense the preys warm body with it pits.
It is not recommended to offer snakes food that has been frozen for a long period of time, as the mineral/vitamin content within the food would have deteriorated and the snake will not benefit from eating it.
By offering snakes a more natural diet, it may stimulate the snake to feed. Most snakes will take rodents and other mammals, and tend to be the most nutritious prey items. Birds are also quite nutritious and can be offered to arboreal snakes (i.e. Boas) in order to get them feeding, as they are natural bird eaters. Chicks are not very nutritious and should be avoided, whereas larger birds (i.e. quails, chickens and ducks) are. Fish and amphibians (difficult to obtain) can be offered to aquatic or semi-aquatic snakes, like garter and water snakes. These snakes can also be fed on a specially formulated diet called ‘Garter Grub’. Some species of snake will eat other reptiles, king snakes a notorious for their cannibalistic nature.
It is not recommended to offer prey items thicker than the thickest part of the snake’s body, as it would be difficult for the snake to swallow and also a large prey item can intimidate the snake (which can cause stress), resulting in the snake not feeding. So a smaller prey is offered.

(Q4)
Food should be offered at a distance via forceps, so that the snake cannot see or smell human presence. Also this way of offering the food keeps the keeper at a
safe distance, as some snakes are quite snappy in the presence of food. Obviously bigger the snake longer the forceps. The food item can be ‘jiggled’ to let the snake
believe that it is being offered live prey, as it is a natural instinct for a snake to hunt, kill and eat live prey.
If all the above factors are taken into consideration and the snake still refuses to eat there may be a problem with the snake’s environment, which can influence stress. When a snake refuses to eat, particularly if newly required, the environment should be checked for temperature, humidity, lighting, habitat and location of the enclosure.
Depending on the species of snake, it should be maintained at the optimum temperature for the respective time of year. If the snake is not kept in the correct temperatures, it is not likely to feed. Snakes rely on high temperatures to activate enzymes in the body, which aids the digestion of food. If the temperatures are too low the snake cannot digest the food properly. Humidity levels in the vivarium (viv) must also be at the correct levels in order for a snake to feed, this may vary depending on the species of snake.
Lighting in the viv is also an important factor in getting a snake to feed. It is important to create a photoperiod in the viv. This indicates to the snake when it is day and night. This is important for the snake to know as some snakes are nocturnal and feed at night and others are diurnal and feed during the day. If a species of snake is nocturnal, food should be offered at late afternoon or in complete darkness and if necessary leaving the food over night.
The snake’s habitat should make the snake feel secure. If the snake does not feel secure it will be stressed and will refuse to eat. The snake should be provided with at least two hides, one at either end of the viv so that the snake is not forced to choose between its preferred temperature and security. Both sides and the back of the viv should be covered with a dark backing, this will also make the snake feel secure. As hatchling snakes are agoraphobic, one way of making them feel secure is to house them in ‘Geo tubs’.
Constant vibrations caused by machinery, children, loud music etc can cause snakes to become stressed, which may cause the snake not to eat. So the viv should be placed where disturbances are at a minimum. If any of the above factors are incorrect it may cause gastrointestinal disorders, which as a result the snake can lose teeth and get mouth rot. In these situations a vet should be consulted.
Some snakes will refuse to eat when they are in slough, as they cannot see the prey item clearly. Also some snakes, when in slough, can become quite defensive as they are at a disadvantage because they cannot see as clearly. Many snakes also refuse to feed during the gestation period. Gravid snakes often lose their appetite.
Over-handling is a factor that may cause a snake not to feed and is over looked by amateur snake keepers. Over-handling can cause stress, and as I have already mentioned stress is a major factor influencing on whether a snake feeds. Over-handling can also cause gastrointestinal disorders.
Some snakes are notorious for being problematic feeders. Snakes like Royal/Ball Pythons, Python Regius, have a reputation for being very ‘fussy’ feeders and do not make suitable pets for first time snake keepers.
Another factor, which may determine if snake feeds, is whether it is wild caught or captive bred/raised. Wild caught snakes will be likely to be stressed from
(4)
their capture and being transported, and therefore will not eat. Also wild caught snake will be used to eating live prey (although some wild caught snakes can be enticed in
to taking dead food items, by using some of the techniques discussed later). One way of telling whether a snake is wild caught, is to check the animal for ticks, mites and other parasites. Wild caught snakes are often heavily parasitised, especially wild caught Royal/Ball Pythons.
If a snake is ill or wounded in any way, this will also cause a snake to go of its food. Things like; internal/external parasites, mouth rot, respiratory infections, bacterial infections, cuts and burns. If any of these occur it is recommended to consult the vet immediately.
There are many techniques used, by amateur and experienced herpetologist alike, to get snakes that do not feed to do so. Exposing the insides (especially the brain) of the prey item may stimulate a feeding response in a snake. This technique is used to make the smell of the prey item more appetising to the snake.
As I have already mentioned, some snakes are really ‘fussy’ eaters and one way of encouraging a snake to eat is to use different coloured mice or rats, as some snakes prefer a particular colour prey. Rats and mice are mainly available in white, black or brown.
Odour manipulation is a technique usually used to entice King and Milk snakes to feed. This technique can also be used to entice other snakes, with preferred tastes, to eat. In order to get a snake to eat, rub it’s natural prey on to the food item offered. For example, King snakes natural preys are other snakes and lizards. So if possible rub a lizard against the food item before it is offered. This method can also work using a ‘pinky’ bound in a sloughed skin of a snake or lizard, or if the prey item is dipped into an egg of a reptile after the hatchling has emerged. If this process is repeated the animal can slowly convert to eating mice/rats.
Another technique that can be used to get a snake to feed is to bag the snake up in a cotton type bag (i.e. pillow case) with the prey item and to leave it in the viv over night. By doing this it makes the snake feel secure and snakes are more likely to feed when they feel secure. I have used this technique on a number of occasions with much success.
If a snake feeds but not on a regular basis, one useful technique can be used is a method called ‘following on’. When a snake is just about to finish the first prey item, slowly and carefully begin to place the second prey item into the snakes mouth. By doing this it lets the snake believe that it is still eating one prey item. This technique prevents the snake from losing condition and allows young snakes to grow at a normal rate. When doing this process it is important to keep disturbances to a minimum and when the food is offered it must be done very discreetly.
If all the above techniques fail and the snake is rapidly losing condition, force-feeding may have to be considered. This technique is to be used as a last resort. Force-feeding is very stressful for snake and if done incorrectly can cause bruising, therefore should be only be attempted by experienced vets or keepers. Force-feeding does not present a permanent solution, as many animals will commence normal feeding routines after the initial force-feeding stage.
There are a few ways of force feeding a snake. A ‘pinky pump’ can be used. This is a stainless steel syringe in which liquidised ‘pinkys’ are placed. This is then inserted into the snake’s mouth and the ‘pinkys’ are carefully syringed into the snake’s throat. Then the liquidised mixture is massaged down to the snake’s stomach.

(Q4)
Other methods of force-feeding requires the snake’s head to be held whilst food is carefully pushed into the snake’s mouth and gently massaged down the throat to the stomach. Certain snakes when restrained open their mouth, in an attempt to bite, and food can slowly be pushed in. If the snake does not open its mouth one way of doing so is to pull down (carefully) the skin on the lower jaw of the snake, this should cause the mouth to open. Another way of getting the mouth to open is to apply slight bilateral pressure on the posterior jaw angles, or by a slight pressure between the lips using a soft wooden sick or a rubber wedge. This technique can cause a lot of damage to the snake if not done correctly.
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boas and burms

[mark]

above post was bought to you by pmpimbura
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boas and burms

[pmpimbura]

ah cool!! so what do you all think???

[JStroud]

Interesting read, very good broad summary. Interesting re: the viatmin B1 deficiancy due to non-heated fish prey items, are there any recorded incidents of this happening? I can't imagine (back in the day ) garter snakes being fed pre-heated slices of trout, the information would've just not been around

What was the paper for, part of a uni module or something extra-curricular? It'd be interesting if you went deeper into the offering of multiple smaller food items to maintain a high metabolism and thus faster growth rate and then also the enigma of trying to feed gravid snakes

Nice read though mate
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Regards James Stroud

[Dan]

I think the article was fine for non herpers but it has areas that contradict each other, areas that are irelevant, areas that arent strictly true, areas that are just wrong or lack relevant information and areas that need defining.
Overall as a paper for non herpers it's fine, just not for herpers
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TFA

The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!

[pmpimbura]

Cheers for the feed back guys. The effects of vit b1 defficiency is an effect on the nervous system. Its said to cause the snake to flip on to its back, described as fitting. Only ever seen it once in red sided garter.
I wrote this as part of a herpetology nvq.
This was written about 7 years ago and having read it earlier i agree that there is room for improvement. But it was written for a level 2 nvq and at that level i wasnt expected to go in to great detail. I may re write it with the knowledge i ve gained since then, anything is better than revising
Regards
Iri Gill

[JStroud]

Good shout on the revising If your going to rewrite give us a shout I'll be happy to write some/give a hand

Now after reading it on here both your emails turn up at once!! Sod's law
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Regards James Stroud

[pmpimbura]

cool. I may well do that then, let me ease the load at uni then when i have time i 'll give you a shout and we can put something together.

Iri Gill