| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Zincubus |
Posted - 15/01/2011 : 09:02:29
I've posted a thread asking for general into on Royals but this is more specific .
I have only ever kept Corn snakes and I always feed them in separate containers outside their viv , mainly because when I first got started I read loads of reports if snakes striking randomly when they put their hand in the viv , presumably thinking it was feeding time . So I gave always taken them out if their viv and simply place them in a plastic tub with thrill warmed up mice .
My question is can / should I do the same with my new baby Royal ??
I would really appreciate a lot of feedback and opinions on this matter as it's my only real concern about my new little Royal . |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Grunt |
Posted - 20/01/2011 : 21:03:07
quote:
Originally posted by Zincubus
quote:
Originally posted by Zincubus
quote:
Originally posted by Royalbob
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Mine have rat pups/pinks from hatching.
yep, start rats stay rats so much easier
She's on small mice at the moment , shall in use the same for the first feed or try her with a rat pup straight away ??
??
I'm no expert so there'll be someone along to confirm but all I've read say yes, get on rats and stay on rats. There's a few techniques to make the switch but just try a suitable sized rat (10-15% of snake's weight) and see if he takes it.
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| Zincubus |
Posted - 20/01/2011 : 19:08:48
quote:
Originally posted by Zincubus
quote:
Originally posted by Royalbob
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Mine have rat pups/pinks from hatching.
yep, start rats stay rats so much easier
She's on small mice at the moment , shall in use the same for the first feed or try her with a rat pup straight away ??
?? |
| Zincubus |
Posted - 20/01/2011 : 02:18:49
quote:
Originally posted by Royalbob
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Mine have rat pups/pinks from hatching.
yep, start rats stay rats so much easier
She's on small mice at the moment , shall in use the same for the first feed or try her with a rat pup straight away ?? |
| Robert |
Posted - 18/01/2011 : 22:03:47
I have always fed in the viv so as to avoid handling after a feed so long as the prey is dry and the substrate is too (I use aspen) then there is little chance of them eating substrate, a small amount will not harm even if they did as in the wild their prey aren't going to be completely clean :) |
| soloman |
Posted - 18/01/2011 : 19:21:41
right substrate covered no handling for 7 days and good temps time to warm the mouse and have a go so fingers crossed wish me luck. |
| soloman |
Posted - 18/01/2011 : 09:13:58
Thx will try |
| sandi |
Posted - 18/01/2011 : 08:33:42
Agreed, I just put a sheet of paper down, A4 size and i hold it in place by putting the end of a log on one edge of it. Drop ratty onto paper and she normaly takes it and constricts it there and then. Never had bark stuck to it after that. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 18/01/2011 : 07:39:16
quote:
Originally posted by soloman
have posted this somewhere else but when people say cover substrate before feeding does this mean all the substrate including in the hides if so how does this not desturb the snake before feeding info asap pls going to try the first feed for the 2nd time tomorrow :)
basically you are just puuting some on top of the substrate so that your snake cannot touch the substarte with the rat and get substrate stuck to the rat. so no, you dont need to cover the whole entier tank, just cover a section where u will be feeding him and it will be fine. |
| Grunt |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 22:23:40
quote:
Originally posted by soloman
have posted this somewhere else but when people say cover substrate before feeding does this mean all the substrate including in the hides if so how does this not desturb the snake before feeding info asap pls going to try the first feed for the 2nd time tomorrow :)
I think it's meant to mean just in the area you're feeding. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 20:57:31
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Mine have rat pups/pinks from hatching.
yep, start rats stay rats so much easier |
| sandi |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 20:49:24
I think another valid point is that if you wash your hands after feeding and always befor handling then you wont smell of food unless you are offering it.
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| reptiledanny |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 17:47:13
quote:
Originally posted by Zincubus
She's on small white standard mice at the moment , how will I know when to move her up medium then large mice and eventually onto rat pups .
Corn snakes usually feed on one and a half times the thickest part of their body, as I understand. .... but Royals feed on rodents the same thickness as their bodies. . Is that roughly correct. I realise that Royals have a much thicker body shape.
rat pups are roughly the same size as a small mouse, so going small mouse, med mouse, large mouse, rat pup, u will drop in size dramatically when u go from large mouse to rat pup, if i was u i would try and get ur royal on rats as soon as poss as sometimes it can be hard to convert them.
one thing that i can say about feeding in viv and having the worry of being bitten as that everytime i feed the royals the way they now that they are going to be fed is the fact that i heat up the rats with the hair dryer, so they can smell the rat and they all come out there hides.
when i out my hand in, there is no smell of rat at all so they dont really even move unless they want to be handled. i have never had a prob with feeding in the viv, and i have done that for just over 2 years now with my corn |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 16:31:31
Mine have rat pups/pinks from hatching. |
| Zincubus |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 16:27:03
She's on small white standard mice at the moment , how will I know when to move her up medium then large mice and eventually onto rat pups .
Corn snakes usually feed on one and a half times the thickest part of their body, as I understand. .... but Royals feed on rodents the same thickness as their bodies. . Is that roughly correct. I realise that Royals have a much thicker body shape.
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| speedy231278 |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 14:32:37
I'm an in-viv feeder. Generally I try to make sure the rat is sat on one of the bark hides to try and avoid it collecting any bark, but even with my corns who get a mouse slung in onto the substrate bark ingestion has never been an issue. As long as the food isn't damp, the bark will very rarely attach itself to the fur in my experience.
So far I've not been seen as dinner. Well, my corn has gives me the odd funny look every now and then, but she's a greedy little bugger who I'm sure would keep wolfing down mice until the local shops all ran out... lol |
| chris100575 |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 14:16:43
I agree with Blackecho.
Look at this logically. If you feed in the viv then when you put your hand in it could be for feeding, spot cleaning, water changing, handling or any other reason you can think of. There is no reason at all for snakey to assume that your hand means food as he'll be used to the fact the most of the time it doesn't. Plus, as BE said, they can tell the difference between you and a rat.
Also, have a look at RFUK where there's a mixture of species. This debate only ever really comes up about corns and royals, anyone with a big boa or python is happily feeding in the viv and not getting noshed. |
| nok1888 |
Posted - 17/01/2011 : 13:31:01
What i do (when she decides to eat) is put a couple o bits of kitchen roll down before i feed her so she cant get any aspen on the mouse. Works fine unless she's feeling shy n takes it into her hide to eat which totally amazes me how she manages it in there. Got to keep watch to make sure its away because she comes out to get her jaw back to normal |
| n/a |
Posted - 15/01/2011 : 22:47:32
Well, if that's what she's used to, feeding in her rub, I'd definitely do that. Like my Saada, that's what she likes so have gone along with that. As far as i'm concerned, what snakey wants, snakey gets ... spoilt little gits eh??? |
| Zincubus |
Posted - 15/01/2011 : 22:39:01
I can actually see both sides of the argument which isn't that helpful tbh
I'll probably start feeding her in the viv as she is used to that way , if I get tagged I can always swap to a feeding container.
The breeder feeds her in her RUB but then again they don't handle their snakes at all, though. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 15/01/2011 : 20:31:12
I feed all mine in there rub's where they live. It's where there hide is, it's where their comfortable and secure. |
