Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Scott W]

This is just a running 'experiment' to see which is best for growth in baby royal pythons. 2 will be fed just rats (of appropriate size) and 2 mice.

Both sets will be given as much food as they will eat (of their own free will!).

Starting statistics.

M1 - weight 84 grams, so far has had 2 meals, both mice
M2 - weight 81 grams, as above
R1 - weight 77 grams, as above
R2 - weight 83 grams, as above.

R1 & R2 will now only be offered rats, M1 & M2 will only be offered mice, although if they will take two per sitting then I will let them.

Anyone have any predictions or comments?

I will update this thread every week.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[mark]

the 2 per sitting is this going to be the same with rat feeders as mice
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boas and burms

[Scott W]

two other points about rat fluffs,
1) They probably won't contain as much calcium as hopper mice as their bones have not yet hardened
2) hopper mice are eating mostly solid food whereas rat fluffs will still be feeding on milk, so may be better or worse??? but either way will be different.

any comments anyone

First one ate a rat fluff earlier, R2 didn't, I may swap R2 to another that will eat rats fluffs straight away (to keep starting dates the same )
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Scott W]

not weighed them all again since but both the intended rat feeders are now on large rat fluffs, I'll have plenty of time tomorrow to weigh them etc.

No one else found any differences? or have any opinions?

If it's too 'dull' a subject I'll not worry about posting results but seeing as a fair few royal keepers view the forums I thought it might make interesting discussions, especially for those that have to pay for rodents.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Stuart]

Personally I would be interested in the results..be interesting to see which item gives the most weight gain..maybe someone else could try a similar experiment on another species and then see if results are similar at all..just a thought.
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[goldenburm]

i can do a couple of baby boas?
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1.0 striped supersalmon DEAD
0.1 salmon poss TH moonglow DEAD
0.1 Orangasm DH ghost DEAD
1.0 pastel motley DEAD
2.0 sunglows 1.0 LIVING
1.1 pastel het snow 0.1 LIVING
2.2 albino boas DEAD
0.2 albino ara's DEAD
0.4 boa constrictors 0.2 LIVING

[goldenburm]

saying that though the time frame will be about 2 months before they would be off mice so the time scale probably would not work!

Anyone with baby corns, milks, kings etc?
_________________
1.0 striped supersalmon DEAD
0.1 salmon poss TH moonglow DEAD
0.1 Orangasm DH ghost DEAD
1.0 pastel motley DEAD
2.0 sunglows 1.0 LIVING
1.1 pastel het snow 0.1 LIVING
2.2 albino boas DEAD
0.2 albino ara's DEAD
0.4 boa constrictors 0.2 LIVING

[Stuart]

are they not big enough to take rat pinks??
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[goldenburm]

yes they are and have just transferred em over I had some mouse fluffs that needed using first so used them up first! 3 are on rat fluffs now!
_________________
1.0 striped supersalmon DEAD
0.1 salmon poss TH moonglow DEAD
0.1 Orangasm DH ghost DEAD
1.0 pastel motley DEAD
2.0 sunglows 1.0 LIVING
1.1 pastel het snow 0.1 LIVING
2.2 albino boas DEAD
0.2 albino ara's DEAD
0.4 boa constrictors 0.2 LIVING

[Scott W]

Cheers Pete, I certainly think it would be good to see if different snakes grow quicker / better on different diets.

I have heard that a lot of the mountain kings can be deficent in calcium etc due to people feeding very small mice/fluffs their whole lives, these obviously aren't as good as adult mice that are fully boned etc In the wild the snakes would get the 'bone quality' they need by feeding on other snakes and lizards, not just baby mice.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk