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snakelily
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Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:02 pm Post subject: Digestion |
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I noticed my royal needs about 5 days to digest 3 fuzzies. Is this normal?
Temp. in tank is 93-98 on hot end by day, low 80's in the night. I have never seen her resting on the high temp. side though. Could it be that newspaper isn't thick enough on top of the heat mat (on outside of tank bottom of course) and it's uncomfortable for her there?
It's low 80's on the cool side both day and night.
Appreciate input. Thanks. |
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Stuart
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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93-98 seems a little too hot if you ask me..thats probably why you never see her up the hot end.
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mike h
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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sounds like she's cooking, or if we get a hot day she's gonna get cooked.
mike
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RoyalCrazy
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:13 am Post subject: |
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| mike h wrote: | sounds like she's cooking, or if we get a hot day she's gonna get cooked.
mike |
yeah. you need to get the hot spot down to 92 MAX. |
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snakelily
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:51 am Post subject: |
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Ok, I hear you. But I just double-checked the Royal Python Manual again, by Vosjoli, and he claims 90-95 on hot end is good.
What about the digestion question? How quickly do yours turn over their food? |
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snakelily
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:32 am Post subject: |
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Actually, I think I misrepresented this a little bit. She goes back and forth btw. 2 hides, one on the cool end and one in the middle which is kind of heated from the bottom heat mat which sort of extends half way into it.
Right now she is sleeping in that one and it's 94.5 degrees there. So I guess she likes to cook somewhat.  They are after all from West Africa...
Anyway, I was wondering if their digestive system is very slow in general, just as everything is kind of slow with them, their movements, etc. At least compared to corn snakes and other colubrids. I really have no experience with boids of any kind, and she just strikes me as very different from what I am used to. Or do you think she is sick?  |
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slate58
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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All snakes have a slow basal metabolic rate, meaning that once their meal is digested the metabolites it provides the snake can keep it going for a good while before it needs another meal.
So when you say five days, it could be that she isn't actually digesting for this long (usually 24-48 hours) but has enough stored metabolites to keep her going without eating (essentially shes not yet hungry).
My 950g male will eat every 4-5 days on ex-large mice (I know rats are better but he isn't daft and won't take them) whereas my 200g female will onle eat every 7 days despite the fact that both setups are the same with regards to temp, humidity, hides etc.
Just have to accept that nature is fickle and have to take these things as they come, she will find her own balance and its best to run with that if she appears healthy and is gaining weight.
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snakelily
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | So when you say five days, it could be that she isn't actually digesting for this long (usually 24-48 hours) but has enough stored metabolites to keep her going without eating (essentially shes not yet hungry). |
So that's what was meant when it said somewhere, "after the snake has a bowl movement it is ready to eat again." I forget where I read this but I was a bit puzzled by it.
Obviously that's not how mammals work, lol. And it's true, as soon as they do drop a load, they get extremely active and do seem to be hungry. (But it happens much sooner with my corn snake and hoggie.)
My royal made something really big this morning and has been awake since -- normally she sleeps all day. Now I wonder, should I feed her now or wait until tomorrow... I know she used to get fed once a week on the same day. I'm not sure it's a good idea to give provide right more food right away. I don't want a sausage of a snake!
Naturally, my real concern behind all this, in case anyone wonders, is not a fascination with poop, but rather the burning desire to handle my snake more often. I am used to wait a couple of days until they have done their business, but the way things seem to be working with this royal is that I only would get to take her once or twice a week! 
Anyone ever got crapped all over by their royals?
On the scale of unpleasant things that can happen in life, with regards to snakes or witout snakes, this should really hardly register.... As long as I don't wave her over the dining room table I should survive the experience without major trauma, lol.. |
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slate58
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | So that's what was meant when it said somewhere, "after the snake has a bowl movement it is ready to eat again." I forget where I read this but I was a bit puzzled by it. |
Along those lines yes.
To be honest I happily handle my royals and hoggies 24 hours after they've eaten and have never had one regurg, nor have I ever been crapped on by any of my snakes (did by my ackie once, not nice!)
As for over feeding, feedingon demand is ok as long as your watching her weight.
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mike h
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Temp. in tank is 93-98 on hot end by day |
I imagine the 95 vosjoli is talking about is max.
I have the surface temp between 86-90. If it goes much above humidity is low and the royals tend to be not as good as when the temp is 90 or below.
Royals if the rest of the enclosure is cold are terrible for sitting on too hot heatsources and burning themselves. Invest in a thermostat to control your heatmat.
| Quote: | | It's low 80's on the cool side both day and night. |
Are you heating the tank with just the heatmat?
I think they are digesting very quick, I hope to get a week or 2 between *(*^&. I feed mine as often as they show interest, sometimes 2/3 rats week sometimes 1 rat about 10 days.
mike
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