EXOTIC ANIMAL AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
A. Meredith, MA, VetMB, CertLAS, DZooMed MRCVS
K. Eatwell, BVSc (Hons), DZooMed MRCVS
B. Reusch BVetMed (Hons), CertZooMed, MRCVS
E. Keeble, BVSc, DZooMed, MRCVS
G. Goodman DVM, MSc, MRCVS
L. Benato DVM, GPCert (ExAP), MRCVS
J. Hedley BVM&S MRCVS
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies
Hospital for Small Animals
Easter Bush Veterinary Centre
Roslin
Midlothian
EH25 9RG
www.dickvetexotics.com
Tel: 0131-650 7650 Fax: 0131-650 7652
Feeding snakes
Unlike most pets, snakes eat whole prey items including mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters. Larger snakes will also eat whole
rabbits. Since snakes eat entire prey items, this simplifies things and most certainly prevents many dietary-related diseases.
However, it does present a problem. Namely, you must provide some type of prey to the snake. Ideally, your snake should
be provided with a warm (at body temperature), previously frozen prey item. It is not recommend to feed live prey to snakes
for several reasons. First, the prey obviously knows it is prey and unless killed and eaten immediately, it suffers unacceptable
psychological stress given that it will be in an environment where it cannot escape from its predator. Second, and surprising
for most snake owners, is the fact that even a small mouse can severely injure and even kill a snake if the snake isn't
hungry.
Smaller snakes usually eat twice each week, and larger snakes eat once every week to once every few weeks. Your snake will
also tell you how often he needs to eat by his response to your feeding schedule. Monitoring your snakes weight and growth
is also important.
A snakes requirement for energy is 2 – 5% of a comparable mammal. Boas and pythons require only two thirds the
energy of a comparable colubrid snake. This means they can live of very little amounts of food and obesity is a common
problem. A predator will not refuse a free meal presented to it unless it is very full! A percentage of snakes that are not
eating may just not be hungry. What follows is a rough guide to the amount of food your snake requires. An adult
mouse weighs 27g. It is important to realise that the energy density of a pinkie will be about half that of an adult mouse.
With small specimens twice the weight of pinkies will need to be fed. A rat has about three times the energy of a mouse.
100g in weight – 8.11g mouse per week
250g in weight – 16.72g mouse per week (~one mouse a fortnight)
500g in weight – 28.92g mouse per week (~one mouse per week)
1kg in weight – 50g mouse per week (~one mouse every four days)
5kg in weight – 178.30g mouse per week (~three mice every three days)
10kg in weight – 308.30g mouse per week (~ five mice every three days)
As the snake gets over 500g it becomes impractical to continue to feed mice, so alternative food items should be
considered. This will enable the frequency of feeding to be reduced according to the size of the prey item fed. It is
important to realise that some obese prey items will carry a large fat content and are more energy dense than are leaner
individuals. Growing or pregnant animals will require more food. Since your snake "is what he eats", it's important to
make sure that your snake's prey is healthy and well fed. We advise you to add a very small amount of a multi-vitamin
powder into the stomach or abdomen of the dead prey prior to feeding your snake.
Fresh water in a ceramic dish that won't easily tip over should be available at all times. Snakes will not only drink from the
water bowl but will often bathe in it as well (although it is perfectly acceptable to mist the snake with water a few times a
week too). Make sure the water stays clean; many snakes love to defecate in their water bowl as well as drink from it!
Anorexia is a common problem in snakes and there are many causes. These could be benign causes such as the stress of a
new environment, shedding, pregnancy, or breeding season anorexia. Failure to eat could also be a sign of a more serious
problem. Inappropriate feeding methods, inappropriate food or husbandry related problems are major causes of anorexia. It
is important to visit your vet for a thorough assessment of your husbandry and to check out the snake for any problems.
If at all possible you should try to get the snake to feed voluntarily without resorting to force-feeding. This will be less
stressful to the snake and to you. The key thing is the environment. If this is not correct then no amount of tricks in
the world will persuade a snake to feed properly. Snakes do require UV-a supplemental lighting for 10 – 12 hours a day.
The best form of heating is a ceramic spot lamp. Humidity is important and so a bowl of water big enough for the
snake to curl up in is required, placing this over a heat pad can increase humidity. Some snakes that go off food in the
winter are able to perceive the changes in our climate, so it is vital to maintain the correct temperatures by a thermostat
and have lighting on a time switch. A full health check is also advised.
Tricks to further assist feeding (if appropriate): 1.
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Never use albino mice, they are not perceived as a food source.
If using a frozen and the defrosted food source, warm it in water to body temperature before feeding. Never ever
handle the food item.
If this does not work then recently killed prey can be tried. This can be done humanely by a firm blow to the back
of the head. DO NOT FEED LIVE RODENTS!
Provide a hiding place for the snake. This will increase security for the snake. Then you can dangle prey outside
(on the end of forceps): with luck the snake will strike and take the prey. Do no get your fingers in the way.
Feed at night.
Leave the snake and the prey in the dark overnight in a linen bag, within the vivarium.
Regurgitation is a problem that is also seen. This may be a sign that the snake is too cold, has a parasitic infection, is
stressed or that the prey was too big. Check the vivarium temperatures the snake may be too cold. Then try with
smaller prey a few days later. If the food regurgitated is off or there is bloody diarrhoea – a parasitic infection is
possible. Your snake needs to visit the vet along with any regurgitated food item and any faeces it has passed.
If assist-feeding is required then a daily record of the snake’s weight is paramount. 3% of the body weight should be
fed every two days. We recommend the use of a liquid diet based for carnivores. This can be made into a slurry, which
can be warmed to 320C. The lubricated feeding tube needs to be slid down towards the back of the mouth to avoid the
windpipe. The snakes head and neck need to be vertical and straight during placement of the tube. Care to avoid
damaging the windpipe as this can lead to swellings of the head.
There are many concerns when providing food for a pet snake. It is important that food sources are appropriate. Snakes
will not recognise albino mice as a food source as easily as they will agouti coloured rodents. If possible sourcing brown
mice or gerbils are ideal. For larger individuals then guinea pigs or rabbits may need to be utilised. Most food will be
acquired frozen. It is important that these are never handled or human scent will be passed onto them. Use tongs at all
times to handle the prey items even if frozen. Defrost each item prior to use and heat to blood temperature. This is best
done in warm water. Snakes have heat sensitive pits which can tell prey temperature and it is this temperature which
stimulates feeding activity. Supplementation should be given in moderation inside the prey item – generally force a bit
into the mouth. The advised supplement is Arkvits produced by VETARK. Once defrosted the prey item is best fed
where the snake feels secure. This may be inside the enclosure but generally the prey item is best dangled/danced from
a long pair of forceps outside the hide where the snake is. Snakes like to feel comfortable when digesting food and it is
important that the hide is small enough to enable the snake to feel secure by having contact over and around it’s body.
How much and how often depends on the size of the snake, it’s metabolic rate and the energy content of the prey item.
The Exotic Animal and Wildlife service offers
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All our vets are very experienced and have extra qualifications in reptile medicine and surgery and can offer
your pet a high quality standard of veterinary care
All reptiles are hospitalised in appropriate vivaria
First opinion consultations
For the more unusual and complex cases you can be referred to us
For emergencies, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, please ring our veterinary hospital on 01316507650
Resources:
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www.dickvetexotics.com our website providing up to date information on our services.
www.proteus.uk.net a good source for information sheets and husbandry advice.
www.eawt.co.uk a good source for information sheets.
www.uvguide.co.uk the latest information on UV light sources.