you should not breed this animal...period!

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Posted by Jim Demirjian on March 27, 2002 at 08:49:14:

In Reply to: FAT ratsnakes as breeders... posted by Jeff Schofield on March 26, 2002 at 18:40:38:

obesity in snakes, especially many in the genus Elaphe, which are naturally streamlined in build, is detrimental to health. I work with a large group of glades, bred them years, and photographed and observed them in the wild. I have a definate soft spot in my heart for them. These snakes should not be fed more than a small mouse every couple weeks. Two rats in one week just does not make sense.? These animals are at their best when they are sleek, fast, and agile...not fat and sluggish. My advice is simple, *do not attempt to breed this animal. Rather, put her on a maintenance diet, in a large enclosure. She will continue to have trouble shedding, and will have many problems, such as egg binding if you attempt to breed her.
Good Luck
JD

: I have inherited a MONSTER glades female that is as big as my arm!And I'm a big guy. Having not bred this sp. before I brumated them with the rest of my colubrids. She was fat going in and now she is ENORMOUS and eating 2 med-large rats a week! What is concerning is that her skin is stretched yet she still has not shed. I think her weight may be caused by the shed cycle moving so slowly. A normal colubrid would have shed 2x by now and she has yet to go opaque. My main concern is a lack of ovulation due to this condition. Aside from a low calorie/exercise routine, has anyone else experienced FAT colubrids???J

Follow Ups:

Re: you should not breed this animal...period! Alan Garry 03/27/02 (2)
- not really, as I would ask... Jim Demirjian 03/28/02 (0)
- They are about 5'..more Jeff Schofield 03/27/02 (0)

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: obesity in snakes, especially many in the genus Elaphe, which are naturally streamlined in build, is detrimental to health. I work with a large group of glades, bred them years, and photographed and observed them in the wild. I have a definate soft spot in my heart for them. These snakes should not be fed more than a small mouse every couple weeks. Two rats in one week just does not make sense.? These animals are at their best when they are sleek, fast, and agile...not fat and sluggish. My advice is simple, *do not attempt to breed this animal. Rather, put her on a maintenance diet, in a large enclosure. She will continue to have trouble shedding, and will have many problems, such as egg binding if you attempt to breed her. : Good Luck : JD : : : I have inherited a MONSTER glades female that is as big as my arm!And I'm a big guy. Having not bred this sp. before I brumated them with the rest of my colubrids. She was fat going in and now she is ENORMOUS and eating 2 med-large rats a week! What is concerning is that her skin is stretched yet she still has not shed. I think her weight may be caused by the shed cycle moving so slowly. A normal colubrid would have shed 2x by now and she has yet to go opaque. My main concern is a lack of ovulation due to this condition. Aside from a low calorie/exercise routine, has anyone else experienced FAT colubrids???J

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