# What's my Royal up to?



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Fed my Royal Python yesterday lunchtime, Fluffy is feeding really well now and instantly strikes it's feed. However, hubby was looking at it a few hours later and Fluffy was ready by the viv doors as if waiting for a feed - suddenly he struck out, hitting the glass. 

My question is, is it possible Fluffy was actually needing/wanting more food?

I currently feed once a week with a multimanmate around 30 - 40g weight. These are bigger than last batch, as I'd increased the size due to growth. Fluffy had only been on this size for 8 weeks, but maybe I should go bigger again, feed 2 or more often?


----------



## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Haha, I love the ironic name - that has made me smile before.😁

Does your husband look like a multi - perhaps a genuine mistake on Fluffy’s part? 😉🤣

I suppose they are opportunistic, so will often anticipate meal time. I tend to feed my snakes evening/night time. Upside is they are more alert and cued in. Downside, if I ever leave husbandry til the evenings, I have to do more prep with a hook to get them out of food mode.
Reversing this, perhaps fluffy is cued to day time meals, so daytime activity could mean food.

If you share weight and girth, some members might advise on size and frequency of feeds. 
To be honest, I just gestimate, and vary meals sizes/types.
If the meal is too big, perhaps you’ll see more waste in the stool.
If the meal is spot on, they seem to absorb more?

I have taken to feeding most of mine at 2 or 3 week intervals, and aiming for slow growth (hopefully will live longer….. ) Except the stimsons pythons who still get fed every 5-8 days whilst on mouse pinks.

Andy


----------



## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

The snake was still in feeding mode, and simply struck out at the first warm target that was in its striking distance. Nearly all my royals are more on point at the moment... probably have a strong food drive in preparation for the breeding season.


----------



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

@Swindinian The name started as a joke while I was thinking of one for it, but then it stuck 😁

More like a gorilla 😅🤣

I've always fed at around 1pm on a Friday. Fluffy is just a year old now and, like many Royals, was a pain to feed at first, but now is ready and waiting and is definitely growing well now. We're going to do a weigh this week, so that will give me an idea as to if I need to increase feed size. 

@Malc I've been up to the viv since first posting this and Fluffy was straight up to the glass, though didn't strike. At just a year old, would they show signs of breeding urges? I don't know the sex yet, but hoping to find someone local who can probe for me.


----------



## MrsTim (Aug 20, 2012)

Swindinian said:


> Haha, I love the ironic name - that has made me smile before.😁
> 
> Me too. Completely off topic ( speaking of ironic names ) l have a corn snake female called Bunny ( she has a bunny rabbit shaped marking on her head, so it was her nickname, and it stuck ).
> 
> ...


----------



## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Elly66 said:


> I've been up to the viv since first posting this and Fluffy was straight up to the glass, though didn't strike. At just a year old, *would they show signs of breeding urges*? I don't know the sex yet, but hoping to find someone local who can probe for me.


Can't say... but just that in the past couple of weeks all of my royals, apart from one have become more "on point". My BEL is active as I type where normally she hardly moves from one end of the viv. My desk is next to four of them, and if I get up to make a cuppa all react in some way, one female in the same way as when expecting food, even though she polished off two large weaner rats last night. If I walk into the back bedroom where three other royals are kept, they all do the same...and my daughters royal is very active in the day since last weekend, where she normally stays within her warm hide until the evening....


----------



## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Elly66 said:


> @Swindinian The name started as a joke while I was thinking of one for it, but then it stuck 😁


Like my boa my son named Squeezy lol - was a joke but no, now she's squeezy forever  Literally


----------



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Just an update - I decided to see if Fluffy would/wanted more food. At yesterday's feed time I gave them one 30 - 40g multimanmate and 20 mins later another one. Fluffy had both off the tongs before I had chance to get the tongs past the viv opening. Today they're much more settled than after last weeks feed.

I watched Fluffy eat and I don't think going a size bigger is a good idea yet. I'm going to weigh them in a few days. Do I keep offering 2 multimanmates a week or am I at risk of over feeding? Fluffy is just a year old, so still growing.
My corns have always been happy with a single feed, which I offer weekly.


----------



## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

The problem is that in my experience when in feeding mode a snake will take whatever it is offered unless the meal is huge. it's my opinion that its that built in survival instinct that whilst it has an opportunity to eat it takes advantage and will eat what it is offered (or found if in the wild). The issue is that unlike a snake in the wild that could spend weeks traveling over its area seeking food and thus using more calories, out captive snakes do little in comparison, so there is a risk of the snake becoming obese. More so when you consider the high protein diet rodents reared for food are fed. Your snake will also seem more settled as he has more food to digest and it will take him longer.

Its currently breeding season. All my females are smashing food with so much vigour that they often come out of the viv at the food before I have the glass open. (I was nailed the other week as I got distracted ). Males are still snatching food from the tongs, but are not as switched on as the females. Last night my 7 year old pastel lesser stuck at the glass as I was feeding the snake in the viv below...She gets a 70g weaner rat each week (she is 1.3m and 2.2kg). 

Your snake being a yearling will however make use of the extra food as its entering the period where they tend to grow more, you could however up the food size. The hold backs from 2019 were on 50g-70g weaner rats by the time they were 14 months old. I tend to feed all my royals (15 months and older) on large 70-90g weaners, other than a fussy male that takes ex breeder mice that are around the same weight.


----------



## jeremy68 (Dec 2, 2013)

As above, the fact that the snake still has a feeding response does not mean the meal was too small. I had a milk snake that was terrible for striking out, after feeding, at anything moving near the viv. For her own good I installed a curtain in the form of a blanket and just left the glass covered for 24 hours.


----------



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

@Malc It's definitely a learning curve with going from corns to a Royal. My corns have never shown this type of behaviour. Despite being fed the same, I've had slims to chunky (never obese, in my mind letting your animals become obese is cruelty). 

I need to order more multis anyway, so will go up to the next size. Fluffy definitely seems to be on a growth spurt, so going to be interesting to see what they weigh now ( was just 308g 2 months ago). 

@jeremy68 Where the viv is at the moment, you have to actively approach it, which helps. One Fluffys bigger one is made, I may need to look at covering the glass if it becomes an issue, as we'll be going backwards and forwards past it as only one place it will fit ( currently in a 3 x 2 x 2 viv).


----------



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Weighed Fluffy and they're now at 453g. Fluffy was a slow starter with the dreaded feed refusals, but the last few months have seen a big change. Length wise, looking at around 2 to 2.5 ft. Not sure how this fits with Royal growth, seen about 6 different charts (around 13 months old now). 

Going to order the next size up multimanmates on next order, so 40 - 50g ones.


----------

