Specific Dietary Recommendations

The variety of snakes kept in captivity is considerable and their food preferences are quite variable. Following is a list of preferred prey animals for the snakes most commonly kept in captivity: *

Boa constrictors, pythons, rat snakes, gopher or bull snakes:

• Warm-Blooded prey is preferred, such as rodents and birds. Juveniles of these species prefer the very small warm-blooded prey species.
• They may also consume very small lizards and snakes. Some tree boas and pythons prefer lizards to mammals and birds.

  Garter snakes, rabbi snakes, water snakes, etc:

• Fish, frogs, salamanders, toads, earthworms, slugs and carrion are preferred.
• Many accept dead mice if they are covered with the external mucus of frogs or fish before they are offered.

  Indigo snake, king snakes, and many racers:

• Warm-blooded (mice, etc) and cold-blooded prey (other snakes, lizards, etc) are preferred.
• The indigo snake prefers frogs but may eat anything when hungry, inducing dog or cat food.

  Ring-neck or brown snakes and their relatives:

• Salamanders, earthworms, very small snakes and lizards are the foods of choice.

  Racers, vine snake, coach whips:

• Lizards are preferred. Racers also eat mice and chicks of ground-nesting birds.
• The young of these snakes eat large insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers.

  Shedding (Ecdysis)

  Shedding is the process by which snakes periodically discard the outer portion of their skin. This activity is under hormonal control and associated with growth. Most snakes shed their skin 4-8 times per year. The frequency of shedding depends upon many factors, including environmental temperature, frequency of feeding, amount fed at each feeding, and activity level. Young snakes shed more frequently than older ones because growth is relatively rapid in the first few years of life.

  Healthy snakes usually have little or no difficulty with shedding and tend to shed their skins in one entire piece. Exceptions to this include snakes with injuries to the skin and/or scales resulting in scanning, and snakes housed in enclosures with sub optimal temperature and/or relative humidity levels

  The stresses associated with shedding can be substantial. Sick snakes, those suffering from malnutrition, or those whose health has been directly or indirectly compromised by poor husbandry experience delayed and incomplete sheds. These snakes tend to shed their skins in pieces. In fact, many of the pieces remain adhered to the underlying skin and eyes (retained eye caps).

  The shedding process is preceded by a period of relative inactivity. This period usually lasts 1-2 weeks, during which time the eyes begin to exhibit a dull, bluish-white appearance. During this period, the snake's vision is impaired, which causes them to be rather unpredictable and sometimes aggressive.

  The skin during this period tends to have an overall dull appearance. The underlying new skin is soft and vulnerable to damage while the outer layers prepare to slough away.

  The eyes again become transparent after 7-15 days and shedding commences. A snake will make use of any rough objects or surfaces within its enclosure to help shed the skin. Shedding commences with the skin of the head. Once the snake has loosened and dislodged the skin surrounding the mouth and overlying the rostrum (nose), it then passes between rough objects that can trap the loose skin and hold it as the snake glides out of the "old" skin. Discarded skin appears dry and tube-like or moist and crumpled in a solitary heap. Many snakes defecate after a successful shed, or consume large quantities of water.

  * Adopted from Frye, FL: Preferred foods of selected reptiles the role of nutrition in the successful maintenance of captive reptiles. 86th Ann Sci Seminar CVMA, 1974,p5.

Questions should be directed to our office, 502-245-7863