The growth of a snake.

I read on a different web site that you can reduce the size a snake grows by feeding it less. I personally dont believe that to be true because it would cause the snake to have poor health. I was just wondering if anybody has had any person experiance doing that.

Anything that is malnousrished will grow more slowly. Most people want their animal to grow NORMALLY, and be healthy....which they won't be if underfed. Why would you WANT to keep your animal from growing????

There reasons for doing it are to keep large snakes from getting so big.

If you don't want a large snake, then don't buy one. You get what you pay for.

I realise that this might not be a practice that you yourself are interested in. It just seems silly, don't buy a large snake if you don't want a large snake, simple as that!

My $0.02

Originally Posted by HerpAddict

If you don't want a large snake, then don't buy one. You get what you pay for.

I realise that this might not be a practice that you yourself are interested in. It just seems silly, don't buy a large snake if you don't want a large snake, simple as that!

My $0.02

EXACTLY!!!!! If you don't want your snake to get too large, buy a species that NATURALLY doesn't get large. Buying a Burm or a retic and then starving it.......yeah, that makes a LOT more sense than just buying a smaller snake to begin with. NOT.

The only reason that I can see people doing this kind of thing is that they want to be "cool" and tell people they own something that CAN reach enormous lengths....and half starving an animal is definitely NOT cool.

Would you starve your kids to keep them from outgrowing their clothes?

Actually, there is *some* truth in this. Hatchling/neonate/growing snakes grow according to their intake. Some people "powerfeed" their snakes. We have all heard of Ball Pythons that are fed every three to four days so that even the females are breeding size the second winter. Similarly, if they are fed every 10 days or even every 14 days they may be "well nourished" but just grow more slowly. Eventually, however, they will catch up and attain their "normal" size. After all, in the wild, snakes are not presented with "an appropriate sized prey item once a week". They may go a month or more between meals quite regularly.

In fact there are theoretical reasons for bringing young snakes along slowly. The dreaded "Diamond Python Syndrome" may, in part, be related to feeding too much to young Diamonds. Certain species of non-giant snakes are meant to take 4-5 years to reach maturity, like Diamonds and also Black Headed Pythons. Scrub Pythons also do much better when brought up slowly. That is not to say these snakes are not hungry. All of them will eat whatever is offered. It is simply to point out that slow growing snakes are often healthier snakes.

Anyone who suggests, however, that you can control the eventual size of a reptile by feeding it less or (my favorite) by keeping it in a smaller enclosure is simply wrong.

Originally Posted by 1stBp

There reasons for doing it are to keep large snakes from getting so big.

I realize what you're saying, Jim...and I agree, I don't think "powerfeeding" is best either, however what I believe this guy is clearly talking about is UNDERFEEDING an animal....TO KEEP LARGE SNAKES FROM GETTING BIG. Buy a Burm, keep it ball python sized by malnourishment? It doesn't work.

I believe an animal should be given the appropriate amount of food for them to grow at a natural, healthy rate.

Sadly, too many animals suffer because people believe that they can keep them small forever by underfeeding, and as you said, the misinformation that "a snake will only grow as large as its enclosure allows".