Snake
Diets
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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, ribbon 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 snakes, 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, including 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 snakes, coachwhips:
- 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.
* Adapted 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, p 5.
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