Norm. I would guess that would depend on factors and i for one cannot answer that due to my limited experience. Joe Polanco has published an excellent article suggesting size/ frequency of food items to weight and age of emeralds. Though he also mentions exercising caution based on individual animals ability to process the offerings and grow accordingly. Given that, it is up to the owner to establish how much he should feed in order for that animal to achieve maturity within the accepted time frame without said animal becoming obese/ lazy and reaching maturity too early.
So, i would imagine if a subadult animal on an optimum feeding shedule is getting fat, it may be prudent to feed less/ smaller items. I would guess " the rule" applies more to larger animals and maybe not so to neonates and
younger animals that show fast "growth". I have 2 animals that i have raised from babies born to a gravid female that Joe exported to me. They will be 1 yr in September and around 190 g. I weighed each food item offered and will report how much weight was gained at their birthday relevant to the weight of food. Perhaps " better safe than sorry"applies with Emeralds. Maybe the more qualified on this forum could discuss.
I recently saw a wild Ruschenbergerii. It was about 5 and a half feet long. It had a bulg that was somewhere between a baseball and a soft ball.
Norm. I would guess that would depend on factors and i for one cannot answer that due to my limited experience. Joe Polanco has published an excellent article suggesting size/ frequency of food items to weight and age of emeralds. Though he also mentions exercising caution based on individual animals ability to process the offerings and grow accordingly. Given that, it is up to the owner to establish how much he should feed in order for that animal to achieve maturity within the accepted time frame without said animal becoming obese/ lazy and reaching maturity too early.
So, i would imagine if a subadult animal on an optimum feeding shedule is getting fat, it may be prudent to feed less/ smaller items. I would guess " the rule" applies more to larger animals and maybe not so to neonates and
younger animals that show fast "growth". I have 2 animals that i have raised from babies born to a gravid female that Joe exported to me. They will be 1 yr in September and around 190 g. I weighed each food item offered and will report how much weight was gained at their birthday relevant to the weight of food. Perhaps " better safe than sorry"applies with Emeralds. Maybe the more qualified on this forum could discuss.
I have to admit my comment wasnt totally serious. I am sure the ETBs in the wild dont have the luxury of chosing the perfect sized prey. They have to take chances with meals we feel are dangerously large. But I also feel since they dont have the limitations of our husbandry practices they may have more control over how to deal with such a large meal,(thermoregulation/humidity selection/air flow/ perch size etc)
Norm
I recently saw a wild Ruschenbergerii. It was about 5 and a half feet long.
That one is a stunner :shock: in wich area did you encounter it.
also take a look at how small those branches are, I still think most people supply perches which are too thick.
Jurgen.
Jurgen, That may be true. But by that logic, looking at the enormous meal it must have eaten to cause the bulge , maybe the rule of a meal no larger than the snakes girth is wrong also. Norm