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→Frequency of feeding
* Young, growing snakes may require food every 2 to 3 days.
* Young, growing snakes may require food every 2 to 3 days.
* Active snakes such as garter snakes require several feeds per week.
* Active snakes such as garter snakes require several feeds per week.
*Small adult snakes may eat weekly or more often.
* Small adult snakes may eat weekly or more often.
* Giant snakes may only eat 4 to 6 times yearly.
* Giant snakes may only eat 4 to 6 times yearly.
Snakes may not feed during [[Snake Shedding|ecdydsis]] and some snakes do not feed during the breeding season.
Potential aetiologies for anorexia in snakes that can be hard to acclimate to captivity include inappropriate prey type or size (see [[Snake Diet|diets]]), inappropriate environmental temperatures (see [[Snake Housing|housing]]), dehydration, and chronic [[:Category:Snake Diseases|disease]].
'''Royal Python'''
'''Royal Python'''
'''Garter Snake'''
'''Garter Snake'''
* The presence of thiaminases in frozen fish can lead to clinical disease in fish-eating snakes, such as [[Garter Snake|garter snakes]].
* The presence of thiaminases in frozen fish can lead to clinical disease in fish-eating snakes, such as [[Garter Snake|garter snakes]].
==Preparation of food==
==Preparation of food==
Care of the prey item prior to feeding is important since nutritional deficiencies in the snake may occur if the animal being fed has been kept on an inappropriate diet. Similarly, if poor husbandry of prey items is practiced then they may serve as reservoirs for disease. Prey rodents should not have been treated with topical parasiticides e.g. permethrins, within three weeks of being offered to a snake (the dealer can confirm this). In addition, prey should not have been administered drugs such as antimicrobials and euthanasia compounds. In zoological institutions prey is often frozen at 0°C as a method of food preservation.
Care of the prey item prior to feeding is important since nutritional deficiencies in the snake may occur if the animal being fed has been kept on an inappropriate diet. Similarly, if poor husbandry of prey items is practiced then they may serve as reservoirs for disease. Prey rodents should not have been treated with topical parasiticides e.g. permethrins, within three weeks of being offered to a snake (the dealer can confirm this). In addition, prey should not have been administered drugs such as antimicrobials and euthanasia compounds. In zoological institutions prey is often frozen at 0°C as a method of food preservation.