Small or Companion Animal Medicine Commons^™

Digestibility, Palatability, And Nutrient Composition Of Three Species Of Whole Prey In Three Species Of Snakes, Morgan R. Kienzle

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Snakes in human care often lack diversity in the diet. Rodents account for the majority of meals, while wild snakes are consuming a varied diet composed of multiple different whole prey species. By feeding only one species of prey, the chance of nutrient deficiencies and other health concerns increases. To promote variety in the managed diet, two commercially available whole prey species (mice (Mus musculus) and chicks (Gallus spp.)) and one novel species (Seba’s short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata)), were analyzed for their dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fat …