Dependant on the species of reptile being kept, dietary requirements vary greatly. It is imperative that correct dietary requirements of the reptile are met. Supplementation may be required for some species. Commercially made foods are also available for some species.

When feeding snakes and reptiles, a number of factors need to be considered:

• The size of the animal will determine the size and frequency of its feeding patterns. For example a hatchling Corn Snake make take one pinkie (baby mouse) two to three _ times a week, whereas an adult might take one or two mice once a week. A python will consume a rabbit every three weeks.
• If there are one or more snakes housed together, they should be separated for feeding.
• On the day of the feeding and for the day after feeding, handling or stressing the snake should be avoided, otherwise they may not feed or regurgitate their meal.
• Never use your hands to offer food to a snake, always use tongs.
• The temperature of the reptile needs to be at the PBT for digestion to occur properly.
• Feeding of fruit can promote fussy eaters and cause diarrhoea.
• A better nutritional balance is achieved if a wide variety of food is fed to the reptile this also prevents monotony.
• Remember to also include prey items like live crickets. If you do not feed these live, all that the reptile will eat is the empty husk.
• Apples (for moisture) and fish flakes are good additions to reptile diets.
• Some foods should not be fed too regularly as they can become addictive e.g. bananas and prawns.

Supplements can be added to the diet of reptiles. Listed below are two examples:

1. Multivitamin and minerals. It is important to only feed supplements which are specifically designed for reptiles.

2 . Calcium and Phosphorous. Powdered forms are available from reptile and other pet retail shops, or Cuttlefish can be used for certain species such as Giant African Land Snails.

It is important not to over-supplement, as this is just as bad as under supplementing. Nutritional problems can arise in reptiles if strict feeding requirements are not adhered to.

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