Comparação do desempenho alimentar de Pantherophis guttatus (cobras do milharal) sob diferentes taxas de alimentação.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) subjected to different feeding rates, specifically 10%, 15%, and 20% of their live weight. The experiment was conducted at the Zoo Répteis da Caatinga, located in Puxinanã, Paraíba, between July and October 2023. Nine animals of undefined sex were used, all four months old, randomly distributed into three experimental treatments, each with three replications. During a period of 75 days, the weight and food consumption of the snakes were recorded weekly, allowing the evaluation of weight gain and feed efficiency. The results showed an exponential growth of the animals, without significant differences between treatments, which suggests the presence of a compensatory gain in animals. However, it is important to highlight that the treatment with a 10% feeding rate demonstrated a higher feed efficiency index compared to the 15% and 20% treatments.