# Anurans or Mice: What is the Best Food Item for Young and Adults of Bothrops jararacussu (Lacerda, 1884) in Captivity?

## TL;DR

This study explores alternative food items for Bothrops jararacussu snakes in captivity, finding that native frogs may be a better option than mice.

## Contribution

The study introduces native anurans as a viable alternative diet for Bothrops jararacussu in captivity.

## Key findings

- Snakes fed bullfrogs showed less weight gain and growth compared to other diet groups.
- Native anurans are a promising alternative food source for B. jararacussu in captivity.

## Abstract

Good feed management in captivity is essential to animal survival and well‐being. For snakes, most studies focus on the frequency of prey consumption and the types of prey that constitute their diets in the wild. Conversely, there is a notable scarcity of studies regarding their dietary habits in captivity. The prevailing trend involves feeding nearly all snake species exclusively with mice, barring the exceptions found in ophiophagic species. Considering that Bothrops species consume different diets in young and adults in the wild, we use B. jararacussu as a model to introduce other prey items in captivity. We use a generalized linear model (GLM) to understand if native and exotic anurans can be alternative items in the captivity diet of young and adult individuals. Our glm showed that snakes fed on bullfrog had less weight gain and consequently less growth than those provided with other diet groups. Our experiments indicated that native anurans could be an interesting food alternative to B. jararacussu and other Bothrops species with an ontogenetic diet in captivity.

We use Bothrops jararacussu as a model to introduce three different prey items (mice, exotic anuran – bullfrog and native anurans) in captivity. Our experiments indicated that native anurans could be an interesting food alternative to B. jararacussu and other Bothrops species with an ontogenetic diet in captivity.