|
Re: pinkies
There are two ways that bones form. One was is that cartilage is deposited. Then it calcifies into bones. The second way is for bone to be formed directly. Newborn mice (pinkies) have a higher proportion of cartilage (less calcium) compared to older mice. Their bones are becoming calcified, but are not completely calcified. This is why you hear about pinkies being low in calcium and older mice being better. The young mice (or even adults for that matter) may be deficient in vitamins and minerals. Lack of these is what causes scurvy, for example, when people only eat a diet of meat. Maybe the pinkies/hoppers have an adequate vitamin load in their guts (depending upon what THEY ate), and maybe they don't. This is why I always try to promote the use of vitamin supplementation in a snake's diet.
The vitamin D that comes in calcium powder helps to assimilate the calcium (deposit it into the snake's muscles and bones). As far as protein goes, any meat source contains all 20 of the amino acids necessary to produce proteins, which are necessary to grow. Hope this helps.
Rick
|