Thunders diet

[Jules1618]

So today the diet and swimming begins
I'm hoping to take regular photos and post them to see if there is a change

Any suggestions welcome

[sweatshirt]

Good luck ;)

[Starbuck]

it may be helpful to take a picture of him over a measuring implement (ruler, tape measure, dollar bill) that way you have a standard to compare to.
Good luck with the diet!

[Lankyrob]

Cant remember if i said on your other thread but when i was "dieting" my fat adult corn i only fed one rat a month, the rat was roughly the same girth as the snake and he got back to a decent shape in about eight months or so, he wasnt as big as your guy tho.

[Jules1618]

Thanks for the info, I'm hoping that he does well. He is looking at me with hungry eyes already
Lol

[smy_749]

You know, I have to ask now that I realized the title of this thread/name of your snake. In your original thread Aaron said he had fatty hips or something, and I called them thunder thighs. Did you name your corn thunder because he has thunder thighs? lol

[Jules1618]

You know it, best name ever

[Corni-snake]

XD I thought it was a gravid female then! good luck and hope he gets back in shape :)

[Kimmie]

stairs are also good just put them in the middle so they have to decide :D

[smy_749]

I feel like this thing would tumble from the top to the bottom if he decided to go down lol

[JWFugle]

dont want to thread jack but how do you tell if a snake is overweight? other than the painfully obvious^
(at least hes fat and happy...)

ive heard you should see a ridge or indent from there spine and that means their healthy?? any other easy ways? sry last one. should females be a little thicker than males even if not being bred?

[Lankyrob]

dont want to thread jack but how do you tell if a snake is overweight? other than the painfully obvious^
(at least hes fat and happy...)

ive heard you should see a ridge or indent from there spine and that means their healthy?? any other easy ways? sry last one. should females be a little thicker than males even if not being bred?


There is no real rule that covers every snake. If you had only ever seen colubrids and you were introduced to a ball python you would think it is hugely overweight. The only real way is comparison with others snakes unless you get to the point where the snake is obviously fat in which case it is really too late.

[Starbuck]

sa lankyrob said, you really need to have a good idea of what a healthy snake of that particular species looks and feels like....

But here is a brief guide for most colubrids: the belly scales should be flat, not bowed out/in when the snake is relaxed in hand. a nervous/scared snake may puff up/flatten themselves. Most colubrids should have a well defined neck; less so in kings and burrowing snakes (such as bull/pine snakes). there should be a smooth transition over the vent; not a bulge or sudden drop off to the tail (the OPs snake is a good example of this). The backbone should be visible as a slight indent, and you should be able to feel it as a ridge if you run your hand along the back. you should not be able to see ribs, and excessively loose skin, a very sharp feeling backbone and a lack of body fill (i.e. the snake narrows at the neck and stays that width to the tail) MAY be a sign of an underweight snake depending on species.

[JWFugle]

thats what i figured but heck why not ask. thanks guys