first snake feeding questions

[rwg]

Hello,

I have a young corn snake, and this is my first reptile of any kind. I've read a lot of material on the internet, but I still have some questions about feeding.

I have read that overfeeding is bad for the snake, so I want to figure out how much food is enough.

My snake is about 18" long, and is a little narrower than the pinky mice I have to feed him. I have no idea how old he is. He was in the pet store about a month when I got him. The staffer who did the feedings said he was eating 1 pinky once a week mostly, but had eaten 2 in a feeding recently. I fed him one the week after we got him. I fed him 2 the following week because he ate the first one in no time flat. It's been about a week, so I'm going to feed him again.

When he ate 1, the bulge was visible for about one and a half days. When he ate 2, it was more like 2 and a half days.

Should I let him have 2 if he's willing to eat it, or is this over-feeding? Is he young enough to be feeding more frequently perhaps?

Thanks,
rg

[Invictus]

At 18", I'd be feeding it fuzzies. 2 and a half days of having a bulge in the stomach is nothing. Sounds like underfeeding to me.

[BoidKeeper]

Stay with a food item that is the same size as the diameter of the snake it that's fuzzies fine but you said he was thiner then the pinkies. Feed him two mice the same diameter as him every 5-7 days and you'll see him grow.
Cheers,
Trevor

[reverendsterlin]

I try to move the corn neos I keep from my own breedings to fuzzies by the 6-10th feeding. Usually by the time they are over 20 inches I'm hoping they are ready or nearly ready for small adults. Last year's keepers are only a week short of their first birthday and running from 130-165 grams and 29-32 inches.

[reverendsterlin]

oh, all but 1 were eating small adult mice either immediately or within 2 feedings of coming out of brumation in Febuary.

[vanderkm]

It has been my experience that pet stores often keep young snakes on pinkies much longer than they should to reduce feeding expenses and prevent the snake from growing (bigger are harder to house and sell). This results in youngsters that have a bit of catching up to do and will grow very rapidly if you feed a lot.

I move my youngsters up to a larger size prey as soon as they are able to take it because I think they benefit from the more mature muscle, bone and tissue of fuzzies more than pinkies.

If yours is digesting two pinkies within 3 days, I would feed a couple pinkies per feeding until I had used up my supply of pinkies and then move up to fuzzies. I usually give them one prey size at a time until they are acting hungry (hunting in evenings, looking out of their hide optomistically whenever I come in the room) within 5 days of feeding - then move them up to two of the same size. I give them that double meal for about 3-4 feedings until moving them to the next prey size.

I think this supports rather rapid growth and they require good temperature managment to ensure they can complete digestion. There is lots of controversy about over-feeding and health problems and you will have to determine what you feel comfortable with.

mary v.

[Katt]

I think that having a bulge too long is also unhealthy b/c the longer it takes the food to digest, the more chances bad bacteria has a chance to set in and cause illness.

[Smilts]

yea mine snake sheds in less than month thats catching up

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Katt
I think that having a bulge too long is also unhealthy b/c the longer it takes the food to digest, the more chances bad bacteria has a chance to set in and cause illness.

I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree with this statement.

Where, pray tell, does the bacteria come from? If the mouse has bacteria on it, the snake will become infected regardless, whether it digests in 3 days or a week and a half.

Secondly, I just recently increased my corns who had previously been fed one adult mouse per week up to 2 adult mice per week. Guess what.... it still only takes them a week to digest 2. It just means the poop is bigger.

Here's a little tidbit of science that is true of all animals including humans... it has been found that meal size has NOTHING to do with digestion time, and as long as the stomach has food in it, it will take the same amount of time to digest that particular food item, no matter how much of it is there. (Some fod items digest quicker than others, but the quantity doesn't matter, IOW...)

[RaVeNo888o]

this seems to be the same as my snake. mine also was a pet store buy and was rather small when i got him and he was 8 months old. heres my thread from the king forum
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20531