Is he too skinny? :(

[Amara]

Ok, so I'm having a bit of a hard time with this post. I would like to ask if my snake is too skinny but I can't seem to post a pic. It says that my post is denied because of limited URL or unacceptable language which I haven't used lol (I only tried to post 3 pics, went down to one and it was still denied) and it keeps erasing my post so I have to start over lol.

Anyways, he's 6-7 weeks old, eats a pinky a week which he gobbles down like a pro, poops on schedule, seems pretty active (hard to compare since he's my first snake), he is super nice and docile and gets really curious when we take him out. Hasn't shed yet but I've only had him for 3 weeks. Basically, he seems pretty healthy but he is sooooo tiny! He is 12 inches but instead of being round, he's kinda flat on the sides and that worries me.

I know it's hard to tell without a pic sorry. I've been trying to post them with Photobucket, is there another way that it could work or am I just too new to the forum?

Thanks in advance :)

[zippopunk1]

what kind of snake do u have

[Gungirl]

Does the pinky leave a lump for 24hrs or more? If so then don't worry he is fine. If the pinky does not leave a lump at all or the 24hrs I would up the food size until the item leaves a good size lump for at least 24hrs.


zippopunk.. this is the Elaphe Guttata Guttata( corn snake) section so it would be safe to assume a corn snake.

[Aaron_S]

Ok, so I'm having a bit of a hard time with this post. I would like to ask if my snake is too skinny but I can't seem to post a pic. It says that my post is denied because of limited URL or unacceptable language which I haven't used lol (I only tried to post 3 pics, went down to one and it was still denied) and it keeps erasing my post so I have to start over lol.

Anyways, he's 6-7 weeks old, eats a pinky a week which he gobbles down like a pro, poops on schedule, seems pretty active (hard to compare since he's my first snake), he is super nice and docile and gets really curious when we take him out. Hasn't shed yet but I've only had him for 3 weeks. Basically, he seems pretty healthy but he is sooooo tiny! He is 12 inches but instead of being round, he's kinda flat on the sides and that worries me.

I know it's hard to tell without a pic sorry. I've been trying to post them with Photobucket, is there another way that it could work or am I just too new to the forum?

Thanks in advance :)

Don't worry. Just keep doing what you're doing. Most young snakes put on some length then fatten up.

[Amara]

zippopunk, he's a corn snake.

Gungirl, the pinky leaves a lump but not huge. The morning after his feed, I have to "look" for the lump to see it but at the same time, he's so small I can't imagine feeding him anything bigger. At his widdest part, he's about the size of a fat pencil or a Sharpie permanent marker.

Can anyone tell the the rule about pictures I couldn't find it anywhere? I feel silly asking for size advice without posting a pic ;)

[rmfsnakes32]

Just going off whatvyour saying he sounds like a healthy corn snake if your concerned give him 2 pinkys a week and see how he does with that

[nick654377]

to post pictures upload them to photobucket and click on the img code. simply paste the img code in the reply box and wala insta picture!

[zippopunk1]

im new and this is set up different than the reef forums im use to thats why i just ask questions but dont give advice lol sorry for my ignorance and thanks for the knowlege

[Aleks]

at that age u can feed them every 4 days! (I feed every 4 days all the way up do adult mouse...!)

and for size of the mouse... 1.5 time the biggest part of your snake....

[brooksy]

My first snake was a kingsnake that was the same thickness as a sharpie marker too. I was told it should eat fuzzies. I figured the breeder must have said the wrong size as I was convinced she couldn't eat something that big. After feeding her pinkies for a while I realized I wasn't seeing a lump once it got down & tried a smaller fuzzy. I would suggest maybe picking up some smaller fuzzies, if yours isn't ready now, it will be really soon. And once you go up, you will notice your corn snake starting to put on a bit of thickness too. You can tried the 2pinkie thing too but I prefer to feed only one prey item per feeding for my snakes.

[Amara]

Ok so after reading your replies, I'm not worried about him dying anymore for which I thank you. I get a little paranoid about my pets...and my kid...but that's a whole other story lolll.

I went to his breeder today because I needed more mice and showed him pictures. He basically said the same thing as you guys, move him up to 2 pinkies a week and he'll be ready for fuzzies pretty soon. They still have one of his little sibbling there and he's the same size and on 2 pinkies so that made me feel better.

Nick, that's what I've been doing with Photobucket and it doesn't work. I guess I'm just too new, one day I'll be able to show off my little guy (and ask what morph he is :p)

Thank you :)

[EmbraceCalamity]

Nick, that's what I've been doing with Photobucket and it doesn't work. I guess I'm just too new, one day I'll be able to show off my little guy (and ask what morph he is :p)

Thank you :)Why doesn't it work? You can try here instead: TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting (http://tinypic.com/) Just hit "Browse" and click your picture, then upload them and post the image link.

~Maggot

[KORBIN5895]

My first snake was a kingsnake that was the same thickness as a sharpie marker too. I was told it should eat fuzzies. I figured the breeder must have said the wrong size as I was convinced she couldn't eat something that big. After feeding her pinkies for a while I realized I wasn't seeing a lump once it got down & tried a smaller fuzzy. I would suggest maybe picking up some smaller fuzzies, if yours isn't ready now, it will be really soon. And once you go up, you will notice your corn snake starting to put on a bit of thickness too. You can tried the 2pinkie thing too but I prefer to feed only one prey item per feeding for my snakes.

This is pretty solid. I would recommend a rat pinky if it is as big as a Sharpie.

@op

You need a certain number of posts to upload pics. Pm infernalis and he can explain it.

[SnakeyJay]

at that age u can feed them every 4 days! (I feed every 4 days all the way up do adult mouse...!)

and for size of the mouse... 1.5 time the biggest part of your snake....

You can feed every 4 days but I wouldn't advise it.... Once a week is fine for a baby corn.

[Aleks]

u can whit adult to true... but more chance that if they had a giant adult mouse... they wont have finish digesting in 4 days

[Amara]

Ok so since I last posted I tried a bigger pinkie and my poor little guy seemed completely overwhelmed. For over half an hour he kept trying to eat the poor thing grabbing it by the waist, butt, poking at it with his nose. He tried really hard but just couldn't get it down and ended up looking quite agitated so I took it out and gave him a smaller one which he downed in a minute.
He is due to eat tomorrow so I'll try him on 2 small pinkies instead because just one doesn't leave a bump on him at all.
I've read that you can re-freeze a thawed mouse and feed it at a later time is that true? I get the pinkies for 50 cents a piece so not a big worry but I'm just curious.

[Lankyrob]

How much bigger in terms of girth was the mouse to thr snake?

My corns have eaten mice twice their girth with no issues since they were hatchlings......

[KORBIN5895]

Refreezing rodents is kinda controversial but I always refreeze once.

[shaunyboy]

i would have left the snake with the larger prey,unless he abandoned it himself

i have adult carpets who take several attempts before they find the head of the prey and take it down

i had a jag that tried for an hour and a half to take prey backwards,with a leg jammed hanging outside each side of his mouth,in the end he spat it out and found the head and ate

imo its not unusual behavior for a snake to have a few attempts at grabbing the correct end of the prey

cheers shaun

[dinosaurdammit]

i would have left the snake with the larger prey,unless he abandoned it himself

i have adult carpets who take several attempts before they find the head of the prey and take it down

i had a jag that tried for an hour and a half to take prey backwards,with a leg jammed hanging outside each side of his mouth,in the end he spat it out and found the head and ate

imo its not unusual behavior for a snake to have a few attempts at grabbing the correct end of the prey

cheers shaun

My male boa has this issue, I ended up buying a cork log and place the rat head facing out and put the butt end against the glass or other wall and now he never has an issue.

[Amara]

Sorry, I'm kind of slow on my replies, Christmas crazyness is at cause ;)

Lankyrob, the girth of the mouse was about the typical 1.5 diameter of my snake but I could tell he wanted it but just didn't know how to take it, it was weird. He's normally a pretty fast eater.

I fed him two smaller pinkies today (had to try since I was worried about feeding him larger) and he ate them both without too much fuss. The only thing is if I hold the mouse doing the "zombie mouse dance" he gets excited and rubs up against it, pokes it with his nose and all but doesn't eat it. I have to drop it in the tank but that's when he goes...not so smart with it:p
Basically, he doesn't seem to know where to take it from. He ate the first one head on after a lot of rubbing onto it but the second one, he tried and tried to eat it from the waist until he ended up eating it from the butt. It went in because it was small but I'd like to know what dinosaurdammit is talking about with the cork log. Excuse my ignorance but I've never heard of that and I think it could help my little guy lol.

Anyway, he ate both and seems content for now. I think he is going into shed as I noticed his eyes are glazing over. I added a second bowl of water to hopefully up the humidity level and he has plenty of stuff to rub up against. 2 stone hides, stone water bowl, plants and a 20$ branch. I can't believe I just paid 20$ for a branch but nothing is too good for Zaphod haha!

You guys have been so helpful and I can't thank you enough, I thought I did my research beforehand but I find myself wondering about so much still so thank you :)

*edit* I ended up throwing out the un-eaten pinky, not worth the risk for 50 cents

[Lankyrob]

Next time SUPER heat the head of the prey, kinda gives them a target to aim for and then just leave him too it. Some snakes wont fall for thea zombie dance, one of my corns has only just started to strike the zombie mouse after two years of trying, up till now he would only eat a mouse laid on the floor of the viv :)

[KORBIN5895]

If a snake will eat a f/t just laying on the floor why bother trying strike feed?

[Amara]

Thanks Lankyrob, I was thinking of slicing the mouse's brain but I MUCH prefer your idea ;)
Korbin, it's not so much about him striking, it's more for him to take the mouse the right way when I have it in the tongs instead of him getting all confused and eating it from the butt when I leave it go.

[KORBIN5895]

Sorry that was directed at Rob

[shaunyboy]

My male boa has this issue, I ended up buying a cork log and place the rat head facing out and put the butt end against the glass or other wall and now he never has an issue.

i give the preys head an extra heat,with the hope of encouraging a head strike

imo carpets can be very stupid snakes at times :laugh:

cheers shaun

[KORBIN5895]

i give the preys head an extra heat,with the hope of encouraging a head strike

imo carpets can be very stupid snakes at times :laugh:

cheers shaun

Just because they are pythons.....

[shaunyboy]

Just because they are pythons.....

yep mate daft as a brush pythons :laugh::laugh::laugh:

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

If a snake will eat a f/t just laying on the floor why bother trying strike feed?

The one i was describing will pull the prey back into his moss hide to eat, so i TRY to get him to strike feed as i can direct him to eat on the bark instead of the moss. It isn't a major issue eitherr way, just my preference :)