8 Month old Corn snake 11 inches

[Caleb McGuire]

Why is my 8 month old corn snake 11 inches that is so small he is an okeetee and got him a week ago from my teacher she breeds them and i know he is well fed

[CentricMalteser]

it just depends on the snake itself, some grow rapid when they younger, others when they older, some take their time over the months and years

I have an 8 month old carolina , that is almost 2 ft long, she was fed 1 pinky every 5 days, then 2 pinkies (together) every 7 days and now 1 fuzzy every 7 days.
she sheds once a calendar month on time

it would be good if you had to hand her/his feeding history/shedding history, and see if you can spot any patterns, eg. shedding every 2 months etc,

also make sure his/her home is in top notch, meaning correct temps, hiding places etc, as stress can affect growth

jus remember, we all grow at different rates, and so do snakes, so i shouldnt worry at all,

ps, take photos of a particular pose each month and compare, and then you will be able to see slight differences in growth and thickness

[Caleb McGuire]

Why is my 8 month old corn snake 11 inches that is so small he is an okeetee and got him a week ago from my teacher she breeds them and i know he is well fed


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[Caleb McGuire]

thanks my teacher said she has tried to feed 2 pinkies and my okeetee only ate 1 i have him in a 10 gallon and a shelter area with a heating bad which he stays there pretty much all day

[CentricMalteser]

make sure you have the temps correct in the tank

only one third on one side wants to be with heat mat and a thermostat and thermometre, so u can monitor temps

have a hide in warm side
a hide in cool side
and plenty of hiding places, like old toilet rolls, or branches and decor

mine stays all day in her hide in the warm side and at night, she becomes active when its dark, and moves into the cooler side,

i would suggest, wait one week from her previous feed, then put her in small tub, and have both pinkies together in the tub, if she eats first one, and not the second, jus put the small tub, sealed (withholes of course) someone dark and warm for half hour or so, and check, usually will be gone as they are calm, in the dark etc, and if not, then just leave it until her next feed

but dont over worry yourself, the wait for their growth is worth it over the many years she is alive

[Caleb McGuire]

The warm side is like 75 and coldest is round 70 should I add a lamp

[Frenchy89]

Bump upbwarm side to 85

[bitsy]

Make sure you're taking the temperature on the floor at the warm side - not the air temperature half way up the tank wall (the snake isn't up there!). And that the thermometer isn't one of the cardboard strip or plastic dial type - these can be 10-20 degrees wrong either way.

You need to get the floor of the tank at the warm side, to about 85 degrees. If it's much lower, then the snake may not be digesting properly.

But I agree with above advice - generally Corns grow at very different rates, so try not to compare yours to others. As long as it's eating reliably and pooping normally then it will grow at its own pace. It's best not to overfeed, so don't be tempted to offer extra food when it doesn't need it.

[Hypancistrus]

Most of ours didn't hit a foot until around that mark. We are conservative feeders, so our snakes grow slowly. The benefit is that the slower you grow them out, the longer they will live. Sounds like your teacher was doing a good job with him.

Be patient, because yearling snakes go through a "gawky teenager" phase where they keep getting LONGER but don't bulk up... they look like long skinny pencils for quite some time!

[CentricMalteser]

this is defintely the issue i think

because snakes require thermoregulation to help their enzymes digest their food,

if the temperature is no optimum then they are going to digest it slowly, and sometimes can cause regurge, inproper digested food, and even digestive problems (worse case scenario)

so heat mat one one side 80-85 F, and the cooler side will warm up because of this to the correct "cool" temperature

also as someone else mentioned, take readings on the floor where the heat mat is, and make sure you have a digital thermometre probe in the same place, and adjust the dial on your thermostat until your temp reading on thermometre is between 80-85

The warm side is like 75 and coldest is round 70 should I add a lamp

[Caleb McGuire]

I fed him 6 days ago and now he won't eat teacher said he was a good eater

[insomniac]

Did you check your temps on the warm side right on top of the Heat mat again like suggested before?

[CentricMalteser]

wait until the seventh day and try this

get a small tub, line it with tissue, place him in it, close it (make sure air holes), leave for few mins to settle

get ur pinky, make sure its room temp, if u defrost using warm water, make sure u towel paper dry,

not for the squemish, but slit the head above the nose at the front, and just squeeze with tweezers, this is called braining,

once you have done that, either use tweezers and wait for a strike, if not, leave in the tub with snake in a dark warm place for half hour maximum

if gone, then it is down to being stressed, and then put tub next to tank and let him make his way into the tank (therefore not handling after food)

if it isnt eaten then, discard and wait another 7 days

but make sure the temps are correct

[bitsy]

A temperature problem would be the easiest thing to sort out, so it's definitely worth checking that first and correcting it if you need to.

This is the sticky on how to deal with problem feeders:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28342