URGENT HELP REGARDING FEEDING

My dad went to buy food for my snake. When he returned with fuzzies instead of pinkies, I was a little concerned. However, he assured me the pet store clerk told him he was more suited to be eating fuzzies. He's a little over a year, and hes a little over, and about two feet long and about an inch at his widest part. He really seems to be struggling to eat it, but he gets aggresive if I try to move him. I am really concerned and I have no idea what to do. It just seems entirley to large for him.

They can eat food that is about the same size around as they are (at their widest point). Hope that helps

He finally got it down after about fifteen minutes, but there's a pretty big lump in him. Should I keep feeding him fuzzies, or should I continue feeding him pinkies (i feed him about two, because he seemed to be hungry a few days later if I only fed him one: he would strike at me, even though hes normally a gentle guy)

I would (and will, if all goes well) be probably over paranoid about increasing the prey size for my hatchling as I'm dealing with a regurge and hunger strike and it is a scary thing, even though it wasn't due to prey size. But, that said, snakes in general can handle food surprisingly large. The rule of thumb is no bigger than 1 to 1.5 times the size of their widest point (usually belly area) is ok to eat. There are also recommendations based on weight (search this forum for the Munson plan).

If he doesn't regurgitate the fuzzy and it isn't too much bigger than his widest part, then it should be fine for future feedings. If you are still concerned, you can try slitting the back and sides of the mouse to aid digestion, as well as snipping off the clawed feet and folding the legs back along the mouse to make it easier for the snake to swallow.

As always, be sure to keep the temperatures just right for digestion, keep the water fresh, and let the snake rest without handling or disruption for the next 2 or 3 days. Sniff the tank when you are changing the water to tell if there is a regurge.

if after 2 pinks he is still hungry then he probably does need a bump in size but maybe fuzzies are too big a jump. Might want to try med or large pinks or small fuzzies. You will have to use your best judgement because I cant see him If he digests ok, then maybe try abit smaller next time, so his system can adjust to something bigger... try to make it as gradual as possible. (make sense?)

I suggest you buy a book

Corn Snakes in Captivity (Professional Breeders Series) by Don Soderberg (Oct 1, 2007)

or

Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner's Guide (Herpetocultural Library, The) by Kathy Love and Bill Love (Sep 1, 2006)

Like Cat_Eyed_Lady said a corn snake can eat a food item 1 to 1 1/2 times the widest part of its body. I can not see your snake or your food item so you have to look at it yourself.

He's a year old and still eating pinkies? I got a yearling recently and I'm guessing she is a little over 2' long and about as big around as my thumb and she is eating adult mice. If she is an inch around, she should easily eat much larger than a pinky. I might guess mine is 3/4" or so around.

Thanks everyone! I just ordered the Comprehensive owner's guide, so hopefully that will help me more...

If he is as big as you said (can you take some pics with something for size comparison?), I think he should be eating larger than pinkies for sure. Is he about as big around as a quarter? My girl is more like a nickel I'd say.

Umm I could definitely take some pictures, only I have no clue how to upload them? and is there anything you want me to compare him to? I'm not too sure what would give you the best idea of his size...

well, would you say he's as big around as a quarter or any coin? Like I said, mine is about as big around as a nickel and she eats adults. I don't want to try and feed her anything too big but I just can't imagine her eating pinkies. Have you had her a long time?

I'd say he's (well I'm actually not sure of the gender...) about the size of a nickel, maybe a bit smaller...I got him on Easter Sunday of 2011, and they said they'd had him in the store since Octoberish

Sounds like he is close in size to mine then. So if you have had him for at least 6 months and he's been on pinkys, I'd definitely be giving him the larger prey, if he ate the fuzzy and you don't have problems, I would say keep on them for a while and then increase as needed. I'm thinking he will be healthier with the correct size of mice, b/c the bigger the mouse, the more nutrients, calcium, etc.

I can try and see if I can get a pic of my snake tomorrow compared to something, I'll see what I come up with to take a comparison shot. She is easier to handle b/c she's bigger so I shouldn't have trouble with a pic.

I think to put pics here you have to upload them to photobucket or something like it and then copy the web address to here. Photobucket gives you an option to copy the URL or IMG and you just copy/paste and it's here.

Here is a feeding chart that some people use, some don't. I like it b/c I am new to corns and it gives me something to go by. But as said above they can eat anything 1 to 1-1/2 inches as big around as the snake is. I thought the adult looked quite large for my girl but she did ok with it and has eaten another one since. The breeder told me she was ready for adults, switching over from weanlings. The plan below is called the Munson plan. Just another reference for me at least. My adult is 180-200 gms. So this chart matches exactly what my particular snake can eat. Yours might be smaller since he hasn't been eating as much.


When they're on single pinks (2-3g), I feed every 4-5 days. (Snake = 4-15g)

-Double pinks (3g x 2) every 4-5 days. (Snake = 16-23g)

-Small fuzzies (5-7g) every 5-6 days. (Snake = 24-30g)

-Regular fuzzies (7-9g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 30-50g)

-Hoppers (9-12g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 51-90g)

-Weaned (14-20g) every 7 days (Snake = 91-170g)

-Adult (24-30g) every 7-x days (Snake = 170+)

-Jumbo Adults (40-50g) every 7-x days (Snake = 400g+)

Okay, thanks. I'll have to get a scale sometime soon so I can see how much he weighs...I think there's one at my mom's house somewhere...And thanks for the chart, that should help.

Not everyone weighs them, but some do. I might eventually quit once I know all of my snakes better & as they grow.

Yeah, I agree with schnebbles. Half of mine are a year old and my boys are eating large hoppers. I don't weigh my snakes very often, as I do not have a digital scale, but I go by their width. I would say mine are the same thickness as a nickel to a quarter. A picture would help a lot, if the fuzzy left a HUGE lump in his belly then he could probably go on those for a while longer. To upload pics just click to "go advanced" button right down in the middle of your reply. You'll get an option to upload pics, a popup will appear and you can select the pics you want to upload. If the pics are too large they won't appear, I just resize my images through the internet. Pics will definitely help us help you

I'll definitely upload some picture tomorrow, as long as I

figure out something that would give a good indicator of his size...Sorry this is in two posts....I have no idea how I posetd the unfinished one...And thanks so much for all the help

You're welcome

I didn't realize you could insert pics that way. Thanks!

I'm still going to try and get a pic of Joanna against something so you can see her size.