tiny snakes...

[Adam & Eve]

Is there any way to destinctly tell if your snake is too thin? My snakes are being fed often, I'm just wondering if it should be stepped a little. They are about 6 m/o old. I'm feeding 2 pinkies / week. Is this enough?

Thanks!

[Jicin]

2 pinkies a week? I give my 3 months old peach fuzzies every 5 days. Sounds *way* to little to me.

How large is your snake now? They should at least get a mouse that leaves a noticable bulge in them. Can you post a picture of the snake?

[Adam & Eve]

sry... my digital camera is wacked right now... They do leave noticeable bulges. I know they are the appropriate size... I'm thinking the breeder's records were wrong because my male snake is about sixteen inches... My female is 14. Fuzzies are too big. the larger sizes of pinkies are too large. I am thinking now that they are about 4 mo. or so... *Confused* :sidestep:

[Jicin]

4 months? That's a big difference. there about the same size as mine. You could try giving them a peach fuzzy. That's when the fur is just starting to show.
I would feed them every 5 days instead of once a week. Pretty much the standard recomendation. You can keep them in the freezer and then thaw then to feed. That's how i do that. I prefer life but if i don't have any i just defrost a batch and feed those.

[Jicin]

Oke. First you posted they were about 15 months old. I reponded to that post. Then you replied they were about 4 months, and then you changed your original post to 6 months. Now what is it? You make me look like a moron ;)

It doesn't really matter how old they are now. It's more the size they are. Some snakes grow faster then others.

[Adam & Eve]

that's what I do now... I'll try a fuzzy and see if they eat it. (btw... Forgot 2 mention i'm feeding 2 pinks / wk...) Thanks!

The reason I thought they were older than that is because they said they were from the last season. Being as clueless as I was I thought that was last year, lol.

[CAV]

You make me look like a moron ;)

...and we all know how difficult that is to accomplish! :rolleyes:


Back to the topic....
A&E, I'd recommend trying a small fuzzy. Usually a snake that is eating two pinkies can easily handle the fuzzy. Looks can be deceiving with regards to the mice v. snake ratio. FWIW, I have hatchlings that are only 3 weeks old that are now ready for small fuzzies. Sometimes you just have to try it and see what happens. :)

[Adam & Eve]

Thanks!

[Acradon]

yeah I suggest a fuzzy too. These little buggers can handle more than you think.
it is easy to see if your snake is too thin. It developes a lengthside cresc. I suppose yours doesn't show that sign yet.

Acradon

[Cindy]

Acradon, Im not being pedantic about spelling but do you mean crease?

[Acradon]

Most likely. Sorry it isn't my first language. But i do learn. crease crease crease crease........

Yes I do mean crease.

[brownie55]

[QUOTE=CAV]...and we all know how difficult that is to accomplish! :rolleyes:


CAV, you are so bad, and I so needed that laugh this morning. If you are ever in the area I'll buy you a beer.

[CAV]

Buy beer, will travel! :cheers:

I occasionally make it to DC with work.

[brownie55]

Let me know when you are going to be in town, the offer has no expiration date.

[susyq]

whoa, when considering how much to feed and how often it is worth remembering that snakes in the wild may only make one successful kill a month. and as we feed our captive snakes on a more regular basis it is going to be easy for the snake to get fat. a fat snake cannot lose wait and so may have a shorter life span. ihave 3 adult cons of 2.5 -4 years old that get fed one mouse each every 2 weeks, 2 juveniles 14 months old which get 1 or on alternate fortnights 2 fuzzies, and my hatchlings are fed once every 3-5 days for the first 6-10 feeds and then every 7 days after that.

[Adam & Eve]

I fed them yesterday and they both ate well. I've noticed while I've had them that after they eat they hide. When I found them to feed them they were both in the open. After I fed them neither hid again. Was the meal stressful for them or were they just adjusting to digesting larger prey? A
Anyhow, everyone's right about me underestimating them. It's amazing what they can handle.

[zarozinia]

A & E
My corns often go into their hides following eating. Has their behaviouir changed in any other way that would make you think that they are stressed?

[Jicin]

Not all of mine hide. 2 do, 1 cruises untill she gives up hope she'll get another one, and one just pretents he has *not trouble at all* climbing in and out of branches. He's awake a lot.

[Adam & Eve]

Not that I've noticed... They've been continuing their patterns of burrowing in the newspaper and hiding on the surface. They were only acting oddly for about ten minutes and then crawled under the newspaper. I just have never seen them stay in one place for a while after they ate their mouse.