size of snake vs age

[Black Cherry]

Not sure where to post this, but I guess it'd fit under health.

I've been reading around here for a while (longer before this sn was registered). I got my corn back in February and was told that she (she hasn't been sexed, but that's what the guy who sold it to me said that he thought it was) was born in November.

She was about 16 inches when I got her (i didn't measure her at that time) and has been a great eater with me. I know I shouldn't be feeding her the way I do, but I have a large amount of pinkies. I started her on 2 pinks when I first got her, moved up to 3 pinks...

Right now? She's eating 4 pinks every 5 days and is 20 inches long.

Do I really have a 20 inch long 5 month old? Or is she older?

[KatieL]

It is really possible. Not that common, but possible. My youngest snake (Sienna) is my largest. At 6 months old she was 26 inches long. There is another user on this site, Spirit, who's snake was also 26 inches at 6 months.

Sienna is a monster compared to my oldest snake (Trogdor), who was a mere 18 inches when they were last measured, when he was 9 months old.

[MegF.]

She very well could be 20" although that is large. Are you using the serpwidget measuring program, or what? How are you measuring? My hatchlings were 4 months old when I got them and all were around 14-14 1/2" long. At 5 months they were already up to 19". They will be yearlings in July, and are all 2- 2 1/2 ft. now. You could probably go to every 7 days since you aren't going to be going to fuzzies any time soon. Once mine get on fuzzies I go from every 5, to every 7 days.

[Rosebear]

As close as I can figure, Legoless is probably 6 mos. old now, and is 22 inches long (he actually cooperates on the tape measure!)...he's on large pinkies, 2 on Sunday and again on Wednesday. Except this week...he hasn't been searching for food like usual.

[Joejr14]

Not sure where to post this, but I guess it'd fit under health.

I've been reading around here for a while (longer before this sn was registered). I got my corn back in February and was told that she (she hasn't been sexed, but that's what the guy who sold it to me said that he thought it was) was born in November.

She was about 16 inches when I got her (i didn't measure her at that time) and has been a great eater with me. I know I shouldn't be feeding her the way I do, but I have a large amount of pinkies. I started her on 2 pinks when I first got her, moved up to 3 pinks...

Right now? She's eating 4 pinks every 5 days and is 20 inches long.

Do I really have a 20 inch long 5 month old? Or is she older?


4 pinkies every 5 days is way too much food. I know you didnt ask about that, but you need to get that snake onto fuzzies ASAP.

[Gintha]

Treasure is 5.5 months old and 26 inches long (last time I measured bout 15 days ago) She eats 2 fuzzies every 7 days. (Got her in February and she was 11 inches long then) Venus, my first corn was this size at a year and a half hehe, and was eating an adult mouse every 14 days (cause thats what the vet told me to feed her). So yeah... size seems to be irrelavent.

And yes I know Treasure is huge, and no she is not fat =P

[Mykuhl]

I have not taken accurate measurements but my blizzard corn was about that size at 5 months old, maybe even a little longer. He is curently 7 1/2-8 months old and is about 30 inches long. He is currently eating 25-30 gram rats every 5-6 days. It kind of amazing me how fast he is growing, he was only 13 inches long when I bought him in November.

[MegF.]

Usually once mine are off pinkies, they are fed every 7 days. One of the reason's yours is larger is because you're feeding so frequently.

[princess]

It's a good plan to move up to fuzzies soon and then hoppers because pinkies have a low level of calcium (even with milk filled tummies) and don't support good bone development in your fast growing snake. Without overstretching your snake, feed a more mature mouse (by that I mean a fuzzy instead of 5 pinkies) for a few feeds because even though you'll be feeding a smaller biomass of food, the snakes tummy isn't used to the increased diameter yet. Once you've fed 1 fuzzy 2 or 3 times, move up to 2 fuzzies if that's what your snake can handle. You judge what your snake needs by guesstimating that the food item is about 1½ times the snakes fattest point and then leaves a lump in the belly for no more than 24 hours. If your snake has an indestinguishable belly-lump after 6-8 hours then you can probably move up to a slightly larger food item. If the lump has gone down after 12-15 hours, then that's a pretty well judged size for a feed. Terrarium temps also affect this, if your heat is too low, it'll take longer to digest.

[princess]

Oh, to add, if you're checking the snake to see how far along digestion is, don't handle it for 2 days after a meal....we don't want her sending lunch back up!!

[Mykuhl]

Hmmmmmm, so Meg F do you think I am feeding him too often then? I was planning to reduce the frequency to once every 7 days soon, say within a couple of months. I figured since he is still that young that feeding him that often would be fine.

[MegF.]

I feed my hatchlings every 5 days until they're on fuzzies. After that, they are on a 7 day feed schedule. Since your snake is rather large, it wouldn't hurt to put him on a 7 day schedule. You don't want them ending up getting fat. It's not likely in a young snake, but too rapid a growth isn't healthy either. I know there are some here who will say that they feed more often, but for most, feeding every 7 is the norm.