How long between feeds?

We have a new Amelanistic corn snake. Not sure of the age, but is approx. 16 inches long. Completely new to snake keeping, but was told to feed 1 pinkie every 2-3 days. We got her (assuming she is female but don't know) on the Saturday and she had been fed in the shop - we then fed her on the Monday evening and then on the Thursday evening, both times successfully. On the Sunday, we again fed her the same way (leaving the pinkie overnight as we had before) and it was still there 24 hours later, so we removed it. We tried again the following evening and again the pinkie had not been eaten.

We are going to wait another day before trying again. However, my main concern is how long can the snake go before we really need to worry about her health through her non-feeding? I'd rather not have to force feed her, and she did take the first two pinkies of her own accord, but then has stopped. We are handling her every day, and she is still very alert and agile, so I'm not really worried (yet!).

Any advice would be appreciated to this newbie - it's definately easier raising kids than snakes

hi, im totally new to snakes too but i know a few things. first of all i think your frreding her too much. ive been told to feed them every 5 days if their babies. and im pretty sure they can go a long time without eating. so i dont think you should be worried.

Joe is correct - the usual feeding time for hatchlings is once every 5-7 days, feeding the appropriately sized item(s). You also want to leave your snake alone for 2-3 days after eating to let it digest it's food. Sometimes they're fine with being handled and other times it will cause them to regurge. Best to give them a bit of a rest IMO. It sounds as if you didn't get the best advice before so I would suggest going out and buying Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner's Guide by Bill and Kathy Love. You can also use the search feature or the FAQ forum here as well. Good luck and post pics soon!

~Katie

I feed newborn neonates every 4-5 days up to the time they eat two large pinks at a feeding. Kept in proper temperatures they digest this food in 2 days time easily. As was said, never hold your snake for 48 hours after eating to avoid regurges. Sometimes I may have one refuse if it isn't hungry enough at the time of the feeding, especially when on a large pink, but that doesn't happen very often. Most refusals are because they are going into the blue phase.

While it is ok to wait 7 days between feedings for a baby corn, I find they grow best when fed on a 4-5 day schedule and they are very eager to eat their meal. My yearlings to adults are fed on a 7 day schedule, except for the ones that are hefty, those get fed one adult mouse every two weeks.

One thing to remember, if your snake refuses a meal, don't try to give it another the next night, and the next and so on. This could cause a snake to make a habit out of refusing to eat. It is best to wait a few days, preferably 3 or 4, till the next offering. I, personally, wait till the next feed day to try them again.

As I said, sometimes they are refusing because they are just starting to go into the blue phase and are not actually looking "blue" yet so you won't know. So, in 3-4 days when you go to offer again, if they are not looking blue then you know that their refusal was not due to an upcoming skin shed. And, of course, if they are blue, you need to wait till they shed till you make your next food offer.

I agree, it is a very good idea to get Kathy Love's Corn Snake Manual book. Lots of good, helpful information to help you be sure you are providing the best care you can for your new friend.

Best of luck.

Many, many thanks for the prompt and concise advice. Hopefully my wife will stop panicking now. We'll try and feed 'Cornflake' again in a few days and hopefully eveything will be well.

Will post some pics as soon as poss. Never thought I would describe a snake as gorgeous, but she certainly is.

Regards, and a Happy New Year to you all.

UPDATE:

Following the advice we had received, we offered another pinkie last night, and it was gone by this morning. Best start to a New Year I've ever had. At least we now have some knowledge of "Cornflakes" feeding, so won't be as stressed as we were this time if she goes off her eating again.

I'd love to think this is my last advice seeking post to this forum, but something tells me it's only the start. However, you live and learn, and I'm happy in the knowledge there are Corn snake owners out there who are only too willing to help out.

Many thanks again.