Overfeeding?

[Cully]

I have a 3 month old Anery A Corn and I only got her last Sunday. She is my first snake.

She ate one pinky on Sunday night, then I offered her one on Monday and she ate it out of my hand... ( Pics here (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/bcully/Snake/) ).

Since then she has gone into the warm part of her "hide" and just sat there.... I guess that this is kinda normal, but I'm just wondering how do you guys tell if it's time to feed a snake?

I was told that i should offer food every 3 days for a baby (so they grow a lot), then move it to once per week or so when they get bigger.. Is this right?

I assume I shouldn't even attempt to feed her until thursday/friday? How do you know if they are hungry, and is it possible to over-feed a snake?

[Plissken]

Yes, snakes CAN be over-fed. Like any other animal they can become obese if they eat too much. Just because your snake eats the food don't assume it needs it; they are opportunists and will invariably eat more than their fair share because they don't know when they will eat again.

It is not recommended to feed one day after the next like you have done. If you're going to feed two mice, offer them both at the same time. Also, you say your snake was in your hand a day after you fed it a mouse. A word to the wise - do not handle any snake after it's eaten, for at least 48 hours. If you do you can make the snake regurge which is extremely serious.

Yes, it's normal for the snake to sit in its hide. Snakes digest very slowly (hence the 48 hour 'rule') and most will just sit quietly until the meal has gone.

You can sometimes tell the snake is hungry if it's out and about (hunting) more often, but other than that most people tend to just feed on a set day once a week, sometimes every 5 days for a baby snake. In my opinion 3 days is far too frequent even for a baby. I would say a minimum of 5 days between feedings, and once a week as the snake ages.

Hope that helped. :)

[Cully]

Yes... I did handle the snake about 18 hours after she ate first.... She ate it overnight, so I didn't want to leave two pinkies in when I wasn't sure she'd even eat one... so I offered another one the night after... I handled her because she actually crawled up on me as I was putting down her water bowl after refilling.

I left her alone last night and I might pick her up tonight, but only if she's out and active... If she wants to sit in her hide, then I'll leave her there. (will be 46ish hours after her last meal)

Ok... I'll remember the offer at the same time rule.. but then how does defrosting work??? bleh... do I defrost 2 and hope, or defrost one.. feed, then instantly defrost another? :/

Anyway.. thanks for the help... I'll keep it in mind...

[Velvet]

What Plissken said! :)

Overfeeding may not just lead to an obese animal it may lead to regurge as well...As Plissken said, they are opportunists, chances are they will eat just because it's offered to them, even when they are not necessarily hungry..(alot like me and Chocolate! :rolleyes: :grin01: )

I agree, 3 days is a bit too frequent, 5 days would be best for a littley!

My guys get fed every saturday and are thriving! I feed the anery motley one fuzzy (which he usually wolves down at an alarming rate!) and the big guy gets two hopper mice at a sitting.

The big guy lets me know when he is hungry! Slithers up to the front of the viv everytime he sees me and hunts around his viv for a meal. I usually feed a day or two after he starts hunting...but they are in a nice cycle now so that conveniently falls on a saturday! lol

Personally, I would rather throw away a pinkie here and there than risk regurge or something... :santa:

[Plissken]

I left her alone last night and I might pick her up tonight, but only if she's out and active... If she wants to sit in her hide, then I'll leave her there. (will be 46ish hours after her last meal)


I can't stress this enough... please do not underestimate the time your snake needs to digest. Remember, AT LEAST 48 hours; your snake hasn't even had 48 yet. Some people would say it's okay to handle today, and it might be, but safer is better where animals are concerned. Even if the snake has digested, it's a good idea to get yourself in to the routine of 48+ hours right now.

As to your defrosting question, defrost both mice at once and put them both in the feeding tub. That's always worked for me and my snakes have happily taken two, even three mice in one go. (Three isn't a good idea as a regular meal though!)

[terrysangel79]

Hi if I was you I would feed one pinky per week for a while I know that don't sound like a lot. But if you look at it as if he were in the wild he most likely not arvg..one a week. We have a few wee ones here some times more than we need and one a week has worked great for years.Also where they are telling you not to handle it is a real good thing also.we are not trying to be bossy just trying to look out for the snake.hes yours so its up to you but if you take the advice here I think your littel one will do grand for you. good luck and have a great day.

[Plissken]

hes yours so its up to you

To a certain degree :)

[BeckyG]

For a baby on pinkies, I've always fed every 4-5 days. And I agree with the 48 hour rule. Yes, some more experienced keepers will handle sooner than that, but since this is your first snake, it is better to err on the side of caution.

[Velvet]

For a baby on pinkies, I've always fed every 4-5 days. And I agree with the 48 hour rule. Yes, some more experienced keepers will handle sooner than that, but since this is your first snake, it is better to err on the side of caution.

To err on the side of caution is always better, you can't be too careful, I think especially with a little guy who isn't that used to being handled.

Another thing, My snakes snooze in their hides almost all the time...if I want to handle them, I usually have to get them out of their hides...if you want to handle your snake fairly often, I am sure you will have to disturb it sometimes... :santa:

[Cully]

Thanks guys... I wasn't trying to say I'm gonna pick her up at every moment... I left her alone again last night because she just wanted to sit in her hide... and I'm sure that's gonna happen nearly all the times after a meal.

I do want to make sure she gets used to being handled, as she was a bit nervous in the shop.

[BeckyG]

Oh, she'll get used to it. No worries there. I have two yearlings that I don't handle all that often, and they are plenty tame.