Did I become afraid of my own pet?

[Brooklynyte]

Hi everyone, you guys helped me out when I decided it was time to buy myself a Corn and now I need some more help : /

My Blizzard Corn was bought 8/2006, so he's almost 2 years old now... doesnt feel that long at all. He has only bit me once but due to recent events I'm worried he doesn't trust me anymore or maybe is starting to associate me with feeding.... Here goes......

After receiving my snake, my father soon got sick and the attention started diverting from my snake to my father, so I don't handle him too often but he won't bite, he'll come at my hand as if he's ready but once he smells it he just backs down. Now he's:

starting to follow my hands around the tank as if he wants to destroy it,

quickly reacting whenever I move,

As soon as I go to open the viv he starts going straight up to my hand, but I havent waited to see if he's gonna bite...

He just isn't acting the same as he did, the first few months was fine, he bit me the first time I took him from shipping container to viv but never again after that. At times he will go 2 weeks before eating, now I know they eat once a week but my fathers life comes first and with everything going on it's hard to keep focused long enough to remember that he exists. He's a very healthy, active, beautiful snake but I feel that maybe between the feeding habits and not handling him as much that he will never trust me again.

Is this permanent?

The last 3 times I fed him in his viv, in a cup, making sure he didn't drag the wet mouse on the substrate, he has never regurged, or anything negative but I don't want to continue this since the only reason why I'm doing this is due to my fear of him. I don't even fear a bite really, I know how tiny they are and basically I'm from Brooklyn, there are bigger things to be scared of if I wanted to be scared of something.

I'm still feeding him pinkies, but now seeing that he's 2 years old I'm sure I'll have to upgrade... opinions please?

I know that I've been doing things wrong, I researched for months and know a lot about corn snakes but it's you guys with all the experience that will be able to help me overcome this so I can start interacting with my snake without fear or hesitation. It bothers me because I am NOT scared of snakes, dogs, or any sort of pet. I just doubt myself sometimes and think of selling him, then I see his head pop out from under the substrate and he's just too damn handsome. : )

Thanks for all your help over the years!!!

[Cegninedorf]

You're seriously still feeding your snake pinkies, and it's 2 years old? (My mind is thinking, "am I falling for a troll here by responding to this?!") I'd imagine that your snake is seriously *hungry*! First, the food size should be 1-1.5x the size in diameter of the snake's midsection, also in diameter, so age is fairly irrelevant, but at 2 years old, almost all of my snakes are already on small adult or adult-sized mice...

What size tank do you have the snake in? He should be in 20-gallon.

What are the temperatures (cool-warm)? How are you measuring them?

And, if you've been researching for months & you already know a lot about corns, why do you persist in "doing things wrong" (your words, not mine)? My thought would be that since you are incredibly preoccupied with caring for your father -- which by no means is a crime -- then donate/give/sell the snake to someone who can properly care for it versus continuing to abuse it by neglecting it.

[kttownsend22]

Okay, well some corns can just be total jerks lol. However, I really doubt that this will be a permanent situation. If you're nervous about what he is going to do I personally would go ahead and put a glove on before you reach in there. It helped me in my nervous phase :) And yes, you're right; you should almost definitely move up to bigger mice if he's 2 years old. Mine is 11 months old and he is on fuzzies. Good luck!

[kimbyra]

He is following your hand "to destroy it" because he is hungry. The above poster said it all. If you don't have time to take care of a pet, sell it.

[kimbyra]

Oops, I posted late. I mean Cegninedorf, said it all.

[kttownsend22]

I also agree with Cegninedorf though. If you can't keep up with your corn then I would consider selling him... OR you could always donate it to, I don't know, ME :)

[Cam5]

A few thoughts...for what their worth.

First...good for you for asking the question.
Second...If he is 2 years old (any idea on weight) he can eat a lot bigger prey item than a pinkie. Search "Munson Plan" on this site for a good guide.

Third...If they have little interaction, yes they will be skittish...although he just sounds hungry.
{Our first corn was on too small a food item for a few months and he never bit but he certainly was not the laid back docile corn we were used to.}
Fourth...Get him eating correct size food for a couple months and give it a try again. If you need to, slip on a glove to boost your confidence.
Thin khow you would be if someone deliverd you a popsicle instead of a steak every night for dinner:awcrap:

What is his set up? Tank size temps etc?
*******************************
Good luck with your dad...

If it gets to the point where you truly feel like you are just in over your head...find him a good home. Life situations change, our abilities change.
It is not fair to you or the snake to just keep him because you thonk you should get over it.
You might have a local Herpetological Society you can surrender him to as well if you think that is what is best for both of you down the road.

[Weebonilass]

I don't know that the word "trust" exists for snakes. Remember that their brains are rather on the wee side. As C said, he's following your hands because he's seriously hungry if he's only getting pinkies. Also start taking him out of his viv to feed him and putting him in another container. I would also suggest putting the mouse in the container before you put him in there so there is no reason for him to associate your hand with food.

I understand that you are busy with your father, but when you bought this animal you took on the responsibility for it also. Snakes are as low maintenance as you can get in a pet. You have to feed it and feed it properly! Once a week for ten minutes is really not a big deal.

[patm1313]

Good luck with your dad...

If it gets to the point where you truly feel like you are just in over your head...find him a good home. Life situations change, our abilities change.
It is not fair to you or the snake to just keep him because you thonk you should get over it.
You might have a local Herpetological Society you can surrender him to as well if you think that is what is best for both of you down the road.

Wait, are you talking about giving away the snake or his father?

But on a serious note, you really need to be more caring for your snake. You signed up for caring for him when you bought him, so you should either donate/sell him or become more responsible.

What's his weight?

[Cam5]

Hey there...just wanted to apologize for restating everything that was already said...when I sat down to type no-one had replied yet...I need a typing class;)

[Brooklynyte]

First things first... I #1 did't realize that he was supposed to be eating 1.5x his diameter, if I did I would have been feeding him larger prey, to all those who don't understand my position then feel free to move on to ther threads... I came here FOR HELP, and from this point on will only address those who actually gave an effort to HELP me out without making me feel like a piece of sh!t, I think it's quite obvious that I didn't mean to harm my snake, if there is any harm.

I will definitely be moving his prey up, I had absolutely no idea, I guess I didn't notice time going by so fast, I had to take my father to radiation daily for a while, had a cousin die, uncle's possible death during this week, aunt's mental health rapidy degraded + breathing problems, my own financial problems, my mother's emphysema, just trust me when I say I didn't do this on purpose, and if I did I wouldn't want to so freely admit it on a snake forum. Normally I wouldn't release so much personal info but I feel the need to explain myself. On the plus side I have been feeding him about 4-5 pinkies. Thank you for the name of the feeding plan, I had a hard time finding one, now I have one and can't wait to feed him... whatever I do I figured I should move it up week by week? I dont wanna make him go from pinkies to a much larger size all in one shot, am I correct? I will post photo's of him soon to get your opinion and to show that he is still very healthy, even if I have been unintentionally under feeding him.

As far as his viv, he is extremely comfortable... I spared no expense when I bought it all, he has a 20 long tank, with an under tank heating pad hooked up to a thermostat to maintain the temp at about 82 degrees f. I have a digital thermometer taped to the bottom of the tank above the pad to visually ensure it's the right temp, his other side is unheated so he has his choice, with 4 hides and he also burrows under the substrate to hide, i forget the name but it's like tiny soft mulch and was recommended here. As far as his weight I do not know.
Thank you all, Cam5 especially.

[Weebonilass]

Go ahead and move him up at his next feeding. Four or five of anything is not good for a snake. One bigger is item is best. If you are putting that much food in his stomach at one time he could easily handle a weaned mouse or even a small adult, depending on how big he is.

[Brooklynyte]

HE WEIGHS 45g

According to the Munson chart I will be getting some regular fuzzies, so should I get small fuzzies first, then regular, or is the size difference not that bad?

-When they're on single pinks (2-3g), I feed every 5-6 days. (Snake = 4-15g)
-Double pinks (3g x 2) every 5-6 days. (Snake = 16-23g)
-Small fuzzies (5-7g) every 6-7 days. (Snake = 24-30g)
-Regular fuzzies (7-9g) every 6-7 days (Snake = 30-50g)
-Hoppers (9-12g) every 6-7 days (Snake = 51-90g)
-Weaned (14-20g) every 7 days (Snake = 91-170g)
-Adult (20-30g) every 7-x days (Snake = 170+)

[Weebonilass]

Because he is eating so many prey items now, he should be set to go with the regular fuzzies.

[Brooklynyte]

Ok, sorry to keep replying to my own thread but I cant find the edit button.

He weighs 45g and I will feed him a fuzzie, he may be able to handle a weaned or even adult but you guys can decide by the photo and his weight, and dont worry, the edges of the cup are covered. Thats his feeding tank. Photo was taken about 2 weeks ago, so I only tank fed him twice.http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/8059/casrb3.jpg

[Corny Noob]

Pinkies are also not that full of nutrition, so even though you're giving him a lot (which you've already been told is bad) he hasn't been gaining a lot of weight.
With regular feeding, a 2 year old snake shouldn't be that small.

So slowly start bumping up his prey items according to that chart.

[Corny Noob]

You posted the picture while I was posting.
Since I don't really have anything to measure him up against I can't tell how big he is, but it's my feeling that a 45g snake can't handle anything like most other 2 year old snakes.
So I would, like I said just start slowly with fuzzies. You'll know you should keep bumping (Slowly) up to the next feeding size when there's no lump after 24hrs.

[Weebonilass]

Pinkies are also not that full of nutrition, so even though you're giving him a lot (which you've already been told is bad) he hasn't been gaining a lot of weight.
With regular feeding, a 2 year old snake shouldn't be that small.

So slowly start bumping up his prey items according to that chart.

I agree, based on his weight, I would definitely start out with the fuzzies. I was going on my 06s, several of which who aren't that big... but they are still twice the size of this one.

[Weebonilass]

btw, he's a very lovely young male :)

[patm1313]

Just remember to do it by weight and/or size. Even though most snakes his age could be feeding on adult mice, he is certainly not ready to. And BTW, the people here on CS are only trying to do what's best for your snake. We're trying to help you help your snake, but our main concern is the animal here. Sometimes that means giving it away or selling it until you have the time to care for it. That doesn't mean that they want you to feel like crap.

[desertanimal]

If he's 45g, he should be eating a fuzzy at each feeding. Use his weight as a guide with the Munson plan from here on out. Also, if you cut the skin of the f/t prey items with a razor (I just put a small slit in the back, because if you do it in the belly, the guts come out and it's messy), it will help him with his growth.

As others have said, he's following your hand because he's starving.

[Brooklynyte]

Got it, I'll start with fuzzies, and had no idea he was so small for his age. I get the whole "animal first" thing in a corn snake forum but if you start them off with a good ol fashion razzin then that person may not come back so frequently with any other questions they may have. Correct, theres no excuse for this, I always fed him on time, I was just an idiot regarding the size and how much time had passed, not because I didnt have time or money to buy fuzzies, the only thing I neglect him of is attention and from what I read these snakes aren't all about attention, but still, I feel bad for not handling him more, which was my original concern. So everyone saying I should sell/donate my snake if I don't have time need to reread it all and notice how I said there was only a FEW times I fed him off time, it's obvious I was blind and dumb to the amount of time that had passed and his feeding need, I must have overlooked something and yes, that was wrong of me. I hardly believe that each and every one of you got things right the very first with your first snake.
I thank you for your help and am flattered to have people care that much about my snake (Casper), thanks for the advice, and all that good stuff. I highly doubt I'm screwing up anything else but I'll be doing some re-reading to be sure. Thank you all again.

[desertanimal]

To give you a better idea of why people reacted to strongly to your story, here is a picture of one of the 06s I received straight out of the egg on 8/13/06 (meaning that they were just born and had never been fed). She is the middle-weight of the three I got at the same time, but they are all pretty close in weight. I missed quite a few of their feedings when I had things going on in life (surgery, niece and nephew went into foster care when sister went to jail), but they were usually fed once a week. She was actually my slowest grower of the three, not reaching 45g until the end of January 2007.

Here she is today in one of those square disposable sandwich containers. She weighs 340g, and that's AFTER she laid a beautiful clutch of eggs for me at the end of May.

Edited to add: Turns out I lied. She's my smallest 06. I just weighed the other two and they're 383 and 391g.

[Corny Noob]

Beautiful snake. And my girl is still small, she was 8 months old when I get her and only 24g so it took a bit to recover from that :(
She's almost 250 despite going on hunger strike for most of winter/spring.

[kimbyra]

I didn't mean to be "mean". You said you have thought about selling him. I was trying to suggest that if you don't have time for him, then you should.

So, to be more constructive since you're keeping him...

From what I remember, the "Munson Plan" is a little overzealous with the feeding, unless Dean has updated it. (Dean knows I'm not dissing him, he has said this himself. Love ya Dean.) People are giving you good advice about upping his feeding size.

Also, find time to handle him regularly a few days after he has fed, so he doesn't just relate you to feeding. Feed in a feeding bin, so that everytime you open his cage he will stop assuming its food time.

I have a checkered garter that I don't regularly handle, because those snakes are skittish and don't like to be handled. He gets all fast and wiggly (his name is Zoomer), and his scales are thicker than corns, but slick, so he gets away easily. So everytime I open his cage he goes after my hand. Or maybe he just likes to give me guff. And lets face it, fingers look like pinkies.

[kimbyra]

Sorry for the double post.
Actually, after looking at the chart you posted, the Plan looks pretty good.

[Cam5]

Casper is a beautiful boy there:)
Sounds like he has a nice place to hang out too...he will be so excited when room service ups his meals;)

It would be fun to follow his progress... if you were interested in posting pictures every so often to help out other snake owners in the future:)***************

FYI- If you are ordering your mice from The Mouse factory or Rodent Pro etc. or even from the pet store...I have found that in a bag of fuzzies (or any size) there are always a few that are smaller and a few that are bigger than the rest.

{I worry about everything (just ask around:p) So I would tend to offer the smallest fuzzy in the bag and perhaps even slit it as was mentioned before (apparently it helps them absorb the food item faster/better).}
********************

Also, do NOT be surprised that Casper will take a bit longer to get the fuzzy in than the pinkies. I remember when we first bumped up our 1st corn...my heart was racing...I thought he was never gonna get it in his mouth, but he did:)

If you do decide to feed in a separate container, be careful when/how you transfer him back...he will be in food mode and may strike instinctively at anything.

**When I feed in a separate container I put the snake in the feeding container....put the covered container IN his regular house, then drop the thawed mouse in the feeding container. Then when he's done eating I take the lid off and he can come out when he's ready.

**When we feed in the snake's regular enclosure I thaw the mouse, put it in a shallow gladware container, and set it in with a pair of tongs. I only feed at night (9-10pm) and we only handle during the day.

Everyone has different ways/theories of feeding.
Find what works best for you and your snake and stick with it...
************************************************** *****

The other food item guideline is that is should leave a bump for 24-48 hours. If you see no bump they can most likely handle a bigger food item, if the bump is clearly visable much past 48 hours then they might be digesting too slow and need a smaller food item.
************************************************** *****

I wish you smoother days ahead...I hate when crap falls from the sky and no one even offers an umbrella:headbang:

[desertanimal]

Also, if you're going to feed him on a paper towel, I would watch him the whole time. I fed a small snake on a paper towel once and didn't watch (had just had knee surgery and got up only to feed the snakes). A bit later, I discovered the snake had eaten the paper towel, too. Required a vet visit. Actually, that was the snake I posted a picture of in this thread . . .

[kimbyra]

Good advice! I pulled a bunch of paper towel out of a snakes mouth before. Wet mice stick to the paper towel, so it can get dragged in as well. I always feed in a plain bottomed bin now.

[Brooklynyte]

Wow, thanks for all the advice, will do! I always keep an eye on my snake while he's eating. I'll keep trying to post photo's in another thread when I get him a fuzzy wuzzy.

[tom e]

I'll bet he's going to grow like a weed now. The good news is that snakes don't always need to grow at any particular rate in order to be healthy. The picture you showed us, while small looks very healthy.
As for being afraid, I know what it feels like when a pet hones in on your fingers and you can just feel like a mouse frozen in his tracks lol. Our beautiful little pets are also tough little predators, and there's nothing in the human psyche that's as powerful as that feeling that you're being honed in on by a hungry mouth full of teeth.
I guarantee you that when he's getting his belly full, you'll notice a big difference in his demeanor..
Going through tough times, think of caring for him as an escape from the daily troubles, and less an extra responsibility. I've had times where I get super busy and think to myself, "Dang, I've got to clean out all the cages tonight and feed too on top of everything else!" But then when I get to doing it, it feels really good. It's so EASY to make a big difference in your pets life, even when it's harder to do for yourself.. But somehow you might find it works on you too!

[Ceridwen]

I recently took over care of my roommate's california king snake that is *at least* two years old. Like your snake she was still eating pinkies even after all that time. At least you stayed regular with the feedings (and provided an adequate viv), my roommate did not. I'm pretty sure the snake was fed a single pinky every 2-3 weeks for the entire time my roommate owned her. She also did not have any type of heating and her viv had not been cleaned in at LEAST 2 months.

Three months ago when I took her she weighed in at 23 grams. She was also stalking my hand outside the viv and would strike at the viv wall when I got within a couple feet of it.

Despite that, she has never bitten me, and not even really ever struck at me. I fed her double pinks every 6 days until she hit 30 grams and then moved her to fuzzies. Even though the fuzzies I had available were HUGE in comparison to the pinks she downed them fine. She's 40 grams now, has filled out nicely and is growing well. She's in blue for the third time since I took over her care. The move up to fuzzies has really helped her growth rate but it took her less than 5 minutes to down two pinks and still takes her 10-15 minutes to get a fuzzy down, which was a little bit scary at first. I always feed in a different container and when she is done (but still in feed mode) I just tip her carefully into her viv so that she has no chance to strike at me.

It took two weeks of regular feeding for my king to settle down a bit but she's already much calmer, even though I only handle her about twice a week. Try to remember that even if your snake did manage to tag you it's very unlikely to hurt you at all. Even bites from adult corns are only mildly painful at worst.

[susang]

Like others I'm just going to give you a comparison my 4/06 laid a clutch of 12 gorgeous healthy eggs in May of 08 she was 360 grams. Those eggs are pipping as I wirte.
I do understand outside stuff really I do. My first snake now weighs a kilo he's an 03', I don't think I fed him hoppers until he was two, I just didn't think that little head could open that big. I didn't know about this forum until after I got my second snake and couldn't figure out why snake #1 was attacking snake #2 both males but two years age difference.
If you're willing to take a little grief and bitchiness (usually from me) you'll learn so much here. More then I ever imagined.

[bekers71]

It's good to see that you knew when you needed help and asked for it. At least you fed consistently and he's not small due to not being fed. As some one else stated, the little guy does look healthy. I am sure that once you get him started on the fuzzies you will see him grow pretty fast. :)

I have a lavender I got in February that is 2 yrs old and was 46 grams. I started him off on fuzzies and he has grown very fast, 100 grams now, and is eating large hoppers. If you want to see how well he's grown here is his progression thread--
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65311

Here is the same Lav with a female that is only 1 yr old--
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg137/bekers71/P1070202.jpg?t=1215033273

Good luck and keep us posted with new pics of your pretty boy.

[v_various]

by saying you "spared no expense" by getting a 20 gallon, well, there's nothing wrong with a 20 gallon but it is pretty much the bare minimum amount of space an adult corn needs, so don't act like you're doing him a huge favor. It's a fine amount of space for you're tiny snake at the moment though. And I don't know if you're planing on upgrading in the future (hey, maybe you are and that's cool), but if you got the next size down (a 15 gallon) for a lifetime home for your corn, you would have been flamed even more.

I'm just sayin'.

And good luck getting him back to health.

[Nanci]

That's a beautiful snake! Both my kingsnakes make me a teeny bit nervous the way they follow my hands, especially when they get closer to feeding day. I had a hognose snake that would even just start chewing on me. Feeding him more frequently put a stop to that- he was just really, really hungry.

[Brooklynyte]

by saying you "spared no expense" by getting a 20 gallon, well, there's nothing wrong with a 20 gallon but it is pretty much the bare minimum amount of space an adult corn needs, so don't act like you're doing him a huge favor. It's a fine amount of space for you're tiny snake at the moment though. And I don't know if you're planing on upgrading in the future (hey, maybe you are and that's cool), but if you got the next size down (a 15 gallon) for a lifetime home for your corn, you would have been flamed even more.

I'm just sayin'.

And good luck getting him back to health.

I never said the 20 gallon was for life, guess I should have stated that clearer? As a younger snake, 20 long was huge for him, and as not to overwhelm him I gave him tons of hides back then and to this day (as mentioned, due to his current size) the 20 gallon is still appropriate. When it's time he will be upgraded... so yes, he was a pampered snake compared to what I have seen other snake owners vivariums looked like and what the pet stores originally recommended to me. Idiot pet shop employees suggested I use a heat lamp, smaller tank, wrong substrate and so on, so I would like to think I did pretty good in that department.

Thanks to everyone who continues to help me through.

[Nanci]

20 gallons is fine. More might be appreciated someday, if you have an active snake, but 20 gallons is perfectly all right.

[v_various]

20 gallons is fine. More might be appreciated someday, if you have an active snake, but 20 gallons is perfectly all right.

Yes, i mentioned it was fine it was just the "spared no expense" part, seemed a little...tacky, I wasn't impressed.

[ForkedTung]

20 gallons is fine. More might be appreciated someday, if you have an active snake, but 20 gallons is perfectly all right.
I agree...and you did the right thing by asking AND correcting the situation...best of luck! pretty snake too...

[Brooklynyte]

I don't mean to bring up this thread again but figured it would be best to pose this question here since you guys know the full story.
Casper ate his first fuzzy like a champ, now it's 2 days later and there is absolutely no visible lump, and he's still jumpy (not that I expect that to change from 1 normal feeding), but I was wondering if it would benefit him to eat 2 fuzzies in one feeding or is that bad for him? He just seemed to digest it fast, I couldn't get a great look at him but even yesterday it looked fully digested. Now my pet store said the next step up from fuzzies are "mice", now I know there are more levels of mice to choose from, is it common for pet stores to not stock certain mice sizes? Or is that woman just talkin out her elbow?
He does seem a bit happier, but I also just cleaned his viv, and you know how a thorough cleaning can be, he's all over exploring his new hides and such, so who knows. I raised the temp on the warm side to 82.7, closest I could get to 83, just to give him a better temp range in the viv. Good choice?
All in all I feel good about Casper's future, I got him the correct food, I've jazzed up his viv a bit, and he does seem to be out and about more, I guess the little bugger just needs some more time to make up for my idiotic mistake.

[desertanimal]

Because I find it difficult to gauge 1.5 x the widest width of a snake, I use the visible lump for 24-48 hours rule of thumb. By 48 hours, the prey shouldn't be detectable anymore, but by only 24 hours, it still should.

Personally, I would take increasing his food on the easier side right at first. Give him a few single fuzzy feedings and check him after 24 hours each time. If you can't see any evidence of a food lump after 24 hours after a few successful feedings, then offer him two and see how that goes. Hoppers are the next size up from fuzzies, as in the Munson plan. If you don't have access to those, make do with multiple smaller food items until he's big enough to move up to small mice. Get a reliable scale and weigh your food items if you're unsure. Prey weights are also given in the Munson plan, so you can really use that as a guideline.

Also, small snakes are often "jumpy." They don't usually track your hands, but they are often less than calm. Once your snake is several hundred grams, it will probably be a lot calmer.

[Iguanagirl8662]

[QUOTE=Brooklynyte;654721]
Now my pet store said the next step up from fuzzies are "mice", now I know there are more levels of mice to choose from, is it common for pet stores to not stock certain mice sizes? Or is that woman just talkin out her elbow?[QUOTE]

That seems to be common with smaller pet stores. The pet store I go to only carries pinkies (which tend to be rather big for hatchlings), then fuzzies, then adult mice, and adult rats.


Glad to hear he handled they fuzzy well, good luck putting some weight on him, he's very pretty.

[Brooklynyte]

Great, what a thorough answer! I happen to have a very precise digital scale I use for mail, I never even thought of weighing the food, even to track it for records and such which I want to start doing. I also need to find a good container to weigh him in, shouldn't be hard. I'll definitely feed him a single fuzzy, wanna take it easy on him as you suggested, then I can monitor him.

[Brooklynyte]

[QUOTE=Brooklynyte;654721]
Now my pet store said the next step up from fuzzies are "mice", now I know there are more levels of mice to choose from, is it common for pet stores to not stock certain mice sizes? Or is that woman just talkin out her elbow?[QUOTE]

That seems to be common with smaller pet stores. The pet store I go to only carries pinkies (which tend to be rather big for hatchlings), then fuzzies, then adult mice, and adult rats.


Glad to hear he handled they fuzzy well, good luck putting some weight on him, he's very pretty.

I figured as much, ever since I started looking into buying a snake I came to partially despise the typical pet store, between lack of knowledge, lack of correct supplies, animal sickness, it's just all ridiculous after a point.

[Iguanagirl8662]

I figured as much, ever since I started looking into buying a snake I came to partially despise the typical pet store, between lack of knowledge, lack of correct supplies, animal sickness, it's just all ridiculous after a point.

Yea I don't like pet stores because of that too. We only have to pet stores here and one is small local shop, which cost more, the other is a large store which is cheaper, both have there problems (alot of them) but I prefer the smaller one and will only go to the larger one if the small shop doesn't have what I need. I just wished that people who own pet stores cared for the animals they sell and not just be in it for the money.

[Cam5]

Just wanted to say I am glad he chowed and is a busy little snake:)
Way to go...
hope you life is settling down overall too.

Keep us updated...I love pics! :)

[NFS07]

*cough* Yes Im sticking my nose in it.

Look we have been having a big problem with peopl coming on here telling us these stories about how they are harming their snake and want help. To tell you the truth had the post not gone on for so long and you had not posted a picture I would have thought you were what we call a "troll." The people who replied did so to try and help you. Maybe they came off as rude but as you know your snake is underweight. 45 grams for a 2 year old would make just about anyone who knows a normal size want to scream. I have a 1 year old who is 223 grams and healthy. So you can see why people acted as they did. They did not mean to be rude and going back at them in the manner that you did is only going to keep them from posting to any of your other threads. The first person to post has a lot of knowledge and was being as helpful as she could be without proof that you were not a troll. We all have our problems and while yours seem to have happened all at once its hard to see how you would not have had 5 mins a day to take care of the snake.

Im glad you took the time to post and ask questions. Im glad to hear he is doing well. Just as a side note because of his size and age I don't think he is going to reach 4 feet so a 20g might be big enough for life. He should start to bulk up and he might grow a little longer but I don't see him growing enough to pass the 4 foot mark. Keep up the good work and don't worry about adding more food. He'll need to get used to the new size and you should start seeing a size differnce in the next shed. What is the temp of the cool side?

[nlt71]

When I have snakes that get a little snappy, I wear a light glove (the stretchy ones that are about $1). I have two that just have bad attitudes, but their little "teeth" are so small that they can't pierce the glove. I know it sounds wimpy, but I don't like being nervous about handling my snakes. Once I get them out of their viv, their fine.

[Brooklynyte]

Just wanted to say I am glad he chowed and is a busy little snake:)
Way to go...
hope you life is settling down overall too.

Keep us updated...I love pics! :)

Thank you, I'll be posting more pics at his next weighing, I may have made a miscalculation, that previously stated "45g" may actually be "45oz" (275g), the numbers just seem wayyyy too low, he is small but not THAT small. I will weigh him properly within a day or two. Thanks for helping!

When I have snakes that get a little snappy, I wear a light glove (the stretchy ones that are about $1). I have two that just have bad attitudes, but their little "teeth" are so small that they can't pierce the glove. I know it sounds wimpy, but I don't like being nervous about handling my snakes. Once I get them out of their viv, their fine.
LOL I did that the last time I picked him up, just till he setlles down a bit I'll probably use one when handy.

[Cegninedorf]

For what it's worth...

Thank you, I'll be posting more pics at his next weighing, I may have made a miscalculation, that previously stated "45g" may actually be "45oz" (275g), the numbers just seem wayyyy too low, he is small but not THAT small. I will weigh him properly within a day or two. Thanks for helping!
There's a BIG visual difference between 45 g & 275 g...check your scale; it should be able to tell you if you're measuring with ounces or grams.

This is a snake that is 52 g.
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9176/15oct0752gcv2.jpg

This is a snake (see Maizie the amelanistic) that is 275 g. (The anerythristic in the background is already over the 300 g mark here, and the normal is a little less than 275 g...)
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1787/maizieandfritzxo5.jpg

Quite a difference, no?

[Cam5]

For what it's worth...


There's a BIG visual difference between 45 g & 275 g...check your scale; it should be able to tell you if you're measuring with ounces or grams.

This is a snake that is 52 g.
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9176/15oct0752gcv2.jpg

This is a snake (see Maizie the amelanistic) that is 275 g. (The anerythristic in the background is already over the 300 g mark here, and the normal is a little less than 275 g...)
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1787/maizieandfritzxo5.jpg

Quite a difference, no?

Not to highjack this thread but....WOW! What a beautiful group of snakes!!!

[Corny Noob]

Just to add, the same snake:

43g:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/nifer10/Nagini/DSCN3278.jpg

240g:
[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/nifer10/Nagini/DSCN4376.jpg[img]

So from the picture you posted, there is no way that is a 250+g snake.

[Corny Noob]

Damn I need to get my editing skillz back...

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/nifer10/Nagini/DSCN4376.jpg

[Brooklynyte]

First off, those really are some gorgeous snakes... That IS quite a difference, but to be sure I'll be weighing him later, pics to follow!

[Brooklynyte]

Missed the part where you said it's impossible for him to be 250+g, I believe you, but will still be weighing him, hopefully often to keep a little record of his progress, thanks for pointing that out Cegninedorf.

[NFS07]

Hey, use this herp care software (http://www.thegeckocam.com/hcs/what/index.php). It's very basic but it will help you keep track of feeding, sheds, and weight. I would be lost without it. If you need help using it just ask me.

[tylercole2294]

Hey, any progress on casper. I wonder how hes holding up? Pics maybe?

[caz223]

Also, just chiming in, if you have a set of long tongs or tweezers, use those when feeding.
It helps you feed the snake more accurately and safely, and stops the snake from associating your hand with food.
Don't be in too big a hurry to right all the 'wrongs' in your snakes' life.
He has adapted.
Just start feeding him more a little at a time, no need to stuff him like a thanksgiving turkey.
Maybe 2 fuzzies at a time, or fuzzies 4-5 days apart?
I have snakes that get less than the munson plan, and snakes that get more. They are all just a little different.