When is a corn snake an adult?
I have two male corn snakes.
The lavendar motley hatched 6/18/06, he weighs 202 grams. Then snow hatched in early 06, and weighs 212 grams. Are they considered adults now even though they aren't 3 years old yet? |
Well, an adult, as in a corn ready to breed, should probably be a little larger. It sounds like you've heard the 3-3-3 rule, 300 grams, 3 feet long, and 3 years old. As males, the rule can be stretched a little more than one should for female, but I'm still not sure I'd call those guys adults. They seem a little small right now. Are you considering breeding, because that's the only thing I can think of that hinges on whether the snake is an "adult"?
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No, I'm not considering breeding for the guys yet. The reason I was asking is I'm attempting to follow the "Munson Feeding Plan".
I was questioning the part that says an adult would be 170g or bigger, then he says to feed 20-30g of food every 7 -x days, then in a note at the bottom said adult males should be feed every 11-14 days. I'm trying to decide if basically I should be feeding them 20-30 g of food every week or once every two weeks. And yes, I'm aware of the 3 3 3 guide lines for breeding. My biggest female at 122g and a year and a half of age is no where close, even if I thought the gents were ready, which I don't. |
The "Adult (20-30g)..." is saying to feed an adult mouse, not that a 170 gram snake is considered an adult. My largest corn is 91g so I'm not really sure of the juvenile/adult cutoff either.
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Actually, yes, it does. The last line before the note says "Adult (20-30g) every 7- x days (Snake = 170+)
I understood the part about the weight of the food, I was questioning the frequency of feeding specifically. |
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Here is a quote from Kathy Love's book...as you probably know they do a lot of their measurements in length not weight. "We estimate that a very average feeding schedule in captivity for older corns-those 3-4 feet or longer-might be one or two appropriately-sized food animals every seven to fourteen days" |
Nope, you are right, I'm an idiot! I was reading it wrong. I was thinking the adult in that line meant snake, and after rereading, I'm sure if was referring to the mouse.
I actually haven't read any of Cathy Love's books. I know I should. I will see what I can find at the next reptile swap. |
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I think Kathy's book should be required reading for anyone who is even thinking about buying a cornsnake.... when I'm Queen.... :) I required it before I bought one for my 13yr old daughter and I read it even though I didn't like snakes so that I would know whether she read it or not. As for the question, I have four '06s and I still think of them as youngsters. On the other hand, Kieran is an 2001, so definitely an adult. They all five get fed every 5-7 days even Kieran. He's not fat, so it's not hurting him to be fed that often and he expects it :) |
Considering that they are males, I'd call those animals adults. Folks breed 2 year old males routinely.
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