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Age of my snake / Feeding

shawtay88

shawtay88

New member
Hello there, i have had my corn snake around 3 years now and in my eyes she doesnt seem that big to be honest, what is the average size of a 3 year old corn snake? I feed her 1-2 large fluffs every 2 weeks, is this ok?
 
I feed my adult cornsnakes a small-medium sized mouse, say 22g, every seven days. Maybe your feeding schedule is why your snake is small. I'd feed her a prey item that is the same to 1.5 times the diameter of the snake at her widest part, not her head. I'd also feed at least every ten days, if not weekly.
 
Would need to see pics with something to compare size to like a pen or deck of cards and her weight in grams would be helpful too. By the way, what's a fluff?
 
I'm not sure what you mean by fluffs, but the optimal food size is 1.5x as wide as the largest girth of the snake. You will notice a bump in their tummy when they eat an appropriate sized food item.
 
hello all and thank you for your responses, fluffs are small mice (not fully grown adult mice) i will take some pictures of her for you so you have an idea of size and width etc and will try and weigh her somehow. i will get back to you as soon as possible
 
Some UK reptile shops sell fuzzies as "fluffs" :shrugs:

My adults were taking medium to large adult mice at three years old, but as Danny said a photo and weight measurement in grams, would help a lot in determining if you are feeding enough :)
 
The munson plan is a great tool for figuring out what to feed your snake and how often, but you'll need a small scale to figure out how much your snake weighs. Here's the feeding chart.

Roy Munson said:
-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+) See below.

Note: Adult females are fed more frequently than adult males (especially following brumation). Adult females are fed every 7-12 days; adult males are fed every 11-14 days.

This is by no means scientific, and not all corns will cooperate 100% with the schedule. The weight ranges I gave for the prey and snakes are approximate.
Click to expand...
 
So it would be ok to start the munson schedule if the snake hasnt had that much food? The OP said fuzzies every two weeks...so if you start feeding every week would it hurt or affect the snake in a bad way?

Im asking this because Ive been a bad owner the past few weeks :(
 
If for whatever reason you've not been feeding the right size prey item, or at the recommended frequency, I would build up gradually.

For example, if you've been feeding a smaller than recommended food item, then build up to the correct size over a few feedings and if feeding at longer intervals than recommended, then gradually decrease the amount of time between feedings by a day or two each time. You don't want to shock your snakes system, by feeding a bigger food item, more frequently than it's used to, all in one go.

Hope that helps :)
 
How about going the other way? I bought an adult male, 375g, that was being fed 2 jumbo mice a week (different feedings, I believe) and I was told that was "to keep him healthy". According to the Munson plan, I should be feeding him only 1 mouse (jumbo I guess, I didn't weigh them) every 11-14 days. I've had him 3 weeks now and I've fed him once - 2 adult mice at one feeding (didn't have any jumbos), and he's "due" again tomorrow. Am I now starving him? How about getting him switched over from killed to f/t? Any hope?
 
dpressley said:
How about going the other way? I bought an adult male, 375g, that was being fed 2 jumbo mice a week (different feedings, I believe) and I was told that was "to keep him healthy". According to the Munson plan, I should be feeding him only 1 mouse (jumbo I guess, I didn't weigh them) every 11-14 days. I've had him 3 weeks now and I've fed him once - 2 adult mice at one feeding (didn't have any jumbos), and he's "due" again tomorrow. Am I now starving him? How about getting him switched over from killed to f/t? Any hope?
Click to expand...

Two Jumbo mice a week, whether they are in one feed or twice weekly feedings, is overkill in my opinion. I would call a Jumbo mouse about 40-50grams or so, which is a little too much, again that's my opinion.

My adult male does very well on one adult mouse, approx 28-30grams, every 10-14 days and he still gains weight, he's over 600grams now. If you feed too much too often, then you will end up with an obese snake, which carries the same health problems as any other obese animal.

So I don't think you will be starving him by cutting down :)

As to converting from fresh killed to f/t, I've never had to do it, but have read other posts where it's been done very successfully. I think the only way to find out is to try him with a f/t and see. If you have problems getting him to take it, then come back and start a thread asking for advice on how to convert, you will get a better response from those members who have done it, by starting a new thread, rather than posting in someone elses thread :)

Hope that's been helpful, good luck :)
 
hello and thank you all in helping me with my question, i have just weighed her on my mams food scales and on the "lb" she measured up to the seventh marker how much is this in grams? i have also took some pics of her next to a cd so you can roughly make out her size, i arent sure how to post pics on here, would it be possible to mail them to someone who can help?
 
hiya again, i just double checked and she 180g, so does that mean she should be on mice? they look so big :-s her head is small and looks like she wouldnt manage it!
 
shawtay88 said:
hiya again, i just double checked and she 180g, so does that mean she should be on mice? they look so big :-s her head is small and looks like she wouldnt manage it!
Click to expand...

At 180g I've got them on hoppers and switch to mice around 200+ grams.
 
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