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Feeding fuzzy to skinny snake?

C

corsara

New member
Hello,

Long story short---we had our corn for about a month now, she's about 17 inch long and we've been feeding her a small fuzzy a meal every 7 days for the last two feedings. Although she seemed to take it well, I was shocked to see that she's only 18 grams today (we finally bought a scale). She hasn't shed for this month we had her either. According to the Munson plan, the small fuzzies should be fed once the snake is 24 grams...but before knowing her weight, I went by visually estimating 1.5x her widest place of her body.. It also takes her about 10 mins to swallow the fuzzy.... Have I been torturing her?

Also, 2 days after the feeding, she doesn't have a visual bump in her body, so it should be well? I'm just concerned of the discrepancy with the Munson plan and the fact she hasn't shed.
 
Forgot to mention in case it matters---we handle her once per day every day, as long as it's not within the 2 days after feeding. So she's getting plenty of exercise..
 
I agree with Megan; I do two pinks until around 22ish grams (depends on the snake), then I move up to a small fuzzy every 5-6 days. I find it seemingly takes them forever to get from 15-20ish grams, then they take off!
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll switch her over to two pinkies every 5 days until she gets heavier. I assume that the 3 frozen fuzzies that I have in the freezer will be still good in a couple of months, right?
 
as long as the fuzzys are sealed in a air tight container. yes. they will be just fine! :)
 
To tell you all the truth, I'm a little confused :( Tonight is the 3-rd day since the snake had the fuzzy. I took her out and looked around to see if she has regurgitated anything somewhere, couldn't find anything. After a little bit of handling, I let her go back. All evening long, she's been moving around her viv and exploring. I've read somewhere before that when they are active, it means they are hungry. But how could it be?!
 
if she hasn't shed for you yet then she could just be getting ready to shed, my snake will be out and about more when he's due for a shed..

hope this helps! :)
 
Snakes will eat until they explode. They're like dogs. I once had a snake that was on fuzzies escape into the cage next to him.... and also eat that snake's *weanling*.
 
I've read somewhere before that when they are active, it means they are hungry. But how could it be?!
Click to expand...
As Megan says, what you've read is wrong. They're programmed to hunt most of the time, as in the wild they could hunt for weeks without finding food. We guarantee their next meal in captivity and they don't have to hunt, so this behaviour isn't appropriate. The snakes just don't know that.

Hunting means they're looking for food. It doesn't mean they're hungry or that they need feeding.
 
Good to know that they're always looking for food even if they don't need it right then.

So, for now I'll switch her to 2 pinks every 4-5 days until she gains some weight. I hope she sheds soon too...I assume that not shedding means she's not growing, which gets me worried, but that's no surprise, I think we've been underfeeding her and at the same time having her exercise a lot. She's not a weak snake---you should see her in her viv supporting 2/3rds of her length in the air while exploring, lol
 
But she's digested her meals without problems? Personally I'd stick with the size she's been having, but every 6 days, rather than going back to pinks.
 
diamondlil said:
But she's digested her meals without problems? Personally I'd stick with the size she's been having, but every 6 days, rather than going back to pinks.
Click to expand...

I've never found regurgitated food in her viv, also the food lump in her body always disappears within 48 hours of feeding. However, I think I'll play it safe and go back to two pinkies every 4-5 days for a couple of weeks or so..
 
Tonight was the end of 4 days after her last feeding. Just fed her 2 pinks, which she took with great appetite. Now that I have a scale, I measured the food: the 2 pinks are only 3 grams together!!!! TINY!!! I've been definitely underfeeding the snake in the first 3 weeks---only 3 grams of food every 7 days, no wonder she hasn't shed/grown!

Now I wonder if the fuzzys I have are actually fuzzys---they don't have fur, but have tails. I could measure them I guess...hmmmmmmmmm Is the frozen weight the same as thawed?
 
To clarify, the pinks that I've been feeding her with the first 3 weeks (2 per feeding every 7 days) are the size of the second ones in the picture. The "fuzzy" I've been giving her was the size of the 4th in the picture. Is that a peach fuzzy? Maybe it was alright feeding her those? I'm so confused :(

care_sheet_mouse_sizes_IMG_1123_med.jpg
 
Don't over think it would be my advice. Honestly, weigh the prey size she normally has and I'll bet you'll find it's just fine. I'd say it was what I call a peach fuzzy she was having and the fact she digested it quickly and with no issues says to me personally that it was the right size for her, except I usually keep to 5 or 6 day intervals right until the snake is big enough to take adult mice.
 
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