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first feeding.

Isabella90

Isabella90

New member
I have only had my corn for four days but was worried that he/she hadn't eaten for two weeks, as the pet store told me when I bought him/her. So I took a risk, bought a pinky, set up my corn with his/her prey, and in about an hour the linkup was gone! I was and am so excited that my snake ate his/her first meal! That means little to no stress and a good comfort level, right?
 
Not necessarily. It means that it ate. There's still a regurge risk, so make sure that it's now left absolutely alone for a week to settle down - no feeding or handling (you usually wouldn't handle for 2 days after feeding anyway). I know it's a pain with a new arrival and it's difficult not to get excited, but patience at this point will pay major dividends.

Did you ask the pet shop why it hadn't eaten for two weeks? Hatchlings are generally fed once every 4-5 days. Once a week is a maintenance diet. One feed a fortnight isn't a great way to treat a youngster and if it had been refusing feeds, this could be a warning of problems in the future.
 
They said they fed them once a week on Saturday. They said when I bought my snake that they had been fed the previous Saturday, but that mine didn't eat, and they knew because he/she was the only red one among the grey and white ones. I bought him/her on a Thursday.
 
Regurge is very dangeropus for a hatchling, as not only do they lose electrolytes and nutrition from the meal, the acids damage the oesophagus. If a snake does regurge, at least 10 days without feeding is needed to allow healing. Then a much smaller meal is offered. Otherwise a cycle of regurging can set in and you can lose the snake.
But......CONGRATULATIONS on your first feeding, it's a great feeling isn't it!:cheers:
 
I usually feed little 'uns on pinkies every 5 days to give them a good start, weekly is more of a maintenance diet used in shops. Which does cut down the playtime though. So for me personally, it goes, handle, feed, have a pet tub for 4 days!
Once one pinkie leaves no feeding lump after a day or so, I go to 2 pinks or large pinks every 5 days. (I actually weigh my pinks and bag them up in 1g, 2g, 3g bags, but then I'm buying in bulk for hatchlings when I get pinks these days)
 
How many days pass before I know he/she is safe from regurging? I'm going on vacation in 5 days and will have the neighbors watch my corn. They wont be handling the snake, just making sure she/he is alive and has clean water. I will be gone for a whole week, so if there is no regurge, should I get someone to feed him during the week I am gone?
 
The 48 hours after feeding is the danger zone. If it stays down for two days then you're usually safe.

TBH you can happily go away for a week and leave the snake unattended. A new arrival will probably benefit from the peace and quiet. Five days is nothing - I wouldn't bother the neighbours with it. In order to find out whether the snake's alive, they'll probably have to go looking round the tank under hides, which will cause more disturbance during the settling down period.

I don't bother recruiting snake-sitters unless I'm going away for over a week. Even then, they have strict instructions to just change the water 2-3 times a week and not worry about checking the snakes.

Don't worry about feeding during the week you're away. One feed a week is a maintenance diet for a babe, but will do no harm short term.

The less the snake is bothered by anyone for a week, the better it'll settle. Sounds like it'll work for both of you!
 
My corn has been moving around, not any more than usual, but I haven't noticed any regurge, and he/she seems to be behaving normally. Are there any signs I should look for that might be a red flag?
 
There's rarely any warning of a regurge - it just happens. As long as the warm side floor is the right temp and the snake is left strictly alone to do their own thing for a couple of days after feeding, that's the best you can do. Nature takes care of the rest.
 
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