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Otis

N

nicolefowler2005

New member
So even though Otis is eating now he will only eat once a week and is still only big enough to eat pinkies so he isn't really gaining weight!! He is 9 months old and only 26g!! I am a worry wart so of course I'm worried sick but other than being tiny he seems totally fine! I also took him to the vet and she said he was healthy! So what I'm wondering, if someone could help me out, is are there any such thing as a runt snake? Also does anyone have any suggestions on how I could get him to gain some weight?


Nicole
 
Not sure I'd call him a runt just yet.

I remember when he was just 15 grams and you were freaking out so he is growing and gaining weight, just not at the rate Bella is.

Remember, an adult Corn snake can be anywhere from 3 feet to 6 feet long. And this is after 3 to 5 years of growth, and Otis is only 9 months.

Just keep feeding him and he may surprise you. He may not be the 800 gram 6 footer that Bella may some day be, but he could still turn out to be a 200 gram 3 footer or even bigger.

I do have a related question for you - Are you offering Otis 1 pinky or 2 per feeding? (After a snake passes 15 grams, they can eat 2 pinkies, but I'd make sure they were pretty small until he was about 25 grams)
 
I try to give him 2 every time hoping that he will eat both but he never does and I always either throw one away or give it to Bella if she has a smaller mouse that feeding!! I've gotten up to 3g pinkies with him but he won't even eat two smaller ones!! He just grabs one and shows no interest in the other! The only real reason I'm starting to worry again is that he is getting so long that he is starting to get the triangle look to him!! I know I tend to compare him to Bella and shouldn't but you can clearly see that he is under weight now that he is gaining length!! I'll post some pics tomorrow!! He is still nice and active so I'm not too worried I just wondered if there was something I'm not doing that could add some bulk to him!!


Nicole
 
If he's only eating one at a time, maybe look into getting some peach fuzzies, around 4-5g, especially if you can find some locally at a show or pet store.
 
nicolefowler2005 said:
I try to give him 2 every time hoping that he will eat both but he never does and I always either throw one away or give it to Bella if she has a smaller mouse that feeding!! I've gotten up to 3g pinkies with him but he won't even eat two smaller ones!! He just grabs one and shows no interest in the other! The only real reason I'm starting to worry again is that he is getting so long that he is starting to get the triangle look to him!! I know I tend to compare him to Bella and shouldn't but you can clearly see that he is under weight now that he is gaining length!! I'll post some pics tomorrow!! He is still nice and active so I'm not too worried I just wondered if there was something I'm not doing that could add some bulk to him!!


Nicole
Click to expand...

Hi Nicole! How ya been?

Since I try to take the positive out of almost ANY situation, I would encourage you to be grateful that Otis is at least eating at all! Hatchlings can be notoriously frustrating to feed (come to think of it, I must be certifiably INSANE for looking FORWARD to going through this again soon as I await a sizable clutch in the near future!).

As far as being a "runt," it's an interesting question! I wonder if there has ever been any research as to the variable growth rates of corn snakes?

Something to ponder! (I think I may do some searching, but if you find something first, please let me know!)
 
Yeah I'm not very happy with the quality of feeders I've been getting lately but the store I use is literally the only store within 50 miles that sells feeders! The last ones I got were freezer burnt and Otis is VERY PICKY!! they don't offer peach fuzzies but I think at this point I need to find an online supplier!!


Nicole
 
Sounds like the smart way to go! I may be looking for one also, since I'm expecting hatchings really soon! One of the local pet stores sells day-old pinks but at 1.50 a pop! Ok for emergencies but not if all my eggs (actually, Lilly's eggs!) hatch!

I also don't like to count them BEFORE they hatch, but since the little vixen seems to be double-clutching, I may as well be informed of my options, no?
 
Even online with shipping I pay around $1 per mouse, but the quality is so high. I've had them last me 10 months, though I prefer to use them up in 6 months.

A couple of tips, get some Ziploc vacuum bags with the hand pump and repackage your mice in smaller quantities. Then put those bags in another bag or a Tupperware type container. What I like about the hand pump bags is that you can open and reseal them. I got mine on Amazon. They probably cost a little more there, but I didn't have to run around looking for them.

Another tip is find another snakekeeper or two and order together to share those shipping costs, but I admit that one is pretty obvious. I've bought from two suppliers, American Rodent Supply at a show, and Layne Labs via FedEx. Last time I looked into others but went with Layne because you can get bags as small as 10 which is great for growing snakes, and their facility is so clean that they do not need to have their mice irradiated.

Sadly it will cost a bit more to the East Coast. I do suggest you look at ARS as well and I hear great things about Big Cheese down in TX, across the board. I considered both of them this time, but Layne won for flexible, least wasteful package sizes. $112 including shipping feeds my three for 6 to 8 months.
 
something else to think about Nicole.

A lot of people feed their baby snakes on a 4 or 5 day schedule. If you're worried that Otis is growing too slowly or not eating enough you could try to bump him up to a 5 day schedule. Feeding him a pinky every 5 days instead of weekly will help him grow a bit faster (if he will eat that often).

Most people graduate from a 4 day to a 5 day, then six day, and only go to a 7 day schedule after the snake is on Fuzzies or Hoppers.

Keep in mind he's only going to retain about 40% feeder weight as a baby, and as he gets older that will decrease to a retention of about 15%.

So if he's eating 3 gram pinkies, he's probably only growing about 1 or 1.2 grams per feeding. (There's only so much weight to be gained from such a small meal.)

Rufus also grew slowly the first few months but when he got on "Hoppers" That's when he really started to put on weight.

Here's something you can try if you don't already do this: Weigh Otis before you feed him and write down his weight so you won't forget it. Then wait a few days and after he poops, weigh him again. Compare the numbers. He should weigh a bit more each feeding.

But you're not going to see any serious weight gain until he gets on bigger meals. The only thing you can do right now is maybe try to feed more often.
 
DollysMom said:
A couple of tips, get some Ziploc vacuum bags with the hand pump and repackage your mice in smaller quantities. Then put those bags in another bag or a Tupperware type container. What I like about the hand pump bags is that you can open and reseal them. I got mine on Amazon.
Click to expand...

DollysMom, do you by any chance have a link to the zip locks and hand pump? I could really use this.
Thanks, Darlene
 
Karl- I did try to feed him on the 5 day schedule for about two months but he would only eat once a week!! I'm worried that the problem may be the pinkies I'm getting! I don't feel like the quality is good!! The last batch I got were freezer burnt! I'm going to try to find a new supplier and see how that goes and also try a slightly bigger pinky! I'm also going to start weighing him after he poops too (I don't know why I never thought of that) thank you all so much I'll keep you posted!!


Nicole
 
I'm so proud and happy to say that Otis ate his very first Fuzzy today!! So he went from 3G pinkies to 5G fuzzies!! Hopefully this will help a little with his weight!! He's getting so long without gaining much weight so it's making him look a tad skinny!! For a 9 month old corn he is only 27g!!


Nicole
 
Otis is eating fuzzies! Great news. He's growing in his own way. Don't worry.
 
Yeah, once they are in fuzzies, they are on their way! Congrats. It is so good to see little Otis growing for you.
 
Charlie is also 9 months old and just started eating fuzzies as well. Maybe our little guys will show some growth now, eh?
 
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He's finally gained some weight now that he is eating fuzzies!! I am such a happy mom, he is so handsome!! I could look at his saddles and beautiful shapes and colors all day long!! He has gained 13g in the three feedings (still once a week) with fuzzies!!! I want to thank you all for dealing with my constant worry and helping me to help him gain some weight!! He looks healthy now, no more triangle shape!!!


Nicole
 
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