Picking up a pair of rescues, advice?

[carnivorouszoo]

On the 23rd I will be picking up a pair of corns that have been co-habbed their whole lives and fed pinks, fuzzies and hoppers their whole lives. These poor snakes appear to be fat. I need advice on how to handle them.

First I do not want to continue to cohab them. How bad will being seperate affect them?

Second, they are 4 years old and look bigger than my 3 year old who eats adults. They are used to being fed ALOT. Like 3-6 feed items 2-4 times a WEEK or so. How long should I NOT feed them and should I work up to adult or just go to that size? They ARE FT fed so that is a giant relief.

I have no interior stairs and the outside stairs on not safe 1. because of all the spaces they could get away through if I am not careful and 2. because it is so cold so exercise advice and when to start would be great. These are my first FAT rescues. My first ever snake, the 3 year old I have, was underfed. He was being fed once a month so he was easy to straighten out.

I will be taking their first defs in for a parasite screening so no worries there. Also they are used to being kept at about 70-74 degrees in a basement, I keep my house at 78-83 and have my snakes at room temp with no issues, will being warmer like this be a shock? Will it affect how long to wait to feed them?

I am attaching the pics I got of them. They are an 07 male Amel and an 07 female snow. I would love to be able to breed the female come spring but NOT at the risk of her health so anyone who has saved a fat female and later bred her please tone in with how you evaluated her to decide it was safe to breed her.

Last question, as they have been together and have bred in the past (but I have not been given details on how often eggs came or if they hatched) what are the chances she maybe gravid this late in the year? I have only bred once, so am unsure how to tell if she might be? And should I just go ahead and assume she is to be safe?

All advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

I asked for advice on iherp (bad idea I know) before I got the pics of the snakes, I was going off the description I was given by the soon to be former owner. The replies I got were that 1. No way are they fat eating pinks, fuzzies and hoppers in the quantities I gave as often as I said. 2. take them to a gym. and 3. No way fat snakes ever breed. Funny because the owner told me she has thrown away eggs every year since they were 2. Twice this year. I'd just really like to know what to do to help these guys. I am going to go run a search for fat snakes on here and see what I get. . .

 

[sacr3d bl0od]

OH WOW did they just eat in those pictures, and when you get them slowly go down to a healthy feeding schedule if you say they eat that many times a week the first maybe 2 weeks go to 3 mice or whatever you wish to feed them then just work from that like i feed my snake once every 2 weeks but i feed him 2 or 3 mice

 

[pridecity]

I read/was told that giving them a swim will help with the exercising part. They look fat to me, so whoever says they're not is wrong in my opinion. I've only had one rescue who was fat (and he died not too long ago). I won't give you advice on that part seeing as he died. Don't know if that was my fault or not. Separating them probably will make them less stressed than more stressed. That's all the advice I can give for now, but others will be able to help far more.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

Thanks I was thinking of starting them off with an adult and 4 days later a hopper for a few weeks then drop the hopper, and after a few more weeks go to one adult every 10 days and after a few more weeks an adult every 14 days or so.

The person who said there was no way they were "that fat on that diet" had not seen pics yet. I just got and put up those pics both here and there so I could show people what they looked like. I litterally cried for 10 minutes for the poor snow. I plan on having them slither around my living room for 10 minutes one day each week to start. Then when I drop the hoppers I will up it to twice a week, when I go to every 10 days feeding I will up exercise to 3 days a week, and so on. Does that sound good? I think I will put off the swim for a little while when I am sure they are doing well.

Again thank you for your replies it helps alot and I am glad to hear that seperating them should help too. I kind of figured it would but had to ask to be sure.

 

[VickyChaiTea]

Separating them will do nothing but good things for them. It will in no way stress them out. Also, warming them up will also not shock them so no worries there.

They could indeed be that fat being fed pinkies/fuzzies/hoppers that frequently if the food were RATS. I don't think they could get that fat on mice, but who knows. If they were kept in something very small and never got any exercise it's possible.

That snow is VERY overweight and has what appear to be at deposits on her back end? At least that's what I'm hoping that is. I would feed them one mouse every 3 weeks and weight them every week, try to get them down to a normal weight. The amel is chubby, but not super fat so he/she could probably be fed once every 2 weeks or so.

I would not breed the snow yet. Especially if she's proven to breed with the amel before, she may have retained some sperm. I would wait and see if she does lay before breeding her, and I would indeed wait until her weight goes down. I don't know how being very overweight would affect a gravid snake, but I'm sure it's not healthy.

Those poo snakes. :C I'm so glad you're taking them!

 

[carnivorouszoo]

I just had someone say that she isn't fat, she is retaining a clutch?? I plan on taking them to the vet the day I pick them up. So . . .should I just straight out cut them back to every 3 weeks with an adult mouse each time to start or slowly cut back? I do not want to shock their systems at all.

I am told they are currently in a 55 gallong tank together but they rarely come out. They won't say if they were feeding mice or rats just that they are frozen thawed. I really wish I could get to them sooner but I had to pay all my bills and move so I am bust until the 23rd GRR!

I did not plan on attempting to breed until April IF she passed a health evaluation so thank you. I will for sure watch for a possible third clutch. This is a major learning experience for me I assure you.

 

[VickyChaiTea]

See, I thought it might be retained eggs too but I wasn't sure. Since it's only in her back half like that it is possible. I didn't wanna say anything and be wrong, but if someone else thinks that might be the problem then I think it would be worth a vet visit. It really does look weird to me and not healthy at all.

It is ok to cut back their food right away, you want their bodies to have to use some of the fat they have stored up. I guess you could also just offer much smaller meals like you were going to do, but I don't know what kind of schedule would be appropriate with that method.

 

[sacr3d bl0od]

ya if they havent been handled much, just slithering on you or floor just slithering in general gives them some of a work out, but just remember dont drastically change the diet slowly even though you most likely know this lol.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

I got the owner to send me pics she JUST took so here is how they look right now. These poor guys!

 

[sacr3d bl0od]

That is horrible, i cant tell if the albino/snow has just ate or not!

 

[VickyChaiTea]

Yeah, seriously get the snow to a vet. When you get her, see if you can feel indivudual eggs inside of her.

 

[starsevol]

Also, you might consider (after taking them to a vet) getting an aquarium thermometer and letting them swin in 80-84 degree water twice a week. They will hate it, and try to climb out. And don't leave them alone in there, but take a book in with you. It could help them alot.

 

[OkeeteeMom]

CARNIVOROUSZOO...

The good thing is that you found them and they are coming to live with you! I'm sure you'll feel a lot better once your snow (in particular) has been seen by a reputable herp Vet. I'll let those who are better experienced guide you in feedings.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

Thanks guys. She is deffinitely going to a vet. I found one there in the same town I am grabbing her at, it would take an hour to get to mine and I just don't want to wait that long. They said they would have not problem faxing anything they get on her to my regular. I have never had a vet tell me something like that, usually they want you to keep seeing them. I hate that I have to wait another week before I can get them.

 

[SnakeAround]

I would be worried indeed about retained eggs, though it does not look like a row of jammed eggs. Maybe there is too much fat around it to show the egg shapes... I hope you'll get her through! I would fed no more then a small adult mouse every 3 weeks, I don't see why the reduction in diet should be introduced slowly, she needs to loose weight, that's all that counts. And indeed, exercise! I have used a rack for drying clothes to exercise a somewhat fat corn. Just put the corn on it and let it explore it.

 

[Karoni]

May I ask a newbie question? If the snakes are fairly overweight, would it work to just not feed them for a while? Since snakes can go a while without feeding, wouldn't that be a way to get some of the extra fat metabolized? Just wondering....

 

[Chip]

I'd sooner give them sparing tiny meals than fast them. I've seen few snakes that fat. Cage them separately right away, no issues there. I'd weigh them upon acquisition and keep a close eye on weight. Brumating couldn't hurt unless the female is egg-bound. I think you could "feel" for that, even as fat as she is. Give me a call if you need, I don't know if posting my personal number publicly is a hot idea, so PM me if you want it.

 

[carnivorouszoo]

May I ask a newbie question? If the snakes are fairly overweight, would it work to just not feed them for a while? Since snakes can go a while without feeding, wouldn't that be a way to get some of the extra fat metabolized? Just wondering....

Actually if they don't eat at all their metabolism will slow a lot and then their bodies will start to eat itself, problem with that is the body eats muscle first. At least it does in people. I can only assume it is the same in animals. I want to trim her down not accidentally kill her. Feeding one adult mouse every 3 weeks with lots of exercise should do the trick. Not to mention not eating at all could damage her liver.

 

[pridecity]

I actually agree with you on that Carnivorouszoo. I've read stories where 400+ pound people have starved to death because of a stupid doctor's advice. It would make sense to me that the same goes for other animals. Though, reptiles are radically different from humans. :shrugs: