Feeding and weights for my hatchlings for the last month:
Eugenie (spotted python):
8/27: 11.8g
8/30, 9/1, 9/5: Refused pinks
9/5: 11.8g
9/9: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 12.7g
9/14: Ate 1 2g pink
9/17: 14g
9/21: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 5g
Total weight gain: 2.2g (44% utilization)
Mackenzie (spotted python):
8/27: 7.4g
8/30: Refused pink
9/5: 6.9g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Refused pink
9/14: 8.6g
9/14: Ate 1 2g pink
9/19: 9.7g
9/19: Refused pink
Total food intake: 4g
Total weight gain: 2.3g (58% utilization)
Guinevere (corn)
8/27: 8.1g
8/30: Refused pink
9/1: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 10g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 11.9g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 14.2g
9/19: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 6.1g (68% utilization)
Pinky (corn):
8/27: 7.9g
8/30: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 8.1g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 11.2g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 13.5g
9/19: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 5.6g (62% utilization)
Anery motley male (no name, corn):
8/27: 6.7g
8/30: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 7.3g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 10.6g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 9.7g
9/19: Ate 1 2g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 3g (33% utilization)
What's the point?
First, spotted pythons are a pain in the butt to get feeding compared to corns.
Second, and more relevant to this thread, different snakes can gain at different rates, even on the same intake of food. Two of the corns so far seem to be better able to utilize the mice, even though all the mice are FT from the same supplier. One even LOST weight between feedings. Given that the percentage of food weight being converted to snake weight is very high it's quite likely that I'm weighing them before they poop everything out. (Which is fine since I'm not using this to look for exact weights, only patterns, but could be confusing if you start looking too hard at the exact weights)
I don't have complete records from when I first got my king snake but it took about a month and 5 feedings (pinks) to go from 23-25g. Similarly, my older spotted python Eugene stayed at 18g for 3 feedings straight.
I wouldn't stress over it unless you are seeing consistent weight LOSS or no weight gain even over a considerable stretch of time. I also would not increase feeding amount or reduce feeding interval too hastily.
An important note: I have had 1 regurge with these snakes (for the sister of the anery motley listed above) and it was after the night I decided to be lazy and feed everyone (larger and hatchling snakes) on the same night, even though it was a night early for the hatchlings (4 day interval). While there were other factors at play (I fed slightly larger pinks that night because that happened to be what I pulled out of the bag, snake in question was going into blue) I won't be feeding on that close of an interval again.
I didn't include the snake that regurged in the list because I haven't fed or weighed her since the 14th because of the regurge so she's off schedule compared to the others.
I keep track of it all rather obsessively because I'm a science geek and like looking at long term patterns in stuff like this. I don't obsess about how much the snakes gain or lose unless it's going outside of what I consider to be normal (which is judged using my eye and common sense).
Eugenie (spotted python):
8/27: 11.8g
8/30, 9/1, 9/5: Refused pinks
9/5: 11.8g
9/9: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 12.7g
9/14: Ate 1 2g pink
9/17: 14g
9/21: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 5g
Total weight gain: 2.2g (44% utilization)
Mackenzie (spotted python):
8/27: 7.4g
8/30: Refused pink
9/5: 6.9g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Refused pink
9/14: 8.6g
9/14: Ate 1 2g pink
9/19: 9.7g
9/19: Refused pink
Total food intake: 4g
Total weight gain: 2.3g (58% utilization)
Guinevere (corn)
8/27: 8.1g
8/30: Refused pink
9/1: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 10g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 11.9g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 14.2g
9/19: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 6.1g (68% utilization)
Pinky (corn):
8/27: 7.9g
8/30: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 8.1g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 11.2g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 13.5g
9/19: Ate 1 3g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 5.6g (62% utilization)
Anery motley male (no name, corn):
8/27: 6.7g
8/30: Ate 1 2g pink
9/5: 7.3g
9/5: Ate 1 2g pink
9/10: Ate 1 2g pink
9/14: 10.6g
9/14: Ate 1 3g pink
9/19: 9.7g
9/19: Ate 1 2g pink
Total food intake: 9g
Total weight gain: 3g (33% utilization)
What's the point?
First, spotted pythons are a pain in the butt to get feeding compared to corns.
Second, and more relevant to this thread, different snakes can gain at different rates, even on the same intake of food. Two of the corns so far seem to be better able to utilize the mice, even though all the mice are FT from the same supplier. One even LOST weight between feedings. Given that the percentage of food weight being converted to snake weight is very high it's quite likely that I'm weighing them before they poop everything out. (Which is fine since I'm not using this to look for exact weights, only patterns, but could be confusing if you start looking too hard at the exact weights)
I don't have complete records from when I first got my king snake but it took about a month and 5 feedings (pinks) to go from 23-25g. Similarly, my older spotted python Eugene stayed at 18g for 3 feedings straight.
I wouldn't stress over it unless you are seeing consistent weight LOSS or no weight gain even over a considerable stretch of time. I also would not increase feeding amount or reduce feeding interval too hastily.
An important note: I have had 1 regurge with these snakes (for the sister of the anery motley listed above) and it was after the night I decided to be lazy and feed everyone (larger and hatchling snakes) on the same night, even though it was a night early for the hatchlings (4 day interval). While there were other factors at play (I fed slightly larger pinks that night because that happened to be what I pulled out of the bag, snake in question was going into blue) I won't be feeding on that close of an interval again.
I didn't include the snake that regurged in the list because I haven't fed or weighed her since the 14th because of the regurge so she's off schedule compared to the others.
I keep track of it all rather obsessively because I'm a science geek and like looking at long term patterns in stuff like this. I don't obsess about how much the snakes gain or lose unless it's going outside of what I consider to be normal (which is judged using my eye and common sense).
