• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

signs of needing to feed your corn more food.

krtemt

krtemt

colubrid addict
Good morning,

I was wondering what are the signs that you should start either feeding you corn a larger size prey, or giving her another one of the same size?
Reason i am asking is when she is in her cage she isnt very active, but when i hold her she like goes into hunting mode. Her tongue starts going a million miles a minute and she searches everywhere on me for something to eat.
 
krtemt said:
Reason i am asking is when she is in her cage she isnt very active, but when i hold her she like goes into hunting mode. Her tongue starts going a million miles a minute and she searches everywhere on me for something to eat.
Click to expand...

What Jenn said.

That's not hunting mode, she's flicking her tongue loads because she's trying to figure out what you are, and she's being exposed to a host of new smells outside of what she's used to. She's searching for a place to hide and be safe, her moving about is trying to get away from you, LOL.
 
While the food size (1 1/2 X girth) rule is accurate, I have a few snakes that didn't read the manual. My female Durango Kingsnake would rather starve than eat an adult mouse she is easily large enough to handle, but give her two hoppers or fuzzies and she's happy. I have corns that do the same thing. I used to try to feed everything the right sized food items but have given up and just order an extra bag or two of smaller items for the nitpicky snakes. So while bumping up in size if you can is good, it's not always what the snakes agree to!
I have become less obsessed with sticking to a feeding schedule or food size and just try to make sure my snakes don't get too round or triangle shaped. As long as they retain their loaf of bread shapes I don't sweat the details or occasional refusal. I just got an adult snake that was given to me eating again after refusing to eat for like three whole months. She didn't lose a gram, just didn't gain any weight either.
 
shed'n my skin said:
While the food size (1 1/2 X girth) rule is accurate, I have a few snakes that didn't read the manual. My female Durango Kingsnake would rather starve than eat an adult mouse she is easily large enough to handle, but give her two hoppers or fuzzies and she's happy. I have corns that do the same thing. I used to try to feed everything the right sized food items but have given up and just order an extra bag or two of smaller items for the nitpicky snakes. So while bumping up in size if you can is good, it's not always what the snakes agree to!
QUOTE]

I have a couple of snakes that definitely prefer two smaller prey to one the appropriate size. It's weird, its like they don't think they can take it, or are intimidated by the bigger prey or something.

Poster: 1 1/2 times their girth or a little smaller is a good size for most corns, so stick to that unless your corn is "intimidated" by it.
Click to expand...
 
well i went to the pet store today and bought a couple of pinkies that were alittle bigger than the ones i was feeding her. The ones i normally get are about the size of her head, and the ones i got today are about maybe about a 25% bigger then her head. So hopefully this works for her.
 
When people say feed a prey item that is approx 1 to 1.5 times the girth of your snake their not talking about head size. You should pretty much ignore the size of your corms head when picking prey size and go for an item that is 1 - 1.5 x (times) the girth of your snake at its thickest point, ie. the belly

All the best

Tom
 
Yeah because keep in mind, their head may seem small but their mouths open pretty darn wide when they unhinge their jaw. So if that's the case your snake is most likely ready for fuzzies. Try that next time :)
 
okay i just fed him, yes its the latest development, a medium sized pinkie and the bump is more pronounced. I think i will stick with medium pinkies for a little bit.
 
I've only fed my snakes twice... I know you have to feed 1-1.5x their girth... but am I the only one who gets the ruler out to measure their girth (and then a frozen pinky... don't wanna waste a pinky you know!)? :D

I've been told to feed my ghost 2 pinkies and my snow 1 pinky (but I fed her 2 last time). The ghost is reluctunt to eat his second pinkie (but does eventually) and is a bit of a slow eater. My snow, wolfs down the 1st pinky and sits there and watches till I give her another pinky (I think she's just greedy).

Shall I:
1) keep to 2 pinkies for both snakes
2) go back to what the original shop owner said: ghost 2 pinkies and snow 1 pinky
3) ghost 1 pinky and snow 2 pinkies? I did see a dinky lump in my shost though (and he is a pooing machine) and the snow was 'lump free'.

They are handled every day post-2-days-after-feeding (I don't even open the lid) and go swimming once a week. How can I tell if my hatchlings are getting fat/ underweight? They've both got good grips (wrapping around my fingers) esp the snow.
 
Choco, Cali King, is 330g and eats two hoppers or two fuzzies. Inez, Nelson's Milk, is 320 and will eat a small mouse.
 
Pach said:
I've been told to feed my ghost 2 pinkies and my snow 1 pinky (but I fed her 2 last time). The ghost is reluctunt to eat his second pinkie (but does eventually) and is a bit of a slow eater. My snow, wolfs down the 1st pinky and sits there and watches till I give her another pinky (I think she's just greedy).

How can I tell if my hatchlings are getting fat/ underweight? They've both got good grips (wrapping around my fingers) esp the snow.
Click to expand...

Some snakes don't like to eat doubles. You could try a larger pink that equals two smaller ones for the ghost. Most snakes still act hungry even after a large meal. Do two pinks leave a lump in the snow? It would be helpful to know their weights. I wouldn't worry about hatchlings getting fat- they are growing. If they were thin, they'd be triangle-shaped in cross-section.
 
I've got the munson plan on my 'feeding/ shedding time' spreadsheet! :D

I need to buy a small scale cos my current one only does large weights (cooking one).

I'll have to check for lumps... 24 hours after eating? If it's there then I'm feeding them too much?
 
No, if they don't have a lump in 24 hours, you can increase the prey size slightly. If the prey size is too large, they regurgitate.
 
Ditto what Nanci said. There SHOULD be a lump 24 hours post-feeding. I was just wondering, was the shop from which you purchased them knowledgeable about corns? Some shops are, and some have no clue. I'm not saying their advice is bad - just curiousl
 
Yeah, it was a proper reptile shop (they gave me a care sheet, shop card and all. The owners use to work in zoo's (reptile section) all over the world). I only asked/ they only gave me basic info as I've only had the corns 2 weeks (so I haven't gone in for a 2nd shop of food yet for them to ask me about the snakes). I'm only asking on the forum cos it's easier! :) ... and the snow has only just recently increased her food amount.
 
Lots of good advice here! I'll reiterate my favorite points.

1.5X the girth at the widest part of the snakes body. Don't let the size of the head worry you. He can do it.

I also have two who want smaller multiple mice, but they're also my King and my Milk, not my corns.

My snakes always still 'hunt' immediately after eating a sizable meal, even striking at my hand if it passes by the tub. They probably would take more than they should if I let them. It takes them a couple minutes to get out of hunger mode, then they go curl up somewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top