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2 Year old Corn, 411g. Stopped eating. Puberty?

B

born2slither

New member
I had been rigorously tracking my corns feedings but stopped writing the weights down some time ago. However, I got him feb 2016 at less than 30g. and the shop stated he was about 6 months old (seemed plausible for 25-30g corn). Ever since ive been feeing him roughly 10% of his weight weekly. The frozen mice are weighed at the pet store on my scale, before pruchase. I estimate the weight range i will need purchase roughly 10-20 mice. Then brought home and individually packaged and labeled with the appropriate weight. They have never exceeded 12% of my corns weight however, they have also not exceeded 35g. Most were 10-11% of my corns weight. I then feed him on a weekly basis from lightest mouse to heaviest.

I analyzed the munson plan and felt that feeding mice less than 12% of the snakes weight was acceptable as it should not cause my corn to be overweight since it was still less than the munson plan recommendation.

I would check his weight prior to each feeding so i know roughly what the corn to mouse weight ratio is. I continued this process up till about 300g when i felt i had enough food to finish up at around 370g min when done, and it was not necessary to continue weighing him as he would likely exceed this weight when all the food was done. The accepted consensus is that it is better to underfeed than overfeed.

I would analyze his body shape every time he was handled to make sure that there weren't any tell tale signs of underfeeding (noticeable spine, triangular shape) or overfeeding (round body, love handles near tale area).

My corn has never missed his weekly feeding. However this week he refused to eat and also began to act erratically frantically trying to escape from the feeding tub.

I have read that they go off feedings and get exited like this around breeding season. However, i am not sure my corn is really ready to breed at 2 years old. Could my corn be going through puberty now?

Also, at 2 years old should he weigh 411g? Although he doesnt seem fat, this seems like a lot. Anyone experience similar growth rates?

What steps should i take as far as feeding regimen? I think that i should move to a 14 day feeding schedule with 10%-11% jumbo mice.

My apologies for not including pictures. I will try to do so next time he is handled if he will allow me to do so.
 
my snake is 2 yrs and 3 months old and he weighs about 404 grams right now.

He too has been an eager feeder, but sometimes stops eating right before a shed. He once went 5 weeks with no food. No big deal, snakes can live 4 or 5 months without food.

If he is healthy, you should not worry. He will eat when he's ready.

Just a suggestion, weekly feedings are generally acceptable for growing babies, but once a snake reaches 300 grams, a 10 day interval is better, and then after 400 grams, 14 days is the norm. (Some people with overweight snakes only feed every 21 to 28 days.)

Continue to keep cage clean, maintain temps, provide fresh water, handle as usual. He will eat when he's ready.

And yes, he could be of mating age. A 2 year old corn snake is basically a young adult.

Mine tried to mate with my arm a few weeks ago while I was handling him.
 
Karl_Mcknight said:
Mine tried to mate with my arm a few weeks ago while I was handling him.
Click to expand...

Can you explain this further. I think this also happened to me, i thought he was just messing around but he seems to sqeeze a bit when i first take him out.

My snake normally has a lot of energy and is constantly moving about. But lately its all i can do to keep him from leaping out of my arms.
 
jmezgQ


Here is a pic of my boy.
 
I agree, it's probably the season. Definitely slow your feedings once he's ready to eat again. Males seem to have remarkable metabolisms.
 
keep an eye on your corns waight, my 8 yr old corn rexy hasnt eaten in 5+ weeks, she was 641grams then laid eggs, so obv mine will have lost waight but they can go upto 3 months with out eating but if theres a dramatic loss in waight i would make sure your temps are correct and make sure there is enough hides atleast 2 and fake plants to make him/her feel safe, as it can stress them out and they will go off food, if everthink is near to correct and theres a dramatic loss in waight i would then visit the vets.
 
Ok, so strange behavior. I left him in the feeding tub with the mouse for about 25mins. He kept looking for a way out. Then started doing silly things with the mouses body like trying to crawl under the paper towels where the mouse was, and pushed it around the tub for a while. Left it alone for a bit. But eventually ate it. So thats a relief. I will try again in 2 weeks.
 
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