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Always need a bump after feeding?

Pele's Mom

New member
Hey Folks,

My 3 year old corn is a great eater, never missed a meal. I posted before that I felt like she recently seemed to be exhibiting her hunting behaviors earlier, and earlier (ie: I fed her two days ago and she's already out lookin for more...when she was younger, she's spend at least 4 days sitting in her warm spot digesting...)

I feed her 1 adult mouse every 10-14 days, like clockwork. But I'm wondering if my petstore is selling me undersized mice.

I recently went into a new pet store to inquire about their adult frozen mice, and they were indeed bigger. I asked if you're always supposed to see a lump after feeding, even after they're adults, and she said yes.

Is this true? B/c I ain't seeing no lump....

Thanks for your input!!
 
Have to say, I disagree. Once they reach adult mice, Corns don't ever need to eat anything larger and the "bump" it leaves is no longer an issue.

At that point, keep an eye on their overall body shape and tweak what you offer as needed. If they start to get too rounded and the backbone can't be seen, then cut down by offering food less often. If the backbone becomes prominent and the body shape starts looking triangular, then you can offer two mice at one feed until they're back to a more desirable condition. The ideal shape is a sort of loaf-shape, with the backbone visible when they move.

It can be a bit difficult to see as body changes tend to be very subtle and slow. I've accidentally ended up with a fat snake before now - took a year for him to get that way and four years to get him down to a more healthy shape/size.

If you keep offering larger and larger food then you'll just end up with a chubby snake. Overfeeding is a real risk to their health - worse than having them slightly on the lean side.

If you're worried about the size of the mice you're feeding, then you could occasionally offer two at a time. However I wouldn't do that every feed unless your snake starts looking underweight or out of condition.
 
We actually feed ours 2 of a smaller size (example 2 hoppers, 2 fuzzies, etc) instead of one large item. It seems like they digest it better. Our adults are up to 2 weanlings now and seem to be doing fine.
 
I've fed my 11 year old jumbo mice for years, and even with them there's never a bump.

Agree, either bump up to the larger size mouse you found elsewhere, or now and then offer 2 of the ones you're feeding now.
 
It's an adult Corn though. Unless it's underweight or out of condition, you don't need to be increasing food size or frequency. I think we're in danger of solving a problem that doesn't exist.
 
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