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Eating a lot....

EmbersMom

EmbersMom

And then there were three
Not sure if this went here or in feeding problems.....not really a feeding PROBLEM......Flame is a 2 year old male (probed) Creamsicle. We got him on 5/15 through Craigslist. He was well taken care of, healthy, Herpetologist at our local Zoo (my husband works there) said he was in great shape. We just got a scale now 3 months later and he is 250g. Well they were sort of hard-up for money (the people who owned him before), and they said he was on 2 hoppers, but the Herp said he was ready for an adult. We fed him right after we got him on a hunch that he had not been fed recently and he struck so fast and quick, you could tell he was HUNGRY! The adult went down fine, digested fine, poop, no regurge.......all went well. But then he refused for 6 weeks. We were not worried. I thought maybe the big meal was a shock to the system. Before we offered the 7th week, he went blue and had a wonderful shed. He at that night. We thought he needed to be on a 2 week schedule (that is what his owners said!) but at 12 days he started hanging out outside of his hides, like he was waiting for a mouse to run by. So, we fed him 2 days early and he ate. Went into blue again, shed perfect again. Then he ate. This time, he started hanging out just 5 DAYS after his last meal!!! But I could tell he was hungry. So, we fed him. He struck hard and fast and made short work of it. He is not fat, in fact he has this funny long ridge down his back, like caved in a bit. I can take a picture. But he's not skinny, either. I can't really feel his spine. He is glossy, alert, tongue flickering, happy, docile, etc. My theory is he's catching up for lost time. And if he was out in the wild, he'd be eating. Wildlybeautiful has me getting him down to a 7-10 days feeding schedule, but if he's wanting to eat (it's very, very clear when he's ready, because when he's not hungry he's in his hides!) should I indugle him for a while? Thought please??? :)
 
Sorry, that should say, after the first time he shed for us: He ATE that night. Not He AT that night! Sorry!
 
The problem is that their instinct is to hunt for food whenever they're not digesting. In the wild they can hunt for days or weeks and never find anything. Once in captivity this behaviour persists, even though you guarantee them regular food and it isn't necessary any more. You're interpreting this behaviour as "hunger" when it isn't, and you're over-feeding as a result. Bottom line is, you can't "tell when he's hungry" from this behaviour - they're really different to a cat or dog in that respect.

Some will go into hunting mode immediately after eating. It's like a human hunting through the cupboards for a packet of cookies after eating a full roast dinner. They might *want* a cookie, but they sure as heck don't *need* one!

I'm afraid you can't give in to those begging puppydog eyes any more - you need to harden your heart and become a snakey Weightwatchers leader for the next 15+ years!

One adult mouse every 10-21 days will be fine for an adult-sized Corn, for the rest of its life. I'd take your fella down to one every 14 days and see how that goes. I'm afraid if you continue effectively feeding on (what you think is) demand, that will result in a very flabby chappie who will have a shortened lifespan as a result.
 
Bitsy is correct, (I shouldn't really say it like this since I've had snake for less than a year but *shrugs*)

One thing you should probably do since you have the scales is just keep an eye on the weight of them, I'm not sure how much more they're likely to grow at 2 years old, but just weight them every month or so and keep an eye on the weight of them, if they are creeping up, space the meals out a little more. If they're staying the same, keep it the same, if they're losing weight, move the feedings closer together.

I've read loads of these kinds of forum topics and all snakes are different, some will keep gaining even on a 14 day schedule, others will lose weight and be kept on a 7 or 9 day schedule, it all comes down to your particular snake.
 
Thanks! I just worried because for those 6-7 weeks he did NOT look like he was hunting for food, he did not show any interest in the mousies we dangled, etc. I mean he would move away and avoid it totally, and how he is striking hard and fast now! And that ridge down his back looked a little concave. Another thing that threw me off (and we're totally new to this!) is that Ember (my 3 year old male Rosy Rat) would probably starve to death before lowering himself to coming out of his hide to look for food! ;) He's on a 2 week schedule (today's the day!) and just eats when offered, does not show any interest or dis-interest one way or the other. :cool:

But it makes sense in the wild if they don't know where their next meal is coming from, they'd eat any time they have a chance. Silly me, suckered in by a snake! :awcrap:

Flame is only 2 and not anywhere near full grown, so should I have him on a 10 day schedule? I thought 2 weeks was like maintenance for an adult? Thanks so much for the help!
 
Considering the adult mice we get from Clarks which tend to me on the smaller size. Some being the size of a larger hopper, I would still say 7-10 days feeding schedule. All my snakes that are under 300g are on that feeding schedule and are growing normally. I have seen Flame in person and he is about the size of Banshee or Piglet.

I feed my adult snakes every 10-14 days depending on the size of mice that they get in.

Flame might of gone on a hunger strike because of the move as well.
 
I thought 2 weeks was like maintenance for an adult?
Click to expand...
That's what you're looking to do, as once they hit adult size they won't grow significantly more (although they grow very slightly throughout their lives, hence continued shedding 3-5 times per year).

Once they attain a healthy adult size and mucle mass (usually around three years although some can be faster or slower), you're looking to maintain it, not to increase it.
 
I looked at the picture of Hailey holding Piglet and Flame is bigger than Piglet for sure. But he's nowhere near Ember's size, who's an adult. And Ember is a Rosy Rat (Keys), which are considered a smaller variety adult sized corn. So, he's got a ways to go. I'll drop him down to 10 days and watch for CSS (Chubby Snake Syndrome!).

In other news, Ember just refused for the first time! I'm not worried, but it sure makes life interesting! ;) Thanks for everyone's help!
 
Yes, Beautifully, I have noticed the Clark's mice are 1) either small or 2) inconsistent in size. Which is fine, we just give Flame the smaller ones and Ember the larger ones. Before we went to Clark's the ones we bought one-at-a-time at Petco were bigger. Sorry I called you Wildlybeautiful instead of Beautifullywild! ;) How has Reptmart been in size/consistency?
 
I know Rodent Pro mice were more consistent and were larger in size and were over 20g each. The ones at Clarks has just gotten smaller in the last couple of months. Even the fuzzy and hoppers are smaller. What RP would consider a peach fuzz, Clarks is considering a regular fuzz. So I usually have Mark eyeball them when he gets them. Like I said I was going to do a new order. I was thinking about going to Big Cheese or Layne Labs this time around. I will let you know when we do. Rodent Pro just had some issues recently and I would just feel better if I order from someone else just for now.

Piglet is now 235g and Banshee is about 263g. Redrum is the smallest adult we have and he is about 650ish.
 
Yeah, Flame is bigger than Piglet or Banshee
. He's about 375g, but that was a day after his mousie. But even so, that's probably a respectable 350. I think we messed up when we weighted him before and got 225 or 255 (can't remember, but I told the 9 year old to write it in his journal and lo and behold, she "forgot"). Because I *KNOW* he did not gain 100g in a week or 10 days. I just messed up weighing him the first time. This time I triple checked. Ember is 620. I just weighed him, he hasn't eaten in 2 weeks and he just had a huge poop. And he is over 3 years old, probably close to 3.5. So I do believe it when the experts say they are a smaller variety of corns when adults. In length. He's definitely differently shaped than other corns (more triangular), thicker without being fat (muscle-y) and very, very whippy! But he totally has the corn personality and behavior. I am glad they dropped the sub-classification or whatever it was and consider him a true cornsnake.
 
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