Metabolic rate differences between snakes

[quixoft]

I've been tracking the weights and feedings of my two stripes from the same clutch and it's interesting to see how they differ being fed the same amount.

I've had them both about 6 weeks and they both started out at the same size of 8g when I bought them. Both are very aggressive feeders on f/t and have not skipped a meal, even when in shed.

Interestingly enough, after 6 weeks with the exact same feeding amounts and on the same days(the Munson plan), one is at 16g and the other is already at 20g. That's a 25% increase over his sibling! I think I may start feeding the big guy on a bit more conservative plan than his brother.

Either way, I always find it interesting that with the exact same circumstances, you can get such large differences.

 

[bitsy]

Corns can be very individual like that. I had one male who tended towards fat on one large mouse a fortnight. I had to keep his feeds to one every three weeks otherwise he started to pile on the weight.

 

[Tracee]

Corns can be very individual like that. I had one male who tended towards fat on one large mouse a fortnight. I had to keep his feeds to one every three weeks otherwise he started to pile on the weight.

Same, Charlie probably eats 10 times per year, max, and he's always absolutely huge.

Very interesting indeed quixoft, that's almost a controlled experiment! You'll have to see whether this continues throughout their lives or if they level out at some point..

 

[medusacoils]

I have noticed that temperature can affect growth. That is something that I found out by accident. I had a faulty piece of heat tape which warmed one tub up to 88 - 90F-ish. The snake in that tub ate at the same rate as other snakes her size but gained very little weight. I surmised that the higher temps caused her to have a higher metabolism and subsequently not gain wait effectively.

Since replacing the tape and reducing her temps, the snake has gained great weight.

Wayne