Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 4 young rat snakes at the moment, and I'm unsure of how quickly these grow. The biggest of them I have on large pink mice right now. I am about to order frozen feeders for my critters (6 month supply) and I want to make sure I order enough pinks, fuzzies, hoppers, smalls and large mice for my rat/milk/king snakes. How quickly do rat snakes grow? What size prey do you suggest for them? I don't want to feed too big of prey, but I also don't want to feed too little.

Also, how quickly to they obtain adult-size if fed once per week? What size prey would you feed a 4' rat snake? a 6' (in case I get one that big)?

Thanks for your help!

Krystie

Depends on the type of ratsnake. I have seen black rats come out of the egg ready for md. fuzzies. Whereas cornsnakes need day old pinks. My black rats were on lg. hoppers by their first year. They all grow differently. Most N.A. rats shouldn't need more than 1 adult mouse per week.
-----
-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Striped Anery Corn "V" or "5".....Has two names
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
0.0.1 Crested Gecko "The Crested Gecko"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

These are the normal corn-snake type - aka "red rat", "anery red rat", and "orange rat" (orange is redXalbino)... The orange has grown well - we got him first. I just don't know growth long-term. Thanks!
~Krystie

...Corns grow pretty fast but thats also often a effect of most people feeding them twice a week.

I'd ask on the corn snake forum to get very specific estimates but I don't think it's abnormal for corns on a 3.5 day cycle to be on hoppers/small mice by the first year. That being said if you are not in a rush and want to avoid possible health problems from power feeding then feed em once a week and you'll prolly only be on lg fuzzy's/small hoppers by the first year. But definitely ask the experts as all my current corns are only months old.

Sean.

I don't think feeding a corn 2x a week would be concidered "power feeding" Not while they are babies anyway.....
-----
-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Striped Anery Corn "V" or "5".....Has two names
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
0.0.1 Crested Gecko "The Crested Gecko"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

actually the only reason I called it "power feeding" is that even though they take it very easily it is still pretty much the max you can do in terms of frequency without having it eating new food with undigested food still in the belly.

At least my baby corns are currently digesting in roughly 2.5-3 days.

Sean.

I start out feeding baby corns pink mice every 4 days. As they grow I just increase the size of the mouse and by the time they're 6 months or so I feed them every 5 to 6 days. This years hatchlings will be big enough to breed in the spring of 2009. Actually some are almost breeding size the next spring but I don't brumate them until the 2nd winter.