Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After trying a few times in the last three weeks i finally managed to get a pretty good close up shot of my new snake Kula (Golden One in Hawaiian) yes i finally named him/her lol.

Also i had a regurg overnight Wends/Thurs i am pretty sure it is just the fact that the mouse was too large. He didn't seem to have any problems swallowing it, took about six minutes of constant slow progress, and once he got to the tail it went down into his belly fine. He regurged approx 30-36 hours after the feeding, mouse partially digested. He just seems so skinny after though he seems to be acting normally and does cruise around his cage from time to time. Nothing changed other than the size of the mouse. The mouse was supposed to be a small hopper eyes only opened a day (all they had other than small pinks). His belly was stretched to the point where you could barely see the skin between the scales but not as much as the picture on page 26 of the Corn Snake Manual.

I know not to feed again for 10 days and smaller food item next feeding, do i also leave him completely alone until after he eats? Is it still ok to change the water every other day?

I didn't have a ruler nearby when i thought to do a size reference picture, so i grabbed a dvd of the shelf. I have a picture where Kula is only about an inch short of being completely wrapped around the dvd, though it turned out very blurry.

Wayne

If he were mine I would keep fresh clean water in his cage and feed him something very small like a pinkie to make sure he builds up his digestive juices again..then give him something like a fuzzy. I believe you should keep him on fuzzies for a while. Just my suggestion
Good Luck
Nancy
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Some of my best friends are snakes
Snakes Rule

>>If he were mine I would keep fresh clean water in his cage and feed him something very small like a pinkie to make sure he builds up his digestive juices again..then give him something like a fuzzy. I believe you should keep him on fuzzies for a while. Just my suggestion
>>Good Luck
>>Nancy

I can change the water without bothering him, i actually did today becuase he drank quite a bit since yesterday when i last changed it. I will most likely give him fresh water daily to e safe.

Are you suggesting i feed him sooner than ten days? Sorry if i mis-understood, but i have always seen people recommend waiting 10 days and giving smaller then for 1-2 feedings before going back to the appropriate size.

Thanks for the reply

Wayne

He is quite skinny. I would buy a ziplock bag with 100 pinkies and start feeding pinkies. In 10 days the first one. If he keeps it inside feed two or three pinkies every 4 days untill the bag is gone.. I have done that with great results.

Good luck!

>>I didn't have a ruler nearby when i thought to do a size reference picture, so i grabbed a dvd of the shelf. I have a picture where Kula is only about an inch short of being completely wrapped around the dvd, though it turned out very blurry.
>>
>>Wayne
>>
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Marcel Poots (Holland)
'Where is your crown King Nothing?' James Hettfield

>>He is quite skinny. I would buy a ziplock bag with 100 pinkies and start feeding pinkies. In 10 days the first one. If he keeps it inside feed two or three pinkies every 4 days untill the bag is gone.. I have done that with great results.
>>
>>Good luck!

He does look really skinny in that picture. His neck is about as thick as a Sharpie marker, and his middle about that of a quarter.
Also the picture was 7 days after his last meal. Pinkies are too small for him they really don't even leave a lump. Does this sound right he is approx 24 inches, i can't get him to stay still long enough for a true measurement (string along body then measure the string).

Thanks, i really appreciate the replies

Wayne

Yes, I know pinkies are too small for him. But with the regurge I would not trust any bigger meals for a while.

>>>>He is quite skinny. I would buy a ziplock bag with 100 pinkies and start feeding pinkies. In 10 days the first one. If he keeps it inside feed two or three pinkies every 4 days untill the bag is gone.. I have done that with great results.
>>>>
>>>>Good luck!
>>
>>He does look really skinny in that picture. His neck is about as thick as a Sharpie marker, and his middle about that of a quarter.
>>Also the picture was 7 days after his last meal. Pinkies are too small for him they really don't even leave a lump. Does this sound right he is approx 24 inches, i can't get him to stay still long enough for a true measurement (string along body then measure the string).
>>
>>Thanks, i really appreciate the replies
>>
>>Wayne
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Marcel Poots (Holland)
'Where is your crown King Nothing?' James Hettfield

What does everyone think? Male or Female?
I change my mind almost everytime i handle Kula lol.

Wayne

this Spring a good friend of mine let me probe her first purchased and favorite snake, Little Miss. Well, you guessed it. Even though there were days she looked feminine and other days masculine, she probed MALE. Not only was my friend shocked, but she was disappointed as she wanted it to be a female so badly. Probing is easy to do and the only sure way to confirm gender.

Does look male to me most of the time. and i have a tendency to call it a him, but i totally understand probing is needed to be sure, i don't plan on breeding, but was wondering. I saw a probe set for sale cheap and thought about it, but i'd be afraid to hurt my snake, and i have a hard enough time trying to hold him still just to measure him lol

thanks for the reply

Wayne

water once a week until after two meals with no regurging. Don't mess with him at all.
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phflame
pethobbyist host

>>water once a week until after two meals with no regurging. Don't mess with him at all.
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>>phflame

Once a week? isn't that too long? i would think the upper 70's temp and the still water would cause bacterial growth if left more than a few days?

thanks

Wayne

unless they defecate in their water. But I keep their water bowls on the cool side and also bleach them each week.
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phflame
pethobbyist host

>>I agree with your assesment that the mouse might have been too large. Some snakes do better then others moving up in size.
I would wait the 10 days to feed and go back to a fuzzie to see how that does.
If that one stays down feed it another in five to seven days and if that one stays down go back to hoppers once a week but make it small hoppers until it is obvious he needs to step up in size. There is no rush.
As far as handling goes, I wouldn't worry about that too much.
I have had a couple of mine regurge a larger then normal meal and handling between the regurge and the next meal didn't cause any problems. I check on, and handle all of my snakes every day.
I might skip the day after feeding, sometimes, but not always.
This allows me to clean habitats, replenish water bowls, check for sheds and just check their over all conditions not to mention the fact that this helps keep them tame. And/or helps to tame the younger ones.
Just my two cents...for whatever that is worth these days.
Jimmy

Jimmy,

Thanks again for the replies i really appreciate them. You know what i have been through and what a worry-wart i am, it is nice to know that others are thinking the same. Also i noticed about a hour ago he seems to be going into shed, his eyes are starting to cloud over so large meal could have been uncomfortable or so i have read online. I think he should be on fuzzies as a "normal" meal for his size, the pinks went right through him, deficates 2nd and 3rd day after feeding the 4 pinks.

I know there is no rush, but it was either small pinks or the mouse i gave him, now that i know the hopper was too big i can get a bag of fuzzies for him. He took pre-killed and wet food without hesitation so i am hoping the switch to frozen in a week or two will go without a hitch.

I changed his water again today as he drank alot lastnight/today and switched him over to bottled water. He doesn't seem to mind my hands being in the tank anymore but i think i will give him a few days to rest after the regurg anyway, ad bother him only for water or cleaning.