Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a corn snake that is about 30 inches in length and guessing about a year old. I am currently been feeding it a FT hopper mouse every seven days. Should I start feeding him/her two FT hoppers every seven days? I don't think the snake is large enough for weaned mice.

Thanks

machinegun

well a good rule of thumb is dont feed a snake anything larger in girth than the largest part of the snakes body (in girth of course). How old is the snake? I have a yearling ratsnake which I feed one fuzzy every 4 days. If it's younger though, I would go every 4-5 days just feed one at a time though. when you feed two you have the posibility of regurg.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat(Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds ("Bill" and "The Bride aka Beatrix Kiddo" )

well a good rule of thumb is dont feed a snake anything larger in girth than the largest part of the snakes body (in girth of course).

Actually the rule of thumb is prey item can be up to 1/2 of a size larger than a snakes thickest portion. And some snakes can handle more than that, if fed at appropriate intervals. The reason for the 1/2 size larger is so we dont overfeed the snake, and for neonates. Neonates cant handle as large a meal in comparitive size as an adult/sub-adult can. If an adult snake can swallow the prey item, then it can digest it. I once witnessed a large adult black rat catch and eat a faily large grey squirrel. The snake was probably 6-7' in length and nice girth. Ambushed a squirrel at my grandma's bird feeder and was pretty fat once he had the squirrel down. I didnt think he could eat it, but I watched him for probably 20 minutes until he had it down and liesurely went on about his business with a full belly!!! And remember, rat snakes can take larger food items than kings in comparison to their bodies.

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1.0 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes (MO locale)
1.0 Eastern Yellow Belly racer (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Yellow rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.1 California king snake (Coastal phase)
1.0 Prairie king snake (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern Milk snake (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern/Red milk intergrade (KY locale)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

true but you also need to realize that there are two things happening to that carcass in the snakes belly. it is being digested, but it is also decomposing. If the snake still has a bulge in its belly after 2 days the item is too big, and it is starting to decompose faster than being digested now...and when the decomposing flesh is digested it can make the snake very sick.

so yes they can eat bigger items, however I just dont reccomend it because of that factor.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat(Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds ("Bill" and "The Bride aka Beatrix Kiddo" )

>>true but you also need to realize that there are two things happening to that carcass in the snakes belly. it is being digested, but it is also decomposing. If the snake still has a bulge in its belly after 2 days the item is too big, and it is starting to decompose faster than being digested now...and when the decomposing flesh is digested it can make the snake very sick.
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>>so yes they can eat bigger items, however I just dont reccomend it because of that factor.
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Hotshot is right.
The "rule" you brought up is actually prey items no larger then 1 1/2 times thier diameter.
Up to this size is fine, especially if proper conditions are maintained.
This is just a general rule, though.
They can and have eaten larger prey items but there is no sense in pressing it.
Like you said, if they prey item is too large there is always the possibility that digestion will be slower then decomposition.
This happens a lot when hatchlings decide to dine on hatch mates. They might get them down but it can be fatal for them too.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

30 inch corn..at good temps...can and should be eating a weaned mouse.....

feed once a week I say.....and not too much....yet not too little.....

depends on the snake ,the temps,the genetics,et etc....

some could eat a hopper every other day........some would regurge if you gave it a weaned mouse once a week....

......size.......black rats...babies at time will not eat pinks........so I gave them hoppers or fuzzy....yes...newborn...eating a hopper........big lump per animal......took it well.....never missed a beat....it wanted the hair..not the hairless pinks......

...........water snakes at 4 ft eat 12 inch trout without leaving a lump........6 ft blackrats do and will eat sqirrels.....they are hungry.......LOL...and a squirrel is only a fancy tailed rat anyways.....they has learned to jump more.......garters eat frogs that are way too big(and toads).........pythons eat rabbits that are huge......and corns can eat small squirrels......chipmunks.....quail...etc..if they are BIG corns.....

again.....I go once a week.......thin snakes are healthy snakes...........trust me..I had fat snakes for over a decade......thin is better........

JY
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.....wow....you people....really.....you are exactly like I thought.........

............right?

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>>I have a corn snake that is about 30 inches in length and guessing about a year old. I am currently been feeding it a FT hopper mouse every seven days. Should I start feeding him/her two FT hoppers every seven days? I don't think the snake is large enough for weaned mice.
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>machinegun

sure give it a try.
If the bulge from a single hopper isn't very big go ahead and try a second. You will know soon enough if it can handle them.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)