Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does the amount of food you offer your corn affect its maximum adult size?

np.

While Gargoyle may have made a true point that a fat snake is not healthy, to answer your question, yes. The growth rate of most snakes a great deal on how often it is fed. A young snake fed twice a week is very likely to be much larger after a couple years than one fed once a week. Snakes grow their fastest their first couple years of life.

On another note, your snake will probably be healthier and grow faster if you seperate the feedings out and don't stuff it in one meal.

Unless you starve (not good thing) then no.

I think the original question being asked is something along the lines of:

"Does the amount I feed a snake early on affect its ultimate size at maturity?"

In answer of THAT question, I can only say "maybe," but only in a negative way.

In other words, I do not believe there is any evidence to support the idea that powerfeeding your juvenile snakes will cause them to grow to a final larger size than if you had fed them on a more moderate schedule. They may reach their potential earlier with powerfeeding (which may, or may not have deliterious health ramifications), but I have seen nothing which suggests that powerfeeding actually INCREASES growth potential of an individual corn.

On the other hand, not feeding an animal enough as a youngster may very well stunt the growth of a corn, precluding it from ever attaining its full potential in growth, regardless of how it has been fed thereafter.

Hope that helps answer you original question...
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742