I feed mine as much as they'll eat. Your '13 snake is much larger than my pair of '13 snakes.... and I have to think this is because the breeder was "maintenance feeding". In fact, he told me so, when I questioned him about the study on size.

By your question over whether I feed my snakes as much as they'll eat in 5 minutes, we have the same breeder. And as much as I respect this couperi master, I feed them all the animals they'll eat at each feeding, however long it takes.

My pair of '13 snakes were about ~18", when I receeived them in May. They are about 30" now.

My '12 pair was exactly a year old when I got them (USFWS lost my permit applications TWICE!). That pair was only 22" when I got them. Now, 1 year later, they are ~ 54" The female of the '12 pair really only eats birds, although I lay chick legs on top of a mouse now and then, to smuggle in the rodents. She also gets 1/4 of a human vitamin now and then, as there is some debate over whether birds are less nutritious than rodents.

I fed them all last Saturday. The older (red-throat) male at 2 large adult mice, 1 rat pup, and 2 baby quail. The older (red throat) female ate 1 baby quail and 2 chicks. The '13 (all black) male ate 4 hoppers, the '13 female ate only 2 hopper mice.
All of them were offered more food, and all refused.

I spoil them. I was feeling that maybe I could feed them twice a week, so I defrosted a bunch of food last night -- mice, rats, chicks.....and not a single snake would take food. Tonight, I cleaned cages, and the big male said he'd eat..... like your experience, he lets me know!

Yeah, I love these snakes! I have had many thousands of snakes in my life, from king snakes to mambas. But I doubt if I'll ever keep anything but Drymarchon again!

All the best!
Chris

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