Posted by:
Bluerosy
at Tue Mar 31 09:47:47 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Bluerosy ]
Well you are on your way. Now that your snake is that size it should really take off on feeding. Feed as mature mice as possible as these have more calcium and protien that your snake needs to grow and be healthy. It is before your snake reaches adult size is when it needs to eat. Once they reach adult size their appetite slows down.
The trick is this. Get your snake started as soon as possible on larger meals and the healthier and more they will eat. Once they reach a certain size (like yours) you are out of the hole and they will feed quite frequently. Just give them feed and if they are hungry they will eat. In other words WE don't decide FOR the snake when it wants to eat. Let the snake decide and offer food (and larger meals!) more frequently. The old rule of one feeding per week is great if that is all your snake wants to eat. But most normal healthy snakes will eat more than that. Another way to look at it is if you take a person from a 3rd world country or impovershed nation. They can survive on much less food than us. When they mature they will not be as healthy and reach there potential. Most of my snakes slow down on feeding when they become reach adult size. Their metablism slows down and they don't need as much. But the first year or two leading up to it is when they need to eat a lot.
One other thing I should mention. Snakes that are small and don't eat well are considered to be "runts' by breeders. So that is what we stay away from when making a purchase. That is because most breeders know a snake that was started slow will most likely continue to be finicky and not be as prolific breders. Hence "not healthy". So a snake that is 2-3 years old and is still small is not a good purchase. However some kingsnakes do not grow as fast as others. So you have to know your kings. Speckled kings grow slow even though they eat like a horse. Mountain kings ect. But the getula in general grow fast and should be a certain size after a year or two of age.
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RE: 9 month old! - Bluerosy, Tue Mar 31 09:47:47 2009
