Another food size question.

Well, I got my new corn snake last night. She's very, very big, She's around 5 feet long. I haven't weighed her yet but I was wondering if anyone can tell me the rules on what size of food I should be giving her? I gave her the biggest mouse I had in my freezer, it was 27g. She hastily gobbled it down. That seemed a bit small for her and it didn't leave a lump. Also, she still seems really active and hungry. I'm going to feed her again in a week or so. Should I up the prey size, and if so, what size should she be eating? (approximately) Sorry if there's already a thread about this somewhere. I searched and didn't come up with anything.

With my adult corns, I feed 1-2 large adult mice every week for maintenance. For my breeding girl, she would take 2-3 during breeding season. After laying, there were times I'd give her up to 5 to regain weight. You can feed rat pups but they have a much higher fat content so though you have to feed less, they aren't as good for them. Just like any animal, you don't want them to be too fat.

Ok she weighs 486g. She also seems a bit on the thin side, she is a bit triangular. I'll post pictures later. She's not acting like she even ate yesterday. I'm having to watch my fingers while in her cage, as she's sort of hyper-sesitive to the movement. I also have a ball python, and she's a welcome change from the calm, slow personality that he has.

Ok, here's my next question. I've had her since friday night, and she ate on friday night. She had not eaten since "the beginning of december" and she pooped yesterday AND today. Is it possible she had already digested her meal from friday night, because it was a small meal, or is it possible it could be that her husbandry is better now, so she's getting rid of built up poo, or should I be concerned? My baby bp only poops about once every two weeks, so I'm surprised that she pooped twice in 2 days.

Depending on her age, that could be a bit light. My big boy stays around 500 g. while my breeder girl would fluctuate between 400 (after laying) and 550 when built up. Just use common sense though. Also, forget anything you've learned about snakes eating/feeding from bp's when it comes to corns other than don't smell like a mouse. Corns don't take much to eat. Generally a food item (or something that resembles it if they are truly hungry) and opportunity is all a corn needs. They also go into feeding mode much faster than a bp will. I never learned to wiggle a rat until I had a bp...

They will poop more than your bp but it's less messy overall. Their metabolism seems to run at a faster rate, much like their personality. My corns have always pooped regularly a couple days after feeding. If they don't, in babies, it's cause for concern.

As for her being sensitive, that's something that brings up the much debated topic of feeding in or out of the cage. Up until 3-4 years ago, I always fed my corns in a separate container with no exception. This was what I was told early on and did it without fail. I was then told that snakes wouldn't correlate opening the container with food so I've been experimenting since then. The ones who are fed outside the container, I've never had an issue with them getting into feeding mode before going into their feeding container (I just use rubbermaid tubs). Those that I've fed in their cage (like my bps are) have had mixed results. Some have gotten to where they go into feeding mode the moment the lid is taken off while others don't seem to care. With 2 of them, I switched back and forth and saw the feeding reaction diminish when they were routinely fed separately. There are numerous breeders who swear up and down it doesn't matter and others who say it does. Personally, I think it depends on the snake. My less aggressive feeders don't seem to care. My more aggressive feeders are the ones who look at me like I'm lunch when fed inside their cage. I will always feed corns that have that reaction outside of their cage at this point to prevent any inadvertent bites as I use several of mine in educational programs with children. The last thing I need is to worry about is calming them down while doing a presentation because the lid came off. The decision is yours, however but with corns, there is generally no worry about a snake being too shy or too timid to eat. They are not at all like bps and will not generally stress off feed. Only trouble eaters I've ever had are hatchlings who didn't know what to do with a mouse seemingly.

Corns were the first snakes I ever had and I started breeding them back in 2003 with my first two. They are wonderful snakes with great personalities. Each is different and I don't think I've ever met one with a bp personality. My big boy is as close as it gets and he is the laziest corn I've ever met. He expects you to hold him (he's 11 and still hasn't figured out his tail is good for grasping) but he loves being out. I have pics of numerous kids handing him around, playing with his head, and stretching him out. Not once has he stressed, tried escaping, or seemed to care. Then again, his youngest daughter, Frejya, is squirmy and a brat. She's not scared/timid, just overly active. She also has a strong feeding response whereas with Flurry, if I so much as wiggle his mouse, he looks at me like "Mom! It moved! Kill it!" Never once has he struck at one. He lazily starts at the head and just... slithers over it for lack of a better term.

Get your girl on a feeding schedule and she'll quickly learn it. You'll also never have to worry about her turning down food (unless she's gravid). It's a nice change of pace to a bp.

I'm really starting to get worried now. She pooped on me again today. This makes 3 days in a row. I'm starting to feel like I should have a burp rag every time I handle her! Her poop also seems a bit runny and there's always a lot of liquid deposited with it. Should I be concerned? I feel as if shes pooping out more than she's taking in.

It isn't abnormal for a corn to do that especially when being handled. Like I said, they poop ALOT more than a bp will. Also, when was she last fed at her previous home? It's possible that part of it was from that. It should generally be very liquid with some brown matter and some white urates. As long as she doesn't seem dehydrated, I would get her on a solid feeding schedule and see what happens. My rule is I'm careful not to hold my corns 2-4 days after they've eaten because that's when you're going to get a shower.

She had a meal the first week of December and then wasn't fed again until the night I brought her home, Friday. She had a 27g f/t large mouse. That's why I'm concerned. It just seems like there's more coming out then there is going in.

I second everything that Dracoluna has been telling you. Everything will be ok. I have an adult 6 ft./12 yr old Rat snake that I've seen poop 3-4 days in a row and he gets fed every 2 weeks. My one cali king is on the same feeding schedule and will sometimes poop in his water bowl 2 days in a row, then wait a day to make it dirty again. Poop 3 times in 4 days. There is a recent post in the corns or colubrids section about corns vs bps when it comes to defecating. It is a good/fun read.


For feeding, 1-3 mice/week sounds fine. It might be possible to eventually get it up to 1 small rat a week. Mice are fine though if you don't want to deal with rats.

You will get the snake on a feeding schedule and learn it's habits over time.

Just an update- she actually ate a rather large rat about a week ago and held it down! She's 486g and she ate an 86g rat! I was a little scared she wouldn't be able to do it but she did great! It was a live, and sometimes they seem to grow after you get them home. You think they're pretty small in the store, get them home, and you're having second thoughts. lol! nevertheless, she's switching to 3 20g mice every 10 days.