Corn and Feeding / weight gain

[Crowfingers]

Just weighed the big girl tonight, shes up to 847g (not empty) from 830g a month ago, but still seems to be thin. She's more triangular that the ball. Anyway - I've been offering an adult mouse (ranging from 18-25g) every 5 days. These don't make a noticeable lump at all. I'm just wondering if this prey size is too small? She is always ravenous, strikes immediately and looks for more, but I don't know if this is just a corn thing or if I need to order jumbo mice instead. I don't want her to go to her forever home until I have her feeding worked out - so any advice in appreciated

[Bogertophis]

Her stool was clean, I assume? And jumbo mice are fatty older breeders, not recommended any more than jumbo rats are for
boas etc.

[Crowfingers]

Fecal was misplaced by the lab - she just gave me one as I was typing - figures I cleaned the tank this morning. I'm going to send the stool out again tomorrow for a parasite check and crypo screening. Stool is normal, I also took some more pics just now, holding a light at a few angles to show what I am assuming is a little too prominent of a spine.

[Crowfingers]

Some new pics- It's most noticeable when she is turning, and I can feel it when I'm holding her. Not sure if its normal shape for a corn

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...494&height=659

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...585/image0.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/450442571596955653/493932540533538816/image1.jpg

[67temp]

It's a corn thing when they are still looking for food as soon as the rat/mouse tail gets down their throat. In the first pic it looks like the food lump is to the right of her head and slightly above it. The second and third pics where you were trying to show her spine looks that way because of the bend in the snake and the way it is laying. Ideally you want the cross section of the snake while it is straight to resemble a slice of bread. They should be somewhat squared on the sides an bottom, the spine should be sunken down in the middle, and the two muscles that run down either side of the spine should be raised up.

[Crowfingers]

It's a corn thing when they are still looking for food as soon as the rat/mouse tail gets down their throat. In the first pic it looks like the food lump is to the right of her head and slightly above it. The second and third pics where you were trying to show her spine looks that way because of the bend in the snake and the way it is laying. Ideally you want the cross section of the snake while it is straight to resemble a slice of bread. They should be somewhat squared on the sides an bottom, the spine should be sunken down in the middle, and the two muscles that run down either side of the spine should be raised up.

Well, I fed her yesterday evening around 7 - so I hope the mouse isn't still visible lol. If I were to do a cross section I would say she is more triangular than bread shaped. Not as bad as she was a month ago, but her spine is still definitely higher than the apaxial muscles that are on either side. Maybe 1-2ish millimeters higher than the muscles - she had "loose" skin around she neck when I got her that has since tightened up.

As for prey size, should she be on something larger than 18-25g mice be better? Like rat pups, or two mice per feeding? She's 847g currently

[dakski]

Well, I fed her yesterday evening around 7 - so I hope the mouse isn't still visible lol. If I were to do a cross section I would say she is more triangular than bread shaped. Not as bad as she was a month ago, but her spine is still definitely higher than the apaxial muscles that are on either side. Maybe 1-2ish millimeters higher than the muscles - she had "loose" skin around she neck when I got her that has since tightened up.

As for prey size, should she be on something larger than 18-25g mice be better? Like rat pups, or two mice per feeding? She's 847g currently

First of all, 847G is a pretty big corn, and from the pictures, she does not look underweight to me.

I am inserting a few pictures below of Figment, my Hypo-Lavender adult male. He's 640G and just about 5FT.

Secondly, I would feed an appropriate sized mouse to your corn per meal, but more often if you are worried about weight. Keep in mind, corns are not stocky animals like BP's and other boids. They are lean and quick, not big and bulky.

I have 2 corns, 1 BP, and 1 BCI as snakes go. The corns are my wide receivers, lean and fast, but strong. My BP is the lineman - strong, but has little extra meat on her, and not super quick. My BCI is the tight end. Strong, big, and quick, but the bulk is all muscle.

I feed Figment one jumbo (35-50G mouse) every 2 weeks for 3 feedings and then the fourth feeding is a week later. So in 7 weeks, he gets 4 meals. Then I go back to every two weeks for the next three.

I do not like rats as a staple diet for corns. They are mouse eaters.

You could offer 2 18-25G mice, but it's easier to digest one jumbo than 2 normal/small mice.

If you are worried about weight, offer her 1 jumbo weekly. I think you can feed one jumbo mouse every 10-14 days and she will be fine.

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[Bogertophis]

I'm in agreement with dakski...your corn doesn't look skinny to me, not one bit. Don't fall for that "pitiful look" ("I'm starving, I need more food!")
I feed adult corn snakes ONE adult mouse about every 10 days. When a snake is over-fed for a while, just like people, they may get "used to eating
more than they should" so you'll have to be the grown-up in the room, lol.

[Crowfingers]

Thanks so much, the pics help. I guess I'm just used to a more bulky body type. I've only ever dealt with black rats that I catch long enough to snap a picture of then let go, or some that have been in rehab. I have the large mice from perfect prey, they've just been on the small side of the spectrum in this shipment.

I'm just not used to a snake that wants to eat lol. Mine ball just shed and he always does a mini-fast after a shed for about 40 days. Even when he is eating consistently in the summer its like every 14-20 days - in winter it can be up to 60ish. Having a snake practically begging like a dog is just so different

[Crowfingers]

My edit timed out - yeah the pics help a lot. Beautiful snake by the way. I guess what I was seeing as prominent spine and small dent along the midline are just how they are shaped. I'm used to my bulky boy I guess.

I'm really hoping to find her a home with someone that has experience with reptiles in general. I've got a few people at work that are willing to take her, but none have ever had reptiles, and one new girl worked at petco and so thinks that's the right way to do things...ugh so many wrong ideas about snakes.

Just for my piece of mind, all the mice I got from perfect prey this time are between 18-28 grams - so just feeding one every 7-10 days should be fine or is that still too frequent. I just want to recommend the proper schedule and use it myself while I have her. Also, when I waited 10 days she was tracking my cats and every move in the room with laser focus and "s"ing up with supersonic tongue wiggles when I was messing with her lid...not at all like a python lol