Is it time to start extending periods between meals?

[dakski]

Thank You! I've thought that for a very long time, but it's not "my" forum, so I defer to those more into BPs than I am, & to those responsible for posting "sticky" resources like that feeding chart.

I think it's very easy to overfeed captive snakes. I've done it. I did it with Figment my Hypo Lavender Corn snake. I followed an online feeding chart. Then I met Don Soderberg, who knows corn snakes as well or better than anyone. He set me straight. Solana (female corn) has stayed lean and healthy and fit on a every 2 week one adult mouse schedule, and Figment has lost some weight and leaned out. I probably hurt him long-term feeding too much (jumbo mice - too fatty) and too often (weekly) for a bit.

Many of these "feeding schedules" are also meant for either breeding animals or exceptional animals. Solana is only about 365G and I have no plans of breeding her. Figment is large for a corn, but was too heavy at over 650G, for him. He's now about 580G and has a much better body shape.

I digressed. It's difficult for keepers to imagine animals as efficient as snakes, who don't get meals on the regular in the wild. Additionally, about 90% of our calories go to maintaining our body temperature, where as snakes, being ectothermic, don't need that. They are also largely ambush predators.

Shayna, my female BP, will go 5 months without eating a thing and lose 5-7% of her body weight. Hard to imagine for people who keep mammals and ARE mammals.

[Bogertophis]

I think it's very easy to overfeed captive snakes. I've done it....

I agree, & so have I in the past, without meaning to. We think we're being 'nice', & we want our pets to be 'happy', & not going hungry. We think about meals like the humans we are.

And beside, I think it's also harder to judge with snakes that are designed to be heavier-bodied, like BPs or boas. And with BPs, there's also the worry that they may go "off feed" for a while, so I think there's a tendency to try to "pay it forward" just in case.

[Snagrio]

An update, I've started to extend each time span by a day between feedings until it reaches 10 days (first week was 8 days, this will be 9, ect.) so hopefully that will go well. I know he's still young and growing but I don't want him getting overly chunky either.