* "don't keep the snakes food items near it at all"
I just built a rat rack in the same room as the snakes stay.

* "don't feed the snake until after it defecates from the last meal"
I feed weekly altho have had a male fast for 6 months before he began to eat again. Let the snake tell you what he wants. If he eats weekly. Feek weekly

* "only feed it one mouse every 3 or 4 weeks"
I recommend trying to get your snake on rats as they are more nutritious. but again I feed every week

* "don't give the snake a bigger enclosure because it will grow too fast"
this is so wrong on so many levels. Let me ask you this. If you have a baby and you keep him in a shoe box does that mean your going to change the rate he grows? No Is he going to grow at a different rate if he grew up outdoors and had all the room he could ever want? no. The size of the enclosure isnt going to change the rate the snake grows. It is genetically disposed to only get so big. Now an enclosure thats to big may cause him to be nervous and have issues feeding but it wont effect how big he gets