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Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
By the way...do you know what he was being fed? What size of mice, and live or pre-killed (fresh or frozen-thawed)? I'm assuming they didn't give you a feeding
record either and this is important for your success in feeding a snake, knowing what they prefer & are used to. Most corn snakes are great eaters (but may
not be if they have a mouth issue as this one appears to) and very few refuse to eat f/t mice (frozen-thawed).
One fresh killed adult mouse every Monday is what they told me. I asked what they were feeding the adult corn snake in the next tank over, and they said?? two fresh killed adult mice every Monday?? I thought you were supposed to feed adults less often, like one adult mouse every 10 days or something, not two?
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Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Countach
One fresh killed adult mouse every Monday is what they told me. I asked what they were feeding the adult corn snake in the next tank over, and they said?? two fresh killed adult mice every Monday?? I thought you were supposed to feed adults less often, like one adult mouse every 10 days or something, not two?
Yes, that's what I do...hatchlings are fed every 5-7 days (pinkies digest quicker too- no hair & very little bone), & gradually I lengthen the time between feedings as
the size of their prey gets larger (as it takes longer to digest as well), so that adults are eating about every 10 days in summer (hungrier in warm weather) and every
2 weeks in other seasons. Normally I feed only one prey item per meal but if prey is on the small side, you can double up occasionally...just don't over-do it...snakes
are healthier (as are we) when not over-fed...& remember that our pets are generally far less active than wild snakes catching their own prey. My largest adult corn
snakes are big enough (over 5') to eat 2 adult mice, but I don't do that ordinarily. For one thing, by the time a corn snake is that large, it's also getting old & their
metabolism slows down. My oldest corn snake right now is about 20 years old, & the last time he ate a large mouse, he barfed it back up...he actually wants (& better
digests) only smaller mice now. BTW, a feeding schedule is mostly for us, to better keep track of...there's no such thing for wild snakes, of course, so I don't stress to
stick to a rigid schedule of feeding my snakes either.
The more you tell me about the store where you got your snake from, the less impressed I am. Of course, several things can influence how fast a snake can digest
their food: if they're kept too warm, they'll digest faster & eat more often...their metabolism is controlled by their environment; if they have digestive parasites (which
they can get from eating live or fresh killed rodents from questionable sources) they'll be "sharing" their meals (with "worms") & appear to digest more rapidly than
normal, but needless to say this is unhealthy & they won't gain weight the way they would if not "sharing". (snakes can safely be wormed using certain medicines that
are also used to de-worm horses) So if their adult snake is fat, I'd say they're just over-feeding (& like some ppl, some snakes will eat more than they should), but if
it's thin, I'd bet it needs de-wormed.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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Originally Posted by Countach
One fresh killed adult mouse every Monday is what they told me. I asked what they were feeding the adult corn snake in the next tank over, and they said?? two fresh killed adult mice every Monday?? I thought you were supposed to feed adults less often, like one adult mouse every 10 days or something, not two?
It can vary from snake to snake. I change feedings according to shed cycles, season, maintenance feeding male vs breeding female.
Last edited by 67temp; 07-29-2019 at 12:59 PM.
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1.4 Carpet pythons
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Registered User
Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
Yes, that's what I do...hatchlings are fed every 5-7 days (pinkies digest quicker too- no hair & very little bone), & gradually I lengthen the time between feedings as
the size of their prey gets larger (as it takes longer to digest as well), so that adults are eating about every 10 days in summer (hungrier in warm weather) and every
2 weeks in other seasons. Normally I feed only one prey item per meal but if prey is on the small side, you can double up occasionally...just don't over-do it...snakes
are healthier (as are we) when not over-fed...& remember that our pets are generally far less active than wild snakes catching their own prey. My largest adult corn
snakes are big enough (over 5') to eat 2 adult mice, but I don't do that ordinarily. For one thing, by the time a corn snake is that large, it's also getting old & their
metabolism slows down. My oldest corn snake right now is about 20 years old, & the last time he ate a large mouse, he barfed it back up...he actually wants (& better
digests) only smaller mice now. BTW, a feeding schedule is mostly for us, to better keep track of...there's no such thing for wild snakes, of course, so I don't stress to
stick to a rigid schedule of feeding my snakes either.
The more you tell me about the store where you got your snake from, the less impressed I am. Of course, several things can influence how fast a snake can digest
their food: if they're kept too warm, they'll digest faster & eat more often...their metabolism is controlled by their environment; if they have digestive parasites (which
they can get from eating live or fresh killed rodents from questionable sources) they'll be "sharing" their meals (with "worms") & appear to digest more rapidly than
normal, but needless to say this is unhealthy & they won't gain weight the way they would if not "sharing". (snakes can safely be wormed using certain medicines that
are also used to de-worm horses) So if their adult snake is fat, I'd say they're just over-feeding (& like some ppl, some snakes will eat more than they should), but if
it's thin, I'd bet it needs de-wormed.
Thanks! I sent another message to the reptile store I got him from, asking about his mouth and overall health. Waiting for a reply currently.
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Oh yes, for SURE an adult female corn that has been bred or laid eggs is going to eat more for a while - & maybe most of the year- too...that goes without saying.
But that wouldn't apply to the typical adult pet corn snake.
Last edited by Bogertophis; 07-29-2019 at 01:05 PM.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Countach
Thanks! I sent another message to the reptile store I got him from, asking about his mouth and overall health. Waiting for a reply currently.
Of course the time to ask questions & observe is before you buy; it's so easy to be excited & in a rush to buy a new pet but I bet you won't make that mistake again.
And don't feel too bad...it's very easy to miss things, especially when you're new at this. Sadly some pet stores count on that to make a sale, & now that he's in your
possession, I wouldn't expect much in the way of a reply...I predict they'll continue to play dumb.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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Registered User
Re: Year-old corn snake
Is it normal that he's been staying in his hide and not coming out at all?
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Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Countach
Is it normal that he's been staying in his hide and not coming out at all?
Yes, he's in a new home & he's afraid...he has no idea why or how the world as he knew it just changed completely. Also, most of our snakes lay low & hide most of the
time anyway...in fact, all of my corn snakes are currently in their hides snoozing too, & they've been here for a decade...so it's normal. Snakes in the wild don't wander
around looking at the scenery, it only increases their risk from predators. If out & about, they're either hunting food, a mate, or a new hiding place if something happens
to their "go-to" place. My corns get more active in the evenings & when I walk by their enclosures, they're usually hoping it's feeding day (unless they're in shed).
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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Re: Year-old corn snake
So I checked his mouth just now, and it has a lot of "spit" in it. The reptile store said I could exchange him for an adult corn they have, or they could treat him since they have medication. Should I exchange him or let them give him medicine?
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Re: Year-old corn snake
Originally Posted by Countach
So I checked his mouth just now, and it has a lot of "spit" in it. The reptile store said I could exchange him for an adult corn they have, or they could treat him since they have medication. Should I exchange him or let them give him medicine?
Thought so...poor snake has an infection (R.I.) going on, & I'm willing to bet they've already treated him for it, to no avail...they were just hoping you wouldn't notice.
No way I'm making THIS decision for you...I don't think I'd personally trust either option, I'd want a refund; even though sorry for this snake, it's asking a LOT of a new
inexperienced owner to take on a sick snake -exotic animal vets are expensive & there's no guarantee that treatment will be successful, I'm sorry to say. Also, I'm not
seeing your other option (the adult snake) nor have you included pertinent details (age, health, appearance) much less how YOU feel about it.
BTW, did you find any mites? -that's another factor to consider carefully. (ie. another reason to run the other direction)
FYI: some infections are resistant to medications given. Also, just giving an antibiotic is NO guarantee it will work...it's totally a "shot in the dark" unless extensive lab
work (more costly!) is done to identify the exact pathogen they're trying to eradicate (cure). So as Clint Eastwood said, "Do you feel lucky? ...well, do ya?"
I'm not sure that these are your only 2 options either: you might call the Better Business Bureau or local (city) chamber of commerce...not sure what city or state laws
may apply to being sold a sick animal (ASK!), but any GOOD establishment would give your money back...you noticed immediately, & they know they're wrong, IMO.
I might also find a way to hint that I have a lot of friends that I talk to in the herp community: ie. imply that you could hurt their reputation if they give you a hard time-
better yet, put a positive spin on this...say something like "I'd rather start fresh, not under pressure to accept a different animal, & I want to be able to tell my friends
that you were entirely fair & ethical with me, and gave me a full refund when this problem was noticed."
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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