Weight

[Bogertophis]

Ha! I do find it silly on very young animals when people weigh frequently, if it's eating, it's probably fine. I only have one younger growing snake these days but hadn't weighed the two new corns I took on and figured I might as well get a weight on everyone. A big swing in weight up or down would be a cause for concern or food adjustment or a vet trip. I also throw my cats and ferret in the tote and weigh them as long as the scale is out.

For one thing, I'm used to raising tiny colubrids- it's unacceptably stressful to them for me to weigh such things. Especially if they're eating (as you noted). I can see weighing any snake if it's NOT eating- if it's known to be sick in some way, or recovering- then the weight would be relevant. But just to weigh a snake on a regular basis when it's eating & appears well, I find pointless.

I can somewhat excuse those keeping BPs though, only because they're rather prone to fasting- so in that case, sure, the weight is relevant- but not if it puts a new snake off-feed, lol. Whenever I've taken in a new snake, my FIRST concern is reducing stress, because stress makes them prone to illness, & you have to remember that a new snake has probably been exposed to pathogens a-plenty on it's way to your home, so you want their immune system functioning as well as possible. That to me is the first concern- & then getting them to eat. I'd rather pass on the "initial weight" & get to having the snake take it's first meal with me, than to do any more handling than is necessary that could impair their "settling in & eating".

Obviously, if a long time pet snake is eating but appears to be either gaining (too much) or losing weight, you want to start weighing & charting the changes. Cancer & parasites are a couple things that can cause weight loss, as can others.

When I used to take in rattlesnakes, I noticed they often appeared well-fed at first, because when stressed they tended to keep their lungs inflated, making them appear more well-fed than they actually were. But you'll forgive me for not weighing them either?