Feeding question

[dakski]

Hello,

I have a Honduran milkshake that is about 3.5-4 years old. The guy at the pet store told me he could live to be 30 years old and I would not need to
start feeding adult mice until he was an adult. In my ignorance and stupidity I didn't realize that he would be an adult at 4 years old. I'm terribly
scared that I have cause him health problems as I have been feeding him 1 fuzzy a week this whole time. I just fed him a medium sized arctic
frozen mouse and he handled it fine, I will be moving him up to the large frozen mouse next week. Any information on how I can feed him from
now to until the end of his life would be greatly appreciated. I want to mitigate any of the damage I have already done as I think I have stunted
his growth at this point. Here's a photo of him attached.

Thank you

https://imgur.com/a/1BDnYo7

First, stunted growth doesn't always mean (major) health issues.

He looks okay to me, although I don't keep milk and king snakes. My colubrids are corn snakes, so let someone else chime in here.

I also wouldn't go from fuzzies (mouse) to large adult mice either. I would go from fuzzies to adult mice.

Three reasons for this.

1. He's used to fuzzies. Don't shock his system with large adults. Move up from fuzzies to adults (as you did) and that should suffice for a bit. Keep feeding 1X a week (at least for now).

2. Milk snakes and king snakes aren't too stretchy, pardon the term. The shouldn't eat more than the size of their body around. There shouldn't be large bulge after meal.

3. Large adult mice are usually ex-breeders and very fatty. Not ideal for most snakes.

Again I'll let other chime on what to feed as he grows, but my best guess would be 1 mouse for a while. Keep in mind that snakes are very efficient with digestion and use very few calories to sustain. We spend 90% +/- of our calories maintaining our body temp. Snakes don't have to do that.

Finally, I would make sure temps are spot on. If not sure, ask what temps should be. Larger meals mean proper temps are more important because snakes need heat to digest.


From https://reptilesmagazine.com/hondura...and-care-tips/

Feeding Honduran Milksnakes

Feed young milksnakes an appropriately sized meal every five days and adults every seven days. Hondurans will feed on mice throughout their lives, beginning with large pinkies and ending with adult-sized mice. Simply choose the size of mouse having a body diameter equal to or very slightly larger than the girth of your snake at mid-body. Most Hondurans will accept frozen/thawed mice without hesitation. Do not handle the snake for a few days after feeding, as this could lead to regurgitation.

P.S. Moderators - this should be moved out of BP's and into the appropriate forum section.