How much does your corn snake eat?

Question

My 2 year old corn snake inhales 4 small size mice within about 20 min. The other corn snake isn't eating at all right now, I'm not sure why? I just got them from the pet store last week.

Answer 1

* Distribution: Most of United States
Habitat: Hardwood forest and Grasslands
Size: Average 4 foot up to 6 feet
Life span: 12 to 15 years average with some living to 20 years
Number of eggs 5 to 30
* Introduction:
This is the ideal first snake, as it generally has a good disposition. This snake is also very capable of withstanding a large temperature range so it is very hardy making it an excellent first snake.
* Buying your first snake
if you are new to snakes you should buy from somewhere that is recomended to you or where you are happy that the staff will be able to help you if you have any problems.All snakes sold should be feeding on defrosted food and easy to handle.
* Care of your snake:
Temperature should be 80-85F(27-30C) during the day at the hot end of the vivarium, with a 5-10F drop at night. It is best to have two thermoneters, one at each end of the viv so you know the temperature at the hot and cold ends.
Your viv can be heated by many methods but the key thing to is that your heat source should be well guarded so that the snake can't get too close and burn itself. All sources of heat should be thermostatically controlled which can cost £15 to £50. This will be your most expesive piece of equipment but the most important! There are two main sources of heating commonly used for reptiles. The first is heat mats which are placed idealy in the vivarium. This provides a local source of heat for the animal. The second is bulbs or ceramic heaters these work by warming the air a more natural way. We keep our corn snakes using both mehods and the snakes do as well using either method. Snakes shed theirbwhole skin as they grow, this happen at intervals during its life usually after five or six feeds. You will notice that the skin become duller in colour and the eyes wil go grey. Do not feed your snake if you see this happen. This colour change indicates that the old skin has started to seperate from the new skin. When you see the snakes eyes go clear again he is about to shed his skin. Give him a bath in tepid water. About 80f should be hot enough, this will help to soften the old skin before he sheds it. Do not use any soap or detegent in the water but a few drops of cooking oil in the water may help. He will usually shed his skin within 48 hours of the eyes becoming clear. Wait 48 hours after he has shed his skin before feeding
* Furnishing your vivarium:
As a substrate you can use anything from paper to wood chippings, but do not use anything with cedar chippings or saw dust in it as this is dangerous for reptiles. Do not use silica sand or sawdust as the animals that ingests these will not live very long.Your snake will need something to hide under. This can be anything from a box made of wood or a flower pot , cork bark or a hollow log. It will also need a water bowl big enough to curl up in without over flowing onto the substrate. This water bowl should be cleaned out every day and the water changed.
* Feeding: PLEASE DO NOT FEED SNAKES ON LIVE FOOD!
Small animals can do great damage to snakes if they are grabbed by an inexperienced snake and it causes untold suffering to the small animal.
Feed only defrosted frozen food!
Food should be defrosted at room tempertaure and warmed in a plastic bag and in a bowl of warm water up to 100F before being presented to your snake.
Cornsnakes should be eating mice or rats. If they are eating defrosted chicks please be carful as they might not be as healthy as the ones fed on rodents. Young corn snakes should be fed every four ore five days, decreasing to every week as the snake grows eventually once every two weeks will suffice for adult specimens. The food it eats should be as thick as the snakes thickest part of its body. If you keep more than one snake in the same vivarium seperate them for feeding as the may fight over the same piece of food. Some snakes may slow down their feeding as winter comes on even though the vivarium is still as warm this may be due to shorter days and so full spectrum lighting is recommended as for some lizards may be an advatage to these snakes to keep them feeding normally.
Please remember this is only basic advice and veterinary advice should be sort if your animals have any problems.

Answer 2

This snake is called a corn snake because of the indian corn pattern on its underside. They strongly resemble rat snakes, and are also less commonly known as red rat snakes.

The amount of food fed is determined by size not age. A snake should be fed on a prey item about the width of it's widest part. Small snakes should eat pinkies about once every 3-5 days. Once they move to fuzzies, that should be every 5-7 days, and to small mice should be every week 7-10 days, and a full sized mouse should be every 10-14 days. They don't need to eat much, they have a very slow metabolism, and will eat when necessary (meaning there is a better chance of over feeding than underfeeding).

Always feed according to body width, i.e. don't save money by feeding two pinkies rather than one fuzzie because you run the risk of causing intestinal blockages, or other digestive problems.

If the snake goes off feed, it is because of environmental influence, make the necessary adjustments and then try feeding again. It is not uncommon for snakes to go off feed this time of the year, it is a hibernation cycle. They may go up to a few months with no food. As long as they are drinking and defacating regularly then there should be no concerns. If there is further problems, or the snake is visibly losing weight, then go to a vet and get a once over and a fecal done, that will rule out parasites and may determine the reason for not feeding. If the snake gets to having response problems, then you may need to force feed. But only let vets do this, it is potentially very dangerous.

ALWAYS feed frozen thawed foods, that way there is no external bacteria introduced and you have a lot less to worry about. Also remember not to handle for a few days after feeding, it adds stress and may cause the animal to regurgitate.

Good Luck

Answer 3

A 2 year old snake should be close to adult size by now. You could up its intake to a medium sized mouse every 2 weeks. Now 2 the other one, are the temps ok? It moving? It could be just stressed out. Should eat in about a week or so If not you can try these:

-braining (cut the mouse head open)
-put mouse (only if mouse is frozen/thawed) into brown bag with snake
-If using frozen thawed and snake not taking it, use as only a last resort a live mouse
-Snake maybe stressed by the other one if you are keeping them together. Try moving it to its own tank. Are there plenty of hides for it?

Answer 4

Is the one that isn't eating going to shed. I know my snakes tend not to eat when they are going to shed....this is normal and hopefully that is all that is wrong with it. I would say put them in separate tanks if not. The other one could be stressed from the other snake or has some kind of medical issue. If he doesn't eat soon I would take it to the vet.

The other snake though, I would up it two one large mouse every two weeks...if he seems to be nippy or more active before the two weeks is up, then try feeding it once a week.

Answer 5

I would bet the farm not many people will answer your question. I don't know too many corn snake owners.
Do you know why this snake is called a corn snake?
Get a dog.

Answer 6

6 month old corn snake. Pretty fat in the middle, looks more like a python he is so fat. Eats every few days, 2 fuzzies. Used to be a few pinkies and a fuzzy but quit pinkies because he will eat them one after the other like candy. This snake would eat everyday. Do they ever get full? He will also eat when eyes are opaque......shedding.......just ate.........dead asleep and wake up to eat.......nothing phases him. Brought him home Jan 14th and he was 19 inches long. He's over 2 feet now

Answer 7

erm wel i have myself 5 corn snakes but i have had that once it was when it almost started shedding are his/her eyes going clowdey? then its time for shedding but if there not im sorry but then i wint know

Answer 8

sorry I can't answer your question, but I've just gotta respond to Macholiza's response. Braining???? You've got to be kidding! sounds like some Nazi concentration camp experiment gone wrong........I wouldn't do it.