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mjpeters
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1539 Posts |
 Posted - 14/04/2013 : 19:44:48
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Do different morphs tend to realize different sizes?and how does feeding affect the growth rate?
All of our rescue's eat like pigs.Two were nearly starved and now chow down for southern england.
George HAS to have 2 items of food at each sitting-he gets quite frantic looking for the second if its not there,regardless of size of item,there has to be 2.
Our non-rescues are much more chillaxed about the whole thing.Pinky will eat pinks(multiples)fluffs,rat pups whatever.Inky was a fluff eating machine-then suddenly couldn't be bothered.Amanda (wild World Reptiles)saved the day by suggesting pinks put in boiled water-3 please!!!
I guess my point is;how do you know when enough is enough?
Why do two snakes with the same feeding grow to different sizes?
Recently we found out Thumper(Anery) was female-she is twice the size of Fluffy(Amel)male.Same clutch,rescued same time,fed the same.
Bewildered am I.Is this another case of Devious Reptiles messing with a lumbering mammal? 
MOD NOTE. moved from photo section |
Edited by - a33272 on 21/04/2013 08:46:00 |
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Moppet
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3315 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2013 : 19:51:34
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Some of the growth rate and final size is determined by genetics. Not all corn snakes grow at the same rate or to the same size, even if they are fed exactly the same.
Corn snakes are quite greedy naturally, it's very easy to feed them too much and make them fat. One of my snakes has just gone up to hoppers and keeps looking for a second even though the first leaves a large bulge. I determine how much my snakes get by how big the bulge is after the feed. Normally they get one mouse between 1-1.5 times the thickness of their widest part of the body (normally at the lower end of this to be cautious), unless they are between sizes then they get multiples of the size below.
I guess if a corn snake is used to always getting two items, they expect two. Some snakes, such as my Apollo, always look for more. Even if they have already had two and are full to bursting! |
2.4.0 Corn snakes
1.0.0 horse
0.1.0 Golden retriever
1.4.0 Guinea pigs |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 23:20:19
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I find it interesting that your rescues eat like pigs. One of mine, Silvi, is very small for a female adult. She was obviously not cared for from when she was a hatchling. When we got her she had a fantastic strike and coil....it was scarily fierce ! But then she laid slugs and lost all the weight she'd gained since coming to me. Since then she's been a fussy feeder, going through a couple of periods of regurging, and its been a struggle to get weight on her. She's now on rat fluffs to try to help. To top it all she laid slugs again last week  . I know she's never going to grow any longer, she's just over 4', and I doubt she'll get much over 400g....especially if she lays slugs each year or other year.
I totally agree with Moppet about most snakes eating what they can given the chance. When I rehomed Asher he was on 4 medium mice A WEEK  !!! He DOES NOT get that with me, whether he wants it or not  ! It really is a case of judging what your snake NEEDS and deciding what's best for them....even if they disagree  .
Xxx
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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5091 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 11:36:55
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| No idea - but it is interesting that Blackcat and I have 2 very similar snakes, we both have anerys which are quite large and amel cubes which are quite small and have been fussy feeders lol! |
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Size matters?
