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Aren't these too big prey?!

1K views 31 replies 11 participants last post by  Kimora 
#1 ·
Hi guys.
So I'm planning on feeding my new little corn snakes for the first time today. I've never had snakies that tiny before and am a little excited and paranoid about the feeding.
The breeder said he had them on rat pinkies. I'm a bit worried that these pinkies are enormous though. I'd say about twice as thick as the snakes and weight-wise way above the approximately 10% of the snakes bodyweight (the package says they're around 5-6 gr the snakies are 12 and 17 gr).

Don't you think these are waaaay too big?

Cheers.

Christina
 
#3 ·
There is a general tip which is to give the snake somethign up to 1.5 times the diametre of the snake.

However snakes can take very large food so if they are a bit over then give it a go - if the snake cant manage it, it will simply spit it out. As long as they can get it down and have enough time and heat to digest then they will be fine
 
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#4 ·
They are supposed to be 8 months old, but they are tiny for that age. Not much bigger than hatchlings.
I'll see if I can get hold of some mouse pinkies.
 
#6 ·
how long are they?
 
#8 ·
#9 ·
#11 ·
It's sometimes amazing to watch a small snake to take a large meal tbh I would go with what ur gut is telling u and maybe go for something smaller first time at least then u will no whether it has capacity to take the rats that the breeder has said it's on
 
#12 ·
Thanks for being so helpful guys.
Problem is I don't have smaller items (would acquire some if needed ofcourse) and am not experienced enough to have a trustworthy gut feeling. :blush: I'd feed the ballpythons I used to have something of approximately the same girth.
I've just taken some photos of the pinkies and the snakes next to a lighter to be on the safe side. Am working on getting them from camera to computer.
 
#13 ·
Images, to be on the safe side:




If the prey are too large, the risk is that the snakes will regurgitate it right? Or will they just not eat it?

Thanks guys
 
#15 ·
Honestly I'd just go with 2-3 mouse pinkies, or try a mouse fluff. Corns don't really need to be eating rats as by the time they're big enough to eat an adult mouse and look comfortable afterwards they probably don't really need much food. By those pictures I'd feel comfortable giving a fluff a try at least but fi they can get down 3 pinkies a few weeks running you'll know they're good to try on a fluff.

Our oldest are eating 1 adult mouse a week, in both it leaves a reasonable bulge. Amel tends to get fed the odd leftover if there is one so over the past couple of months he's probably eating 4 every 3 weeks (Or 1 extra every third week) and he's starting to gain some fat, whereas our normal gets fed weekly and is the one to miss the odd week. The normal's weight is perfect, you can see defined muscle and he's solid to the touch.

You'd need a really active, massive corn to need rats! =P
 
#16 ·
My plan is also to switch them to mice. I just figured I'd give them what they're used to the first times untill I'm sure they're feeding well.

I also have mice fluffs, they're a a little bit bigger than the rat pinkies though (only very little bigger).
 
#18 ·
True. There's a good range of rat pinky sizes though. If they're just newborn they are a good bit smaller than a 5-6 days old.
Don't know if he fed them 3 or 6 gram pinkies or somewhere in between.
 
#19 ·
they will be fine, if your corn's couldn't take them they wouldn't eat them or stop half way through and spit out (not to be confused with a regurg)
Rats are more fatty than mice which is the only reason why they aren't as recommended for corn's.
My 2 year old corn was eating Small to medium Rat weaners every 10 ish days from last summer until the last couple of weeks where she is now eating 1 XL mouse (Which is smaller than the M weaners she had been taking) every 10 days. She has no fatty lump's and has fine muscle tone. She'll now just have the odd rat whenever one is going space or when my CP is being picky during shed. I changed her as her current viv is getting a tad small and i've been waiting on the custom viv's to arrive so i can upgrade up and give the space she needs to be more active.
In essence, it will do no harm to feed rat pup's to your hatchling corn's so there is no rush to swap them over straight away. Use what you have then get a handful of Mouse pinkies (They will probably take 2 per feeding) and a mit full of Mouse fluffs.
 
#20 ·
I'd still go with the rat pinky, especially if that's what the breeder was feeding.

You'd be amazed at the meals corns can take.

Also, the bit about corns only needing rats if they are "massive and very active" just isn't true. Corns can be fed rats, all my adults are fed a mixture of rats, mice and chicks. Where people go wrong is feeding rats at the same rate you would feed mice, and often feeding rats that are a size too much.

When fed sensibly, taking into account the nutritional differences between rats and mice, it really isn't a problem.
 
#21 ·
I texted the breeder and he says he'd feed them newborn rat pinkies.

Either way, I think I'll give them a try with these. Will try to pick the smallest from the pack.
 
#24 ·
In the wild corn snakes would eat whatever they come across corns are greedy buggers tbh and will eat what is given as said before if the breeder has been feeding on rat pinks so surely this can't b any harm to this snake, as I'm sure that if it's small for its age you want it to grow at a good rate and being a youngster it will be active anyway
 
#25 ·
My snow is working on hers now.
It looks more reasonably sized to me now she's at it. However the clever girl ofcourse decided to take it backwards and one of the legs is making it a bit troublesome. Oh well, she look like she's a stubborn little one and will get around the leg eventually.
So proud of my little muncher.
She didn't strike though, but took it as soon as I left it with her.
 
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