[Feeding-General] First time feeding after adoption.

[ndheep77]

First feeding after letting it get settled in. Successfully ate a mouse a little bit larger than a hopper f\t. I know it could eat something bigger but previous owner was feeding it fuzzy mice. Not sure how they fed it or how often. They say it is almost 2 yrs old but I don't think that. Seems way to small. Any thoughts on how to bring it up to a healthy weight?

[bcr_229]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

First feeding after letting it get settled in. Successfully ate a mouse a little bit larger than a hopper f\t. I know it could eat something bigger but previous owner was feeding it fuzzy mice. Not sure how they fed it or how often. They say it is almost 2 yrs old but I don't think that. Seems way to small. Any thoughts on how to bring it up to a healthy weight?

Don't overfeed to try to get it up to size quickly. For now one appropriately-sized feeder about as wide around as the boa's girth weekly is fine.

[acephantom903]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Don't overfeed to try to get it up to size quickly. For now one appropriately-sized feeder about as wide around as the boa's girth weekly is fine.

This. If they were only feeding fuzzy mice, that would restrict size significantly. They would only be on that for a month or 2 after birth. Feeding too large or too fast might compromise its system. I would stick with one hopper sized mouse once a week for the next few months just to get it accustomed to that. Then you can think about going to fuzzy rats or medium sized adult mice depending on how it is handling the larger food.

Edit: looking at the pictures you uploaded, it doesn't look that thin so I'm with you in doubting the age. Are you sure they didn't mean 2 months?

[ndheep77]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

I asked them more than once. They said 2 yrs. And I told them I was expecting a much lager snake for a 2 yr old. I'm going to stick with hopper size mice for now I have concluded that that it is a baby and will treat it like 1. Feed every 7 days. It looks healthy and not to skinny. I am going to weigh it today.

[acephantom903]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

It has great muscle definition. Not skinny like you said. Something isn't adding up. Maybe it is the rare corn snake boa hybrid. (Joking) It sounds like you have a game plan. Keep us updated. We love pictures.

[ndheep77]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Just weighed it. 130 grams. Fed it on sat a hopper mouse. When I picked it up it was very defensive and struck out at you. Today it was calm and curious very active snake

[weird_science04]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

I am sure the snake is fine. I picked up a snake at the end of 2012 and it was a year old. A fuzzy left him a bulge and he weighed 82 grams. For the next year, he didn't really grow. If I fed him too quickly or too large, he would regurge. I had a litter of baby boas and they were almost double his size when he was 1 year old. I basically wrote him off as a loss. I kept him in quarantine for a really long time. Then one day, he all of a sudden finally started growing. Next thing I knew he was as big as the 2012's in my house. Then he got bigger than them while being fed the same size prey and same schedule.

Needless to say, even if the snake is 2 and tiny, it can bounce back without issues. Just treat it like a baby and one day, he will be big like a boa. (unless something is wrong medically of course).

Star

[walla2GSP]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

My first boa I bought back when I was breeding corn snakes, and I let her go through hibernation with the cornsnakes the first year. I have since stopped doing this as I realized it was bad for the snake, but I noticed two interesting things. She didn't grow or lose weight at all for those three months, and she wanted food less often. Is it possible that the previous owners were keeping it at too low of temperature?

[acephantom903]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Possibly. Being at too low a temperature might have something to do with it but I think it was more of the food size. Being at too low a temperature is a recipe for Respiratory Infections. And yes, hibernation is not good. They are tropical snakes and do not have the ability to hibernate. Subtropical snakes somewhat have the ability but not really.

[ndheep77]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

To low of temp is a real possibility. Used a heat lamp in a tall aquarium. No other heat source. Just all around bad habitat. Not very knowledgeable po. No real idea how to care for a snake.

And no signs of any health issues. Looks like a healthy young boa

[ndheep77]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Update. Snake is doing well. Going to feed this morning. Weighed in at 128g. Hoping that's not a bad sign. From 130g isn't to much of a drop. It's eating even 7 to 8 days. Thinking about trying to ofter 2 mice.


It did eat the 2 hopper size mice. Hopefully it will help it gain some weight

[acephantom903]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Don't rush food into it. Some people I knew killed a hognose who was thin by feeding a prey item 1 size smaller than what would normally be fed at that size. Patients. Don't feed more than 1 prey item at this point. Have you been feeding mice hoppers or small adult mice? If you can give us it in grams that will help.

[Noelle7206]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

Update. Snake is doing well. Going to feed this morning. Weighed in at 128g. Hoping that's not a bad sign. From 130g isn't to much of a drop. It's eating even 7 to 8 days. Thinking about trying to ofter 2 mice.


It did eat the 2 hopper size mice. Hopefully it will help it gain some weight

The "loss" of 2 grams is probably when the snake went potty... Best to stick with one prey item at a time...and be patient! Most grow very slowly at first...they are maturing internally & it takes as long as it takes!
Don't obsess over the snake's "growth"...it's way more important that it's healthy...and that's best judged by watching it's behavior, not by weighing constantly. Relax...

[ndheep77]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

I weighed another one. It weighed 14 g. One was this size the other was a little smaller. Ok I will only feed one prey.

[acephantom903]

Re: First time feeding after adoption.

With prey that size and how big she is, I think every 7 days should be safe for the next month or two where you might want to move to 20g if possible. Lets try to keep it ~15% her body weight (after defecation) until she is visibly normal thickness. When she is healthy again, you can resume a normal feeding schedule.