# Baby Corn Snake not growing



## Wrapper13Raptor (4 mo ago)

Hello,
I am new to these forums and I was looking for some advice. I got a baby corn snake about 2 months ago and she doesn't seem to be growing. I am unsure how old she is but she seems to be somewhere from 3 to 5 months. She weighs about 11 grams and was 8 grams when I got her. I have been feeding her one pinkie every 5 days ever since but she's not been getting any bigger as far as I can tell. She's too small to go up to the next mouse size, but I am worried that the current amount of food she's getting isn't enough. Should I start feeding her more often or give her two mice? Or do snakes just grow very slowly? 

Any advice is welcome.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

There's not a lot to a pinkie, just a bag of mush... I would suggest trying the next stage up, we call them fuzzies here in the UK










See how that goes.

There is also a great sticky post in the snake section worth reading.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Wrapper13Raptor said:


> Or do snakes just grow very slowly?


The first three years is where snakes do the most growth, especially in the second year. Most snakes will reach their full adult length by the time they are three to four years. My guess is that being kept on pinkies is somewhat stunting / restricting its growth


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

I'd personally feed two pinkies at a time, as often as the snake will eat (every five days sounds ok, but if it will eat every four that's fine too). 

That fuzzy in the photo is about 4g (that's what mine look like at no less than 4g; 3-3.9g have only peach fuzz. I raise my own and weigh them precisely). That's more than 1/3 the weight of the snake -- pushing it for a colubrid. Pinks have more water, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (80% vs 70% for fuzzies), but more protein (60% vs 40%), and only somewhat less calcium (1.2% vs 1.5%).

My 2 cents.


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## Wrapper13Raptor (4 mo ago)

Malum Argenteum said:


> I'd personally feed two pinkies at a time, as often as the snake will eat (every five days sounds ok, but if it will eat every four that's fine too).
> 
> That fuzzy in the photo is about 4g (that's what mine look like at no less than 4g; 3-3.9g have only peach fuzz. I raise my own and weigh them precisely). That's more than 1/3 the weight of the snake -- pushing it for a colubrid. Pinks have more water, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (80% vs 70% for fuzzies), but more protein (60% vs 40%), and only somewhat less calcium (1.2% vs 1.5%).
> 
> My 2 cents.


Is there any dangers to feeding her two mice at once?


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

I feed multiple prey items frequently, and have no problems. I often go to two prey items of a current size before bumping up a size with most species. I have a couple hogs that take three per meal, and one adult kingsnake that only eats fuzzies so takes six at a meal. 

With snakes that are food-crazy (my adult female rosy boas tend this way), I do make sure that I'm not allowing them to eat more than they can handle, as they will sometimes continue to accept prey well past the point at which they should stop. 

If one prey item isn't enough, though, two is likely not too much. If you're buying frozen prey, pick out the smaller ones from the bag first, and then as you get to the end of the bag use the larger ones of that size.

For what it is worth, I (and many quality breeders here in the US anyway) don't worry too much about hatchling growth so long as they're growing. I prefer to grow snakes out slowly (five years to breeding age, +/- a year). 

I'm extrapolating from mountain kings and milks and hogs here, since I don't keep corns. If there is any difference I assume it is that corns have a higher metabolic rate (similar to hognose, I would assume, which are very strong feeders). If any serious cornsnake breeder points out some peculiarity of that species that makes this all not relevant, I'd recommend listening to them.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Wrapper13Raptor said:


> Is there any dangers to feeding her two mice at once?


No, none at all.
Snakes will only grow if the amount of food they eat goes up too. Start feeding 2 pinks a week for a few weeks then offer a fuzzy. One fuzzy a week for a few weeks, then two a week for a few weeks, then up to the next size and so on.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Wrapper13Raptor said:


> Is there any dangers to feeding her two mice at once?


Nope.... In the wild they would not only take the adult rodent, but also all the young. 

The feeding of snakes is a controversial subject as there are those in the camp who feed a huge meal but at longer periods, those that feed a moderate size item more frequently, and those that feed multiple small items but very frequently. None are wrong.... and where adults are concerned adopting all three methods can be a form of enrichment and variety


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Double up the feed to start with, feeding weekly and in a few weeks go up to next size of prey. You then give one each feed, increasing to 2 and work up sizes from there.

When fully grown a corn will take a weaner rat weekly.


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## DragonFish66 (Sep 13, 2009)

I find while on pinks there is not much growth even up to a year until you start feeding fuzzys, at around 10 to 15g it's time to start the next size up, you will notice a growth spurt once on fuzzys and they will grow fast compared to feeding pinks, also they can take much bigger prey than you think, I thought mine would struggle the 1st time i tried a fuzzy but took them no problem, by the end of the 2nd year it will prob reach 2ft or more so it's just normal growth through there will be variation with each corn


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

As others have said; probably just needs more food.


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