#they’re underfeeding my boy

[alfairy]

Where is his chonk? They’ve stolen his chonk >:(

[omg-snakes]

Hey, how can you tell if a snake is overweight?? I'm wondering because I just got a new one and she seems a bit pudgy. Thank you in advance

Hi there!

The answer depends on the species of snake and it does have a bit to do with age as well. Some species are naturally slimmer and some are stouter, and of course babies are going to be a bit skinnier because they’re still growing whereas adults will tend to conserve more energy and store more fat. If we’re talking corn snakes, the ideal body condition for a corn is something like a loaf of bread: rounded on top, straight down the sides, flat on the bottom. I’ve taken the liberty of including some photos of varying body conditions below so that you can see the difference.Dextro, shown below, is underweight. His spine is visible, his back is more tented at an angle than it should be and his neck is sharply distinguished from his body and head. He’s not dangerously underweight, but he is visibly skinnier than a healthy corn snake should be. This boy’s got some genetics stuff going on that made his entire clutch a little different-y. I promise I am not underfeeding this animal and he has been tested for parasites

Ramesses has an average body condition. His back is rounded on top but his sides are fairly straight down, and his tummy scales are flat to make maximum surface contact with the ground. If you were to take a cross-section view of him, he would look a bit like a slice of sandwich bread. He’s got a clearly defined neck and tail, but he tapers gradually and not sharply. He’s a bit stout but densely muscled and strong.

Hatshepsut is overweight. Her spine is slightly concave from the padding around her back and her sides are bowed out. She’s got little fat pads at her hips that are clearly visible and her neck is not well-defined. Her belly scales are rounded. 

Many corn snakes in the pet trade are prone to obesity as we provide what we think is the very best for them and unintentionally overindulge. Without a need to get up and hunt for shelter, water, and food, many corn snakes are perfectly happy to live a life of eating, sleeping, and pooping.While most of my other snakes take readily to provided enrichment and enjoy regular adventures and activities, Hatshepsut is satisfied to snuggle under my sweater while we watch TV or fall asleep on a warm laptop keyboard. I love her and I want her to be happy, but I also want her to be healthy and have a good quality of life. So the goal is to find a balance that works best for her to keep her feeling well cared for while actually BEING well cared for.

Some ways to keep your snakefriend in tip top condition are going to include making sure your enclosure is an appropriate size and offers a variety of perches and hides so that your snake is comfortable moving from spot to spot instead of camping on a head pad under a fake rock. You should also be providing enrichment that encourages your snake to move and explore. You can also reduce feeding frequency if your snake is starting to look a little chunky, or maintain frequency but reduce prey size. Corn snakes should eat a meal slightly smaller in diameter than the largest part of their body. Babies should eat every 5-7 days, adults should eat every 7-14 days, with more frequent meals for more active or breeding animals and less frequent for non-breeding and sedentary animals. Never starve an animal or force it to engage in any activity that it is actively trying to escape to try to make it lose weight. I hope that this helps to give you a better idea of where your snake’s body condition is on the spectrum and I wish you and your noodlefriend a very long and happy and healthy life together!