I'm fairly new to snakes.

My young king snake (prob about 3 months old) happily takes fuzzy mice.

He is permenantly hungry, even reaching out of my hand to 'pinch' a defrosting fuz (I've now learned to keep them out of the way)

I hate to think of anything feeling hungry but I'm also wary of overfeeding as I know it is a problem with captive herps.

How much would you expect him to eat?

Hi lucy,

I learned that you feed baby snakes every 5-7 days one pinky,sometimes two.
That's how I'm gonna do it with my two 6 month old corns.
At 3 month isn't he a bit small for fuzzies?!?
With fuzzies I would defnetly go for just one per week.
But see first what the others think;they have more experience than I have!

That depends how big he is.. length, body thickness. The general rule is to feed something up to one and a half times the thickest part of the body. Hatchling colubrids will usually start on one pinkie every 5-7 days, moving up to 2 and then 3 after a shed or two and after several weeks of feeding. The usual transition after that is on to fuzzies, and the same again - one, then 2 several weeks later, then 3, up to the next larger food item, and so on.

At 3 months old I would expect him to be eating 1-2 pinkies, depending on size, but if he has been feeding on one for a while and is searching try him with two. If he does regurgitate it is likely that he wasn't ready for two food items, although it's doubtful this will happen.

Snakes can overeat, so you are right to be cautious about feeding too much, but in this case I think you can give him an extra feed. Your other option is to feed two items twice a week, so one on sunday and one on wednesday for example, but this is more hassle and really isn't necessary. Also note that it is easier to digest more smaller food items than one larger item, hence the increase of food to 2 then 3 smaller mice/rats, then when they are fine on that one larger mouse/rat.

P.S. After reading Jacky's post, I agree.. are you sure he is only 3 months old?

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

he was only 12 inches long when I got him - after two sheds and a month of feeding he is now 19 inches! (and is about to shed again) Perhaps he thinks he is a retic!

LOL At that size, and because of his behaviour i'd try him with an extra food item and see how he goes

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Lucy, kings have very large appetite. Now, there is this talk of "power feeding". Many would suggest my kingsnake (not all my snakes are on this diet) approach would fall under this catergory. Anyway, I usually feed my kings as much as they will take. I have never seen ANY ill affects WHATSOEVER. It, in my opinion, is an over-precaution to say that a KINGsnake cannot eat as much, or close to, as it wants. These snake were designed for eating incredibally large meals (snakes) therefore I see no problem with allowing large meals. Note, if this feeding is done, a 7 day schedule will be too close of feedings, space them out more.

Although this subject is a common argument. I see no problem with "power feeding" kingsnakes.

You knew that would spark off a debate didn't you VAsnakeman!

Na, I'm not going to debate,. this is a controversial topic, but I would just like to provide the other side to the argument for readers' sakes.

In the wild snakes do eat larger meals when they can, because they are opportunist feeders, meaning they have to take food when they can get it as they don't know when their next meal is coming round. In captivity we can provide regular feedings and it is found that smaller meals more often can increase the life of a snake in captivity, it is a much healthier way of feeding.

"Power-feeding" is where a snake is fed large meals quite often, usually in an attempt to get it up to breeding size quickly. IMO this is not in the best interests of the snake, and can be selfish on the part of the owner/breeder.

We personally feed our snakes once a week with appropriate sized meals (with the exception of the larger snakes who are fed every two weeks due to slower digestive systems). Snakes can overfeed, although not all of them will eat anything you dangle in front of their faces. They can become obese and again this is not healthy for the snake.

I would personally move the snake up to two food items per week, if he handles it well, and increase food accordingly with age and size, but I wouldn't feed it as much as it will eat. Some snakes are gluttonous, and in our experience when some of our snakes have overeaten it has caused regurgitation.

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

I agree Rachel. Snakes can take incredibly large meals in the wild. However they may not find such a feast again for weeks or even months. To feed like that routinely is not healthy for the snake. While the problems may not be immediately obvious power feeding has been proven to shorten a snake's lifespan.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Thanks Merlin.. now also this is a little off-topic really, sticking with the subject of power-feeding I was recently re-reading Bill and Kathy Love's corn snake manual, who advise that if you want to get a snake up to breeding size quickly feed it more food more often,. this is bad advise IMO, the health of the snake must always come first, not breeding plans.

Lucy, back to your original topic - how is the little guy? Have you tried him with an extra food item yet?

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Merlin, this is were I feel we jump to conclusions. I dont feel apropriate tests have been done to show that it does, in fact, shorten a snakes life span. I had a king at five feet eat 6 adult mice a week, he way easily 5 years old. Only to find that while in someone elses car, he escaped for several weeks, then, as the care taker stated, "He was HUGE when I found him". Only to see, 3 years later (8-9 years old) still is thriving on this diet.

Bitis,

You have some very good points. But these points go for all snakes, kings, IMO, are incredible eaters. Not to mention, I have found them very active on a larger diet.

I guess it is a fair balance. I keep some of my snakes in a large cage, and on a heavy diet, and see a heck of a lot more of them than my other snakes. I find this a fact, unlike the idea that feeding a snake as much as it takes shortens a life span. What if in the wild the snakes hit a rich spot of mice? Would they die sooner? Why do you think snake regurgitate, maybe to prevent obeseness?

Its funney to see different opinions in certain matters, I am simply speaking from what works best for me. Maybe the tests that have been taken on this were done in, what I would consider, inapropriate cageing. Size of the cage is very important. Not to mention heating, security, water... The list goes on...