Is my 6-year-old kingsnake underweight? How to help it gain weight?

Thanks for reaching out about Francis. His metabolism is based mostly on the environmental temperature (and a few other things). Monitor him for activity, often when starting to move around a lot, is searching for something to eat. Then monitor body score, if overfeeding with start putting on weight and "rounding out". Not a fan of a consistent feeding schedule as sometimes they get trained to eat at a specific time whether needing it or not. Good luck.

Ball pythons are notorious for their "hunger strikes". All parameters seem to be within species ranges. Survey the area around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises or vibrations, bright lights, cold drafts or high traffic. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Go to the local Petco and ask for a small amount of used (but not dirty) gerbil bedding. Use it to scent prey for your snakes. Gerbils are what pythons eat in the wild, so the scent may trigger their appetites. Soak them both in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. An exam with your veterinarian would be recommended to diagnose any underlying illness or injury.

An adult corn snake should only eat once every 7-10 days. Here’s a helpful rule of thumb that applies to most snake-feeding situations. It relates to the size of the prey items. You should offer your snake feeder mice or rats that are roughly the size of the snake at the snake’s widest part (the mid-body area). In other words, the feeder rodent should be 1 to 1-1/2 times the diameter of your snake’s middle. You can go slightly larger than this, but not much.

Consider bumping him up to a juvenile rat (or small adult) once a week. An exam with an experienced herp veterinarian would also be recommended to diagnose illness or injury. Frequently, either may result in behavioral changes or sudden aggression.

Hello! Snake feeding requirements are more based on size and weight than on chronological age. So generally, yes a corn snake under 1 year should be eating pinkies and older corn snakes will typically start eating small mice, then larger mice, it can depend on the individual. I would recommend taking Franklin to a reptile vet for a wellness/new pet exam and they can give a much more specific feeding recommendation based on their exam findings. Since I can’t see Franklin, it’s hard for me to give you a specific instruction about size and number of mice or rats to feed, though I suspect that he should be eating more than just a pinkie every 2 weeks. Good luck!

She is stunning. The best way to confirm good health is to have her examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. In the meantime, make sure she is active and alert. Look for missing scales or injury along the length of her body. Check in and around her mouth for discharge, redness or swelling. Offer appropriately sized prey. At her age, she is probably eating hopper or weanling mice depending on her weight. When feeding any reptile, it is important that the temperature is species appropriate. A cold snake will not eat. If you feed pre killed, be sure to completely thaw it and allow it to warm to at least room temp. Some owners choose to feed in a container other than the enclosure. A snake should not be handled after feeding to prevent regurgitation. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html

Have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose illness or injury. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Confirm proper environmental parameters. Low temps can affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Be sure to feed appropriately sized prey, nothing bigger than the space between her eyes.