A ROUGH GUIDE TO HOW MUCH FOOD A PET SNAKE NEEDS.
This feeding guide was designed with the owner of a new snake in mind, as one of the most commonly asked questions is 'how much should i feed my snake?'
Appetites can differ depending on a number of factors including species, individual metabolism, temperature and exercise, but once you have owned a snake for a while you should have a good idea of the quantity of food it needs to keep it healthy. Until then feel free to use this chart as a rough guide.
You will need a good set of digital scales to weigh your snake in order to use this guide.
This guide is intended for rodent eating snakes.
The table shows approximate requirements for juvenile snakes and adult snakes. Juvenile snakes require extra food for growth.
WEIGHT OF SNAKE WEEKLY FOOD REQUIREMENT (ADULT) WEEKLY FOOD REQUIREMENT (JUVENILE)
0010 - 0025 grams 1 gram 1 gram
0025 - 0050 grams 2 grams 3 grams
0050 - 0075 grams 3 grams 4 grams
0075 - 0100 grams 4 grams 6 grams
0100 - 0150 grams 5 grams 8 grams
0150 - 0200 grams 7 grams 11 grams
0200 - 0250 grams 9 grams 13 grams
0250 - 0300 grams 10 grams 15 grams
0300 - 0400 grams 13 grams 20 grams
0400 - 0500 grams 16 grams 25 grams
0500 - 0750 grams 22 grams 35 grams
0750 - 1000 grams 30 grams 47 grams
1000 - 1500 grams 41 grams 66 grams
1500 - 2000 grams 55 grams 88 grams
2000 - 3000 grams 77 grams 105 grams
3000 - 5000 grams 120 grams 190 grams
BUYING FROZEN SNAKE FOOD IN THE UK
There are a variety of different sizes & ages of rats and mice available to buy and most are listed below with their common name and their approximate weight and price to help you find the snake food you need when using the above table.
TIP-Much cheaper prices can usually be found when buying mice or rats in large quantities.
RATS
COMMON NAME APPROX WEIGHT APPROX PRICE
RAT PUPS 8 grams £0.55 each
WEANER RATS 60 grams £1.30 each
SMALL RATS 110 grams £1.50 each
MEDIUM RATS 200 grams £1.80 each
LARGE RATS 300 grams £2.20 each
XL JUMBO RATS 400grams+ £3.00 each
MICE
COMMON NAME APPROX WEIGHT APPROX PRICE
PINKIES 2 grams £0.30 each
FLUFFS/FUZZIES 5 grams £0.40 each
SMALL MICE 10 grams £0.50 each
MEDIUM MICE 20 grams £0.80 each
LARGE MICE 25 grams £1.00 each
XL/JUMBO MICE 30 grams+ £1.20 each
EXAMPLES using the table of information provided above.
An adult Corn snake weighing 700 grams would need approximately 22 grams of rodent per week. e.g 1 large mouse or 2-3 rat pups. Weekly minimum cost-approx £1.00.
A growing juvenile Common Boa Constrictor weighing 1550 grams would need approximately 88 grams of rodent per week. e.g. 3 extra large mice or a small rat. Weekly minimum cost-approx £1.50.
An adult Kenyan Sand Boa weighing 350 grams would need approximately 13 grams of food per week. e.g. 1 small mouse or 2-3 fluffs or fuzzies or 2 rat pups. Weekly minimum cost-approx £0.50.
The above information is intended for use as a rough guide only, to help you care for a new snake. Please use common sense if your snake is looking thin or putting on too much weight. Snakes often stop feeding for varying periods of time depending on various factors such as species, time of year and breeding seasons. Once your snake starts to feed again after a break there is no need to make up for it with extra food, just keep feeding your pet snake as normal. If your snake stops feeding for an abnormally long time and is visibly losing weight, consult a vet.
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