growth rate

[Icarus]

hi

as i'm new to reptiles, i would like to know how fast they grow. corns in particular. whats appropriate lenghts at say 3 6 9 and 12 months?
also when are they juvies and when adults?
last question, from what age can you sex corns?

thanx

[Bushviper]

Corn snakes grow according to how much they are fed and can be anything between 30 cm and 90 cm at the same age of 12 months.

They usually are referred to as adults as soon as they are sexually mature. This can be after 9 months in certain males up to 3 years in certain females. Generally if they are over 80 cm then you can accept that they are probably sexually mature.

You can sex corns snakes from the day they hatch.

[Icarus]

thanx BV!

Do you guys recommend 1 pinky per 7days per hatchling? or every 5 days? i read on one site you need to feed 2 per 5 days (but that site also said you have to reduce humidity for them to shed and take their water tub out??)

[Corncrazy]

Hi Icarus.

I use to feed my hatchling corns every 5 days, 1 day old pinks for the new borns. As they start growing move up to 2 pinks each feeding time, then up the size of prey the bigger the snake gets.

[Bushviper]

Whatever you do, do not remove the water bowl when the snake is due to shed. Refrain from hanging around on inferior websites because that advice is dangerous.

[Icarus]

lol thanx BV, thats why I doubted that site! our 1 petshop also lowers humidity when their adult red tail boas shed, but i dont trust that place at all!

[Hustler]

Low humidity equals not too good for a shed. Just keep searching there are a few good sites that have some excellent care sheets. When I started with snakes I had the worst advice on feeding and I fed them almost every 3rd day then I found out it's only every 7th day and then when I got my boas then I was told to skip the 4th week to give their bodies time to sort of rest

[Icarus]

is the 4th week thing just for the boas?

[Bushviper]

Icarus skipping the fourth week is just for snakes with small scales on their heads like boas, gaboons etc.

[Hustler]

Icarus skipping the fourth week is just for snakes with small scales on their heads like boas, gaboons etc.

Learnt something new today. Why is it like that though BV?

[animalfanatic]

I'm also very interested in knowing!

[Icarus]

i love learning new stuff! thanx BV

[Bushviper]

Well when these snakes ingest foods then the organs "grow" and their metabolism increases. When they have no food the organs shrink and then they get a chance to "rest". If the snakes does not get rest periods then the organs start to fail and usually before they reach sexual maturity then they die. What the head shields or scales on the head have to do with it I have no idea but that seems to be the rule.

When these snakes eat and then regurgitate the food they deteriorate quickly as well because the organs are enlarged and are expecting nutrients but nothing is happening. They then use up the nutrition that they have been storing which leaves them worse off than if they had not eaten at all.

[animalfanatic]

Thanks BV!

[Icarus]

interesting! thanx for teaching us!