How Often Should You Feed A Snake?

Owning a pet snake is very different from owning any other type of pet. Feeding your pet snake will be different from other pets and you need to know how often you should do this. There are a lot of mistakes that could be made when you get your first snake that could be easily avoided.

Do Not Feed Your Snake Every Day

Snakes do not need to eat every day and this is something that is hard for first-time owners to get used to. If your snake is refusing the food you offer it, you may be feeding it too often. If you are feeding your snake live prey, the prey could injure your snake in the enclosure when your snake is not hungry.

The Factors That Impact Feeding

Knowing that you should not feed your snake daily is important, but you still need to know how often you should do this. There are a few factors that will impact the feed schedule you should have. It is also important to note that each snake is different and there is no one size fits all feeding schedule that you can use.

The first factor to consider is the size of your snake. Smaller snakes often have to eat more frequently than larger snakes. On average, the smaller snakes will need to be fed twice per week. A larger snake is able to go for longer between feeding and will often only need to be fed once every 1 to 3 weeks.

The age of your snake will also play a role in how often they ear. Younger snakes are going to have to eat more often and will generally need to be fed twice a week. This is due to the fact that they are still growing and developing. As your snake gets older, it will not have to eat as often as it no longer needs constant nutrition.

The last factor to consider is the species of the snake you have. Different species will have different appetites and feeding needs. Most adult snakes that can be kept as pets will need to be fed once a week to once every 2 weeks. Talking to your vet will help you determine the best schedule for the species that you have.

Why Do Snakes Not Eat Frequently

When you consider how snakes eat, their infrequent feeding needs will make more sense. Snakes eat their prey whole which means that they need longer to digest everything. After digesting a large meal, your pet’s digestive system will also become dormant.

How To Determine The Feeding Schedule?

As all snakes are different, you need to take the time to determine what your pet’s feeding schedule will be. While their size, age, and species will help, you need to consider how enthusiastically they eat when fed. How often they defecate will also help you determine how often you should be feeding them.

Most adult snakes will only need to be fed once a week or once every 2 weeks. Smaller snakes will need to be fed more often than larger ones. The best way to determine when to feed your snake is to monitor how they eat.