: Is my cornsnake overweight? My 3 Year old boy (corn snake) has come back to me after being looked after by a friend for 9 months. I'm concerned about his body shape; he seems to have a pivot where his spine is, with mounds

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Slightly. The mounds you describe are indeed a sign that he is a bit chubby. It doesn't look too severe, though. The scales still overlap nicely. You shouldn't be able to see the skin between the scales unless you are are looking at the outside of a 'bend.'

He still has full interest in food

This is a common mistake. Snakes in the wild are very opportunistic hunters. They can survive for a long time without food and are likely to actually go without food for a while, until their next meal comes by. This means that they will (generally) pounce on any chance they get to feed. They don't know when their next meal will be, after all.

Now place that snake into captivity, where they don't have to worry about predation and when their next meal will or will not come. They are fed regularly, but the snake does not necessarily realise that. They then still take any food they can get, just in case.

Of course, not every snake is the same, my Ball Python will refuse to eat if his last meal was too close by, but Balls are known as picky eaters. On the other hand, my Boa constrictor, I am convinced, would eat herself to death if given the chance. Not even an hour after a meal she is once again acting like she wants food (and I believe her).

In other words, just because a snake acts like they want food (by searching for it) or just because a snake enthusiastically eats, doesn't mean they actually need the food.

So if you feel like the snake is overweight and doesn't need as much food as they currently get, don't be afraid to slightly increase the time between meals.