Snakes do not use food energy to warm their bodies, so a snake needs less food than a mammal of the same size. However, as a snakes blood is far from cold and it does take food to maintain activity, do not underestimate the amount of food your snake needs.

How often a snake is fed depends on two factors. The first is the snake size, and the second is the type of prey taken. These factors are interrelated to some degree.