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View Full Version : Good growth rates for Epicrates, specifically BRBs?


Charis
03-07-14, 02:35 PM
We bought our first BRB as a 2, almost 3 month old in 2012. Then we got two adults at the end of last year and another that was a few months old. These are our first large boas and I just want to make sure that the young ones are growing at good rates. Our 2012 seems like she might be a good bit smaller than others her age but she has been growing steadily since we got her. I'm more interested in what the best rate of growth is for healthy snakes, not how fast they can be gotten up to breeding weight. And I'm aware that snakes grow at differing speeds but can you all share what growth records you have on your BRBs that started out as babies so I can get a better idea? I'll post the 2012's, Zoë's, weight records here in a minute too. Unfortunately my record keeping is a bit hit and miss.

Thanks!

Snakesitter
03-07-14, 02:56 PM
In what month were they born? That will allow me to give you a better answer.

Charis
03-07-14, 02:56 PM
Well, I'm sure I took weights on her between the time we got her in Sept '12 and 8/5/13 but I must not have logged them into my permanent records, since I can't find them. I'd guess her to have been around 40 grams, give or take a bit, when we got her though.
These are the weights I can find.
8/5/13 - 117 grams
10/7/13 - 161 grams
11/18/13 - 170 grams
12/24/13 -198 grams
2/22/14 - 265 grams

Does that look like a reasonable progression?

Charis
03-07-14, 03:01 PM
Records say she was born July 19th 2012. I'd have guessed in August but then again my memory is non-existent!

The other baby is the one we got from you, Cliff and not too worried about him, since he seems to be right up there with all of his siblings in growth.

Snakesitter
03-08-14, 01:57 PM
For a 19-month old Brazilian (what she would be in Feb. 2014), my long-term averages show an average weight of 425 grams. However, the standard deviation is large at 157 grams, so she falls just outside one standard deviation. She'll be fine, just a slow grower -- and she may yet catch up. :-)

Charis
03-08-14, 03:36 PM
Thanks Cliff!

Snakesitter
03-10-14, 01:56 PM
Any time!!

Charis
03-28-14, 01:44 PM
Just thought I'd continue to update this thread with Zoe's weight.
3/18/14 - 303 grams.
3/25/14 - 312 grams.

Snakesitter
03-28-14, 06:59 PM
Good progress!

Charis
04-27-14, 09:40 PM
4/27/17 - 365 grams and she shed tonight.

Snakesitter
04-29-14, 01:35 PM
Good progress!

So, based on your data, since Feb 22, or 64 days, she has increased 100 grams, or 37.7% of her body weight. Having some fun...if she keeps up this same growth rate, in approximately three years she will weigh 84,351.3 grams...or over 175 pounds.

Three years past that, she will weigh 19,493,532.3 grams.

I think you're gonna need a bigger viv.

;-)

(Good thing they don't keep up this growth rate, huh?!)

And again -- well done, I wish more keepers weighed regularly.

Charis
04-29-14, 01:40 PM
LOL! ;~)
Yes, a very good thing they don't keep that up!

Charis
05-13-14, 12:03 PM
5/13/14 - 398 grams.

Snakesitter
05-14-14, 01:40 PM
*Like!!!!*

Charis
05-14-14, 01:53 PM
4/27/17 - 365 grams and she shed tonight.

Just caught my typo here, argh! Pity I can't edit the original post. 4/27/14 - 365 grams ....

Snakesitter
05-15-14, 01:26 PM
No worries, we all knew what you meant. ;-)

Charis
05-25-14, 02:47 PM
5/25/14 - 421 grams. Looks like she has finally decided to put on a growth spurt!

Snakesitter
05-26-14, 04:41 PM
Congrats! She'll gain faster, the real growth comes at adolescence....