Shedding Concern

[tossedmycookies]

Hi all, I have a quick question about shedding.
How often do ball pythons shed per year on average?

The reason i am asking is because my ball is 8 mths old now and he has only shed once since i brought him home 5 mths ago. Not sure if he shed at the store where i got him but i am getting a bit concerned. I have my temps and housing etc ok. Well hope you will help me out.
Thanks in advance Tossed.

[mykee]

Not to sound negative, but if the proper husbandry were followed (this includes feeding, which I think may be the culprit) then your ball would have shed much more often. A 'normal' ball will shed anywhere from 5-15 times a year depending on age, size, diet, intervals between feedings etc. How often, and what do you feed your ball? What does your ball wiegh?

[tossedmycookies]

Hi again, I feed my Bp every 7-days. I feed him Mice hoppers. He has had one rat before no problems. When i did get him from he pet store he did not eat for a month. Everyone i spoke too or asked for info in forums told me not too worry and from what i read was not overly concerned. But since that time my Bp has not missed a meal and thats a weekly basis. So i don't see the feeding as an issue unless he is not getting enough now for his size. As for his weight i am not sure don't have a scale. But could find out in a few days and post info then.

His housing is a 20 gallon aquariam, with a heating pad underneath one side. He has a dog bowl dish full of water every day. Also has a hide on the heated side a habi-hut and on the cool side a cave. I also have on the cool side a small ornamental type water dish with fresh water every day. There also is a tree for climbing and a fake plant. For substrate i use that astro-turf carpet. The place he likes to hide the most is under the dog dish it's hollow undearneath and coils in there. I also have a 50 watt heat bulb that i use to watch him feed during the evening on feeding nights.

The temp on the hotside is 89 and the cool side is around 75.
He is pooping fine and appears to be happy not stressed out. I also give him a bath every now and again. He is misted as required in his aquariam.

So u tell me then what is wrong. Should have supplied this info in my first post.
Thanks Tossed.

[HetForHuman]

His food is way too small...

Balls will usually take adult mice as babies. I say up his food size to adult mice or equivalant sized rats, if not bigger rats. Depends on the size of your ball..

[tossedmycookies]

Ok now i know what the problem may be and ty for the answer much appreiciated. Where i am getting my food from the last time i was there i asked her when i should start using adult mice and she really didn't have an answer. But i really was going to up it after his last hopper that i have. But thanks again, and keep up the good work.
Tossed.

[snakehunter]

Start him on rats ASAP, the sooner the easier, AND i find my snakes grew faster when turned on to rats.

[daver676]

I feed my bp 1 good size rat (about 1.5 times the girth of my snake at her thickest point), per week. If the rat is especially large, I'll wait up to 2 weeks to feed again, usually because she will refuse it the first time. She put on 6 inches and 300 grams in a month and a half on this diet. She is now just over a year old, is nearly 40 inches long, and weighs 980 grams. She usually sheds like clockwork, every 4th feeding (or monthly) or so.