Ball Pythons growth after a few feeds.

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

Hi there folks:

Was checking in on my small python collection and thought to get a few photos. First 2 photos in the collage are my 2004 baby male, this fellow rips into rat pups with real gusto. Literally jumps out of his cage grabs the rat falls down back into tub, rolls over the water dish and hide like its wrestling with it. He is weighed in at 210 grams just after about 8 feeds. Male is in shed should complete in 2 days.

The female is the next 2 photos and weighs 230 grams after 10 feeds. She is a tricky calm eater who likes seeing her rat walk (frozen thawed) into her hide then its nasty for the rat. Both these 2 Ball Pythons are part of my increasing Ball Collection.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2330male_01_ball_python_002-med.jpg

Hope you enjoyed the collage.

Cya...

Tony

[Artemis]

gorgeous- especially the female!!

Art

[latazyo]

in 4 months my ball has taken 5 meals, he has gone adult mouse>sm rat>adult mouse>sm rat>sm rat

he has gone from 141g to 309g

these snakes grow so fast when they actually eat it's amazing

[nita]

Your snake only eats about once a month?? Mine are offered on a weekly basis but only a few of my young ones are eating that way. I wish mine would eat more often. I know what you mean though that they gain fast when eating. Medusa whom I got on June 23 weighed in at 288g when I got her, after one mouse, a week later one rat she weighed 366g, she has since eaten another small rat one week later again and I look forward to weighing her this week. She hasn't had a BM though and I'm sure she will have a good one!! LOL.

[David Kwok]

Nice yellow on the female there Tony.

=)

[latazyo]

yeah, I used to offer every week, now I only offer every two weeks and it's been working for the past month or so

[Kevin McRae]

My 2 female BPs wouldn't eat dead so i had to get 2 hamster pinkies.............the meal is small, but it gets the snake eating again.

Both of them ate the pinkies too.

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

LATAZYO:

Yeah I just picked up this scale wish I had it when I first got the Ball Pythons to really see weight since in my care. But this new unit will help me alot understand the feeding of Ball Pythons. These 2 are solid 4 - 6 day eaters and while they eat I will feed.

My whole Ball collection is on 4 - 6 day or 1 - 2 week spreads.

Cya...

Tony

[Tim_Cranwill]

Looking good, Tony. :)

Kevin, the female you got from me was eating f/t when she was here...

[Kevin McRae]

Yep, i know but with my f/t hoppers she would only constrict them and not eat them so I tryed a live pinkie and she ate.

To thaw them out we were just letting them sit out of the freezer, but now we are going to thawing them in water.

Don't know why she wouldn't eat?

[emroul]

I love that female! Nice and yellow it looks like.

Jennifer

[latazyo]

yeah, I pulled the rubbermaid out one day and couldn't believe how big the snake had gotten, I thought it was a different snake

I am anxious to see how nice it'll be when full grown

[Bristen]

Originally posted by Kevin McRae
Yep, i know but with my f/t hoppers she would only constrict them and not eat them so I tryed a live pinkie and she ate.

To thaw them out we were just letting them sit out of the freezer, but now we are going to thawing them in water.

Don't know why she wouldn't eat?

here are a few things that you may consider:

a) when thawing out, make sure the rodent is completely thawed out.. sometimes it's still slushy in the middle of the rodent's tummy

b) when thawing out, place rodents in a good quality freezer bag, tie the top tighly so that no water can come in the bag... set in bucket of cold water until completely thawed, then heat up water to about 100F.. make sure rodent is around 90F before offering to snake..

Ball Pythons depend a lot on heat, so if you're rodent is room temperature or less, he may not reconize it as food.. Just an idea, may not be the problem but very likely is because your snake eats live and WAS eating frozen/thawed before you got them so I would think it's most likely a temperature thing...

Good luck!
Bristen.

[Kevin McRae]

Bristen just to let you know the snake ate a f/t hopper...............i made it warm and put adrop of mouse maker on it and she ate!

[Kevin McRae]

Bristen just to let you know the snake ate a f/t hopper...............i made it warm and put adrop of mouse maker on it and she ate!

[Bristen]

Excellent!! Glad to hear it :D Thanks for the update!

Bristen.