Growth

[VigosPal]

Ok, I'm sure this info is somewhere..but I'm thinking about it here at work and don't have time to do the leg work..so....
Vigo is about 9 months old and about 26 inches. Is this length good for his age? And I've been seeing so many full grown BPs that I'm wondering how long it takes them to reach maturity. Vigo is eating regularly,once a week, and shedding about every 4-6 weeks. He's a happy healthy little fellow.
Thanks folks!!
Diana

[elevatethis]

They really start to blow up when they get large enough for rats, but it is better to keep them on large adult mice for their first year of life because adult mice have more calcium than a rat of the same size which is younger, having less nutrition and more fat. Feeding retired breeder mice (6 months or so of age) are great for a bp that is ~30".

[maniac]

Yes True.. But the Bones of the rats provide needed calcium , Mice do the same but with the rats, since they are bigger mammals they have the potential to be better calcium feeders.. hehe

[Marla]

Pinkies are short on protein and calcium and long on fat, which is why it's preferable to transition directly to fuzzies and move up to hoppers as soon as possible. Adult mice are nutritionally better than pinky or fuzzy rats, but adult rats are nutritionally better than mice just because there's more of everything.

[elevatethis]

Interesting...so would a young rat (same size in grams as an adult mouse) have more or less nutrition than a full grown adult mouse?

[Aaron]

theres been research done on it, mostly inconclusive, and it seems like the differences are nill. I have read threads stating that you need to stay on mice for so long, and I have seen breeders' websites that boast that they start their hatchlings on rat pups and never use mice. I have a ten month old 28" BP and I'm planning on keeping him on mice at least until his birthday (or until the mice don't put a noticible bulge in his gut). Then I'm putting a party hat on him and letting him unwrap a frozen present from the Rodent Factory

[gozetec02]

No joke about feeding rats. After jojo got his first rat he started a shed cycle the next day. Length and weight strongly depends on feeding the appropriate size prey item. But like people ball pythons come in all shapes and sizes. If you notice that sheds are coming regularly then he is right on schedule as far a growth. But remember these guys can stretch themselves out and make themselves look longer and they can scrunch up and make themselves look shorter. The best way is not to measure them but to weight them. Jojo had a tick not too long ago and i weigh him every sunday before i feed him. I noticed that he was losing weight. After the tick was removed he gained back some so weight is IMO the best way to judge growth.

[Ginevive]

Vigo is about 9 months old and about 26 inches. Is this length good for his age?

That sounds about right. I have an '03 female who is about the same length and around 220 grams in weight.

[The_Godfather]

From all I've heard mice have higher calcium. Doesn't really matter too much though.

Rats are a far more filling meal so growth really does jump when they start pounding the mediums and large rats.

[VigosPal]

OK..so do I have this right? He's a proportionate length for his age and the mice he's eating are good for about the first year or until they don't leave a noticeable bulge. Then I should switch to small rats...right? Also, I've seen so many BPs that are really long and wonderfully round..how long (or at what age) until they're considered "mature"?
Thanks!!