Weighing?

[Yzmasmom]

Hi!

We just got a kitchen scale that can do weights up to 11 pounds. We will try weighing out new girl later this week once she digests yesterday's meal. It doesn't have a huge plate on it, so I hope she stays in a ball while we weight her. Or, we can put her in a bowl and account for the weight of the bowl.

How often should we weigh her? A few days after each feed? Once a month?

She is 3 years old and approx 3.5 feet long. She was severely under fed by her last owner since he fed once a month and I was told she is more the size of a 1.5 year old because of the under feeding.

What should a 3yr old, 3.5 foot long girl weigh? (Approx.)


Thanks.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Weight is variable it depends on weight out of the egg, how fast the animal get started, feeding frequency, prey size, skip meals, long term fasts etc, the focus need to be on a HEALTHY LOOK more than a number.

As far as how often to weigh your animals it's up to YOU, personally I do not weigh any of my animals unless requested by a potential customer, or if I do a comparison picture of a specific morph at a different age and size.

Obviously if you want to weight your animal best would be on empty. (after a bowel movement) to give you a better idea.

[Slim]

Personally I weigh mine after each shed. I log their weights just as a reference should they go on a hunger strike.

[Yzmasmom]

Ok thank you.

I just wanted to make sure she stays healthy, since she was so underfed. She's no boney at all and looks healthy.

I've had her for 2 weeks now and she has eaten twice. She gets F/T medium rats. One at each feeding. So far no feeding problems at all! When she cruises non stop for a full day, I know she's hungry and I take a frozen rat and thaw it in the fridge over night for the next day. Once properly thawed and warmed, she takes it with vigor!

Maybe once I'm sure she's putting on some weight I will only do it twice a year for records.
I do know her breeders are amazing, but the guy who had her before I did wasn't so great. (Fed her once a month and the only heat source was a 100watt bright white basking bulb, that he left on 24/7/365!!)

Thanks again.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks! Also a good idea.

[melcvt00]

I got my snake after a 6 month hunger strike with the previous owner, and he continued another 2 months with me. I weigh him monthly because of it. I have no idea where he started out before the strike, and I also want to make sure I am feeding him the appropriate amount of food (and not under-feeding him).

I have a digital kitchen scale. I set a basket on it and turn it on - as long as the basket is on it before it is turned on, it should read zero. My snake is always helpful and stays in a ball for me.

[piedlover79]

If you look on the scale it should have a 'Tare' button. Place the bowl on the scale, press the 'Tare' or it might say 'Zero', and it will reset the scale to zero and then you can put the snake in there and weigh it without having to do any pesky math.