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Overweight Ball Python?

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  • 09-16-2010, 03:56 PM
    Jeo123
    Overweight Ball Python?
    So I know it's pretty easy to see if you're underfeeding a snake because they get that triangle look to their body and you can see their spine(mine came from petsmart like that).

    My question is though, how can you tell if they're overfed? I mean I'm pretty sure my snake would eat every other day if I offered it food, but obese is about as bad as under fed, so I'd like to avoid that as much as I'd like to avoid the triangle shape.

    So what signs indicate an overweight BP?
  • 09-16-2010, 04:51 PM
    AkHerps
    I don't think it's about what the snake looks like, but how often you are feeding.

    If it was a healthy adult ball python, if you were feeding a medium or large rat every day, or every other day, other than being powerfeeding, that might make an unhealthy snake because the snake would be gaining fat rather than the food going towards making muscle.

    Hatchlings, some people feed every 3 days for the first couple months, then up to 5 days. Most adult ball pythons should be fed every 7-10 days.
  • 09-16-2010, 07:45 PM
    shelliebear
    I posted a thread here recently about my approx. 6 month old male ball python.
    I got him from Petco, similar to Petsmart, and he was underfed too. I was very concerned.
    So I began to feed him 2 adult mice every 5 days, simply because I wanted him to gain some mass--I was worried that as small as he was he didn't have the energy to digest properly. :(
    I posted pictures from about a month ago of all the weight he has gained, and everyone said he looks fine, and not obese at all.
    I wouldn't worry if it was underfed at first. It takes a little bit to gain the weight back, and once you notice it's plumping up a bit, cut back their feeding schedule a tad. (I.e. I was doing every 5 days, now it is every 7-8.)
    :)
    Hope that helps. I can try to find a link to the thread where I posted pictures of my snake if you'd like.
    Shellie
  • 09-16-2010, 07:53 PM
    Chocolate Muffin's
    Re: Overweight Ball Python?
    I have got to see a picture of that:O
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