BP weight loss

I see many people saying "as long as they don't lose significant weight" when replying to someone worried about their snake not eating. But how much weight does a ball python need to be losing in order for it to be considered significant? For a snake of, for example, 1,190 grams how much weight loss would be worrying?

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Originally Posted by Kururu

I see many people saying "as long as they don't lose significant weight" when replying to someone worried about their snake not eating. But how much weight does a ball python need to be losing in order for it to be considered significant? For a snake of, for example, 1,190 grams how much weight loss would be worrying?

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It's really not about a set number it's about overall health, and good body proportion depending on whether the animal is male or female.

Just like the opposite is true too when people ask how much their animal should weigh at a certain age, not about number either.

10% body weight (weights should be when "empty" to be as accurate as possible - they could poop that much sometimes so the starting weight really MUST be when empty) is a reasonable rule of thumb to where it starts being significant, assuming the snake started at a healthy weight. That's on the lower end of significant so it could be argued for it to be higher, but it's enough to suggest a decent probability of an issue and it's good to have some leeway while the problem is addressed. A healthy ball python who just doesn't feel like eating for months often won't really lose any weight at all. Looking triangular is also a problem, looking round is a good sign. Someone with the experience to have a good idea visually like Deborah won't necessarily be concerned at 10% in various cases, but it's a reasonable place to start that would give a fairly minimal number of false negatives on "must or must not be addressed now" without a ridiculous number of false positives.

I go off if they have lost 10% or more for all my reptiles. Then again I found bumping the temps up helps, making it uncomfortably warm for me but has gotten all my reptiles to gain weight.