Isn't he rather... small for his age?

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Originally Posted by Ashleighsmommy

I sadly dont have a way to weigh her atm im hoping to be able to change that soon. Should i try to see if shell accept a mouse tomorrow (5 days from last) , try two on monday , or keep her on her current until i can weigh her ? Not sure what is the best option , i do think its highly possible shes wanting more though she's grown quickly in my time having her

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Digital kitchen scales are pretty cheap at Walmart ($15). And adult mouse is 1oz-ish, so it would be one mouse for every 10oz of snake. I turn mine on with a basket sitting on it, then set Malfoy in.

If if she is acting hungry, I would offer another mouse or two at 5 days.

Granted, I have never dealt with a baby ball, but I would think if she is hungry, she should eat.

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Originally Posted by melcvt00

Digital kitchen scales are pretty cheap at Walmart ($15). And adult mouse is 1oz-ish, so it would be one mouse for every 10oz of snake. I turn mine on with a basket sitting on it, then set Malfoy in.

If if she is acting hungry, I would offer another mouse or two at 5 days.

Granted, I have never dealt with a baby ball, but I would think if she is hungry, she should eat.

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Yeah i told my fiance we need to get a scale with his next paycheck so i can start keeping track of her weight . I know shes a good length for her approx age but i wanna see her weight and also keep track so i know if theres any abnormal changes . I think on her feeding day this week I'll try to offer her a second mouse after she gets the first down and see if shell take it , otherwise ill find a way to keep it till her next feeding or see if my roommates wanna give it to their girl

Honestly, the best thing you can do to help him grow is switch to rats. Mice are extremely lean, so for example, a 20 gram mouse is not at all equivalent (nutritionally) to a 20 gram rat. My hatchlings are usually fed pinkie rats as their first meal, and as long as your ball python is over 100 grams (which he easily appears to be) he should at least eat fuzzies. Above 150 and he could probably eat rat pups.

The 15% "rule" is problematic because it doesn't take into account what you're using (20 g mouse =/= 20 gram rat) nor does it take into account the way that the "percent" should change throughout the snake's life or how the frequency changes. In reality, babies are fed around 18% of their body weight in rats once a week, while a full grown adult will eat closer to 5-10% once every two weeks. I have a 4000 gram female that certainly does NOT need to eat 10% of her body weight... That would be a "jumbo" rat. Medium and an occasional large rat are more than enough to keep her plump and happy. Males and females will also often be fed at different rates after reaching a certain size.

Also, the thickest part off the snake's body should similar in diameter to the thickest part of the rat's body. Many people drastically underestimate the size that their snake should be eating and it leads to very stagnant growth rates.

TL;DR - Mice are like diet food for ball pythons. They'll keep him alive, but rats will actually help him grow and gain weight.

See the problem with that is everyone around me stopped selling rats for feeders , so i have to stick to mice until we can find somewhere that sells rats still

So glad he has a nice home now!!!

My husband and I just rescued a female from a guy who only fed her once a month and didn't have the proper heat either. She's 3.5 feet long but way skinnier than she should be. Since having her for 3 weeks, we've noticed a size difference and she even shed - after 2 meals one week apart.

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Originally Posted by Family Jewels

Honestly, the best thing you can do to help him grow is switch to rats. Mice are extremely lean, so for example, a 20 gram mouse is not at all equivalent (nutritionally) to a 20 gram rat. My hatchlings are usually fed pinkie rats as their first meal, and as long as your ball python is over 100 grams (which he easily appears to be) he should at least eat fuzzies. Above 150 and he could probably eat rat pups.

The 15% "rule" is problematic because it doesn't take into account what you're using (20 g mouse =/= 20 gram rat) nor does it take into account the way that the "percent" should change throughout the snake's life or how the frequency changes. In reality, babies are fed around 18% of their body weight in rats once a week, while a full grown adult will eat closer to 5-10% once every two weeks. I have a 4000 gram female that certainly does NOT need to eat 10% of her body weight... That would be a "jumbo" rat. Medium and an occasional large rat are more than enough to keep her plump and happy. Males and females will also often be fed at different rates after reaching a certain size.

Also, the thickest part off the snake's body should similar in diameter to the thickest part of the rat's body. Many people drastically underestimate the size that their snake should be eating and it leads to very stagnant growth rates.

TL;DR - Mice are like diet food for ball pythons. They'll keep him alive, but rats will actually help him grow and gain weight.

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I have to disagree with this slightly... Some owners/keepers feed only mice, and their snakes are large and healthy. While I do believe there may be more nutrients in rats, and use them myself, the main reason most switch to rats is that it's just easier. Rats have more mass, so it's easier to feed one rat than two or even three mice per meal.

To the OP - I think the best thing you can do at this point is listen to your vet. If they are a good herp vet, and have given you a diet plan for the snake, unless you feel there is a problem, stick to that. The vet may see or know something folks here do not. If you weren't under vet care, that's different.