Baby Ball python help, Grey belly and loose skin!

Sorry for your loss. I wish I saw this thread 2 weeks ago. I had a question about BP emaciation and when it's appropriate to assist feed a thin snake recently. The things that would let you know there is extreme urgency to the issue are the triangular body shape, wrinkles running lengthwise on the snake, and most importantly... the chubby cheeks of the snake will deflate. If you look at the top shape it should be like a heart, versus a pentagon. I'm leaving this here because this is a very informative thread for people with my question who can't simply pull up a picture of a dying snake off google.

This website is a good place to start looking for breeders in your local area :) GL

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Everyone gets offered food on the same day, regardless of where they are in the shed cycle for me.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

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Same. hatchlings, to me, don't follow the same rules as adults. They need food, often! I feed every 5 days no ifs and's or buts for the first year, and then they go to 6 in year 2 and 7 in year 3+

I used to not offer food while in shed, but that was before I noticed my snakes still ate while in shed - no matter what phase of shed they were in. At that point I changed my mind, and started listening to the snakes instead of humans on forums.

If they are hungry, they eat - that's my rule of thumb :)

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't put my snakes on a feeding schedule I have learned that keeping the days " random" actually promotes a lean muscular snake. Also I believe the animal rushes the food through the digestive system so to prepare for the next meal so does not absorb everything he needs from the meal which in turn grows slower and in some cases fatter. So I believe that if you keep it somewhat random the snake will digest more of the food and get everything it needs from it. For the record random is 5 to 14 days

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Originally Posted by sflanick

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't put my snakes on a feeding schedule I have learned that keeping the days " random" actually promotes a lean muscular snake. Also I believe the animal rushes the food through the digestive system so to prepare for the next meal so does not absorb everything he needs from the meal which in turn grows slower and in some cases fatter. So I believe that if you keep it somewhat random the snake will digest more of the food and get everything it needs from it. For the record random is 5 to 14 days

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Not sure what you're basing that on, but it's physiologically incorrect. Scheduled feeding isn't going to cause obesity or slower growth. If anything, it's going to do the exact opposite. It works exactly the same in snakes that it does in nearly every other animal. The simplest way to explain it is that if you regularly feed a snake (pig, horse, dog, cat, human) and you keep the portion size (or prey item size) the same, its body and body chemistry will adapt to that routine. Mother nature is very good at extracting the nutrients an animal needs from its food. An animal rushing food through the digestive system to prepare for the next meal is not physically possible.

By introducing such a wide variation in feeding times, what you're actually doing is creating a huge variation in blood sugar, and a corresponding fluctuation in insulin levels. Unstable insulin levels will cause an animal to store carbohydrates (in omnivores) as fat. In carnivores, it's primarily proteins that are stored. Unfortunately, fat has no demands on the body. Muscles require oxygen and nourishment in order to function, where fat doesn't require either. Consequently, muscle tissue is catabolized. If you're getting a "leaner" snake using your method, I'm 99.9% sure you're actually underfeeding. If you track the number of days between feedings and average it out, I think you'll see that you're feeding less often than is really healthy.


-Ryan-

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Originally Posted by alysha

Thanks for all the condolences you guys. I think my little guy did have some kind of internal parasite or disease with the way his stomach looked when I found him, almost as if something ruptured :( I know now not to go to a chain store to buy my pets. I live around the Houston,Texas area. Is there a place on this site I can go to and find out about any breeders near me?

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This site seems to offer a lot of great breeder options. I'm in Dallas, TX and couldn't easily find a reputable breeder near me, so I recently ordered my ball through Justin Kobylka reptiles, who is out of GA, but he ships and sent over pictures of various snakes he had available. He's been very responsive and helpful as this is my first ball. Good luck with your next BP!

PS- I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules by posting the above. If I am, admins please feel free to delete.

There is a NARBC show in Arlington August 25th and 26th.

Arlington Convention Center
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, Texas
76011

http://narbc.com/Arlington/location_...arlington.html

So sorry to hear that your little guy didn't make it. I hope your next BP lives a long and healthy life with you.

You can search for breeders' ads by state on kingsnake.com classifieds - you might find someone in driving distance that way.

Post pictures of your new one when s/he arrives, and best wishes to you!

I agree you should try to get to the NARBC show.. You've never seen anything like it. It's HUGE. All the best breeders will be there and you would have tons to choose from.

Otherwise, I'd just check the regional section here, or the reptile classifieds. Like kingsnake.com and faunaclassifieds.com Or the classifieds here. We have many well known breeders who are trustworthy.

You can even post a classified for what you're looking for. Something like: looking for well started normal baby. Or even a pastel, or mojo. With your price range listed and contact info. They are quite affordable.

It's good to do a search on the board of inquiry (BOI) on faunaclassifieds.com on the name of any breeder you might want to do business with. Most of them have good guy threads to let you know how their transactions and animals are.

I'm a big fan of Brandon Boeke, he will likely be at that show, as he's based in Texas. He's got fantastic animals and an all around great guy.

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Originally Posted by moonlightgdess

I'm a big fan of Brandon Boeke, he will likely be at that show, as he's based in Texas. He's got fantastic animals and an all around great guy.

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I agree. I've purchased from Brandon at Priceless Pythons too and he's a stand-up guy.