BP Growth?

Does a bp's size depend on how much it eats or it's own personal growth rate? I've heard both, so I just wasn't sure.

And if the growth rate depends on food, would a snake be able to through a spurt at say, age 4 or 5? I dunno, say you get an underfed small little bp (but still technically an adult), and you put it on a regular feeding routine. Would it make up for "lost growth?"

Just curious, I'm tired and my thoughts are starting to run in circles. :weirdface

if you were really skinny and ate like crazy for the next year, would you "grow" two feet in height?

If you were really skinny and ate like crazy for the next year, would you become fat?

Snakes grow in a very different manner than humans. They grow their whole lives. Slower as adults, but they still grow.

It does depend on growth, but you can control how much food they get. If you feed him enough, he'll pick up a steady growth rate. Probably not a big spurt to make up for lost growth, but he will grow. I wouldn't expect too much, though.

naturally ball pythons are not on a consistent, weekly feeding schedule and maybe eat a handful of times a year. eventually they will grow to their full size potential but obviously it would take much longer for a wild bp to get there than a captive one. if one were to acquire a young bp that was fed monthly for a year or so and then place it on a weekly feeding schedule, i think that this animal would be able to achieve its potential size, or close to it, regardless of its feeding history.

I picked up a 4 y/o male BP in Dec. '08 he was only 500g, a year and a half later I have managed to get him up to 956g.

Also picked a female at the same time who was 1.5 y/o and only 660g, she now weighs 1623g

1000g in six months! O_O Wow!

Edit: Derp. Please delete this...

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

1000g in six months! O_O Wow!

Edit: Derp. Please delete this...

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I know it's late lol, not six months look again....18 months

They grow the most in the first 2-3 years. After that their growth slows down quite significantly.

An adult snake that was underfed will take a very long time to "catch up" because they just don't grow as fast when they are adults.

also keep in mind that we tend to feed captive ball pythons heavily within the first 2-3 years.

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Originally Posted by vbt

If you were really skinny and ate like crazy for the next year, would you become fat?

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nope, but im not a bp

In my experience (so far) it appears to be a combination of the two.

Some animals will grow significantly faster on the same amount of food.

Without a doubt, feeding them more also makes them grow faster. I have never seen a truly obese juvenile ball python. They simply don't get fat, they grow instead.

I have an '08 pastel that is now over 1200 grams. I fully expect her to make 1500 grams for me this year, and she'll be just 2 years old. I have another '08 that is only 800 grams. They were on the same feeding schedule, so go figure.

I've also heard of folks getting animals up over 1000 grams in the FIRST YEAR.

They aren't obese--they're bulky, but long. They've simply grown that fast.

The first few years are very important for a ball python's growth--I doubt any female underfed in the first few years will ever reach a significant size. Anyone who has seen otherwise, feel free to correct me.

This would be at odds with the 'slow grown' trend I saw a year or two back, where folks would advertise that adult females of age 4 or 5 had been fed lightly so they would grow up more slowly...with the idea that they would be healthier. There doesn't seem to be anything to support that notion, though.