Once they hit the 1000 gram mark...

Considering they keep eating consistently, how fast can they get to 1200 grams, safely?

Is there like an equation for it? Or a general rule of thumb?

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There are so many factors that you could never make an accurate equation. Meal size and feeding frequency are two big factors. Also temps and the individual snake itself can affect the growth. Just keep feeding it. I would say two months or so and she'll be at 1200 if she is eating well.

depends on the snake................I have 3 that never miss a meal but size difference is crazy.
Two normals that are just at a year seem to hover between 1000 and 1100 but the pastel just keeps packing on currently at 1278 and she is a month younger.
Same feeding schedule and size rats

I have found great success using a twice a week feed schedule to get weight on undersized grils. Mid July my smallest weighed 1050. She is now 1450. I use a Monday/Thursday schedule. but it can be any 3/4 set.

I won't take credit though. I learned about it from an episode of Snakebytes and decided to give it a try.

However, you can't predict for each snake how it will work. My biggest girl went from 1200 to 1800 in the same time span with the same schedule.

Wish I had an answer for ya but the truth is there isn't one.. I have 5-6 year old girls that have never gotten over 1200 grams and I have 1-2 year old girls that are bumping 1500 soooo..Just feed the the right size food every week and let the animal do its thing..;)

Well if all continues the same... Technically speaking she should gain more weight now, since her meals could be larger?

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Wish I had an answer for ya but the truth is there isn't one.. I have 5-6 year old girls that have never gotten over 1200 grams and I have 1-2 year old girls that are bumping 1500 soooo..Just feed the the right size food every week and let the animal do its thing..;)

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I agree with Ed when you are keeping lots of females to raise up you get a little of bit of everything. Ok feeders, great feeders and lousy feeders.

Great feeders will make it to breeding weight in 14-18.

Ok feeders 24 months.

Lousy feeder sometimes 3-4 years.



droid!!!!

What I asked before was a very broad question. Heres a more specific question. Roughly, what % of each meal turns to body mass?

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Originally Posted by that_dc5

What I asked before was a very broad question. Heres a more specific question. Roughly, what % of each meal turns to body mass?

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No clue.. since no studies have been done on the caloric value of Norway rats or the exact metabolic rate of ball pythons there is no way to know. Just like with people it's going to depend on their metabolism which is going to vary from snake to snake and since they are cold blooded its going to depend on their husbandry which varies from keeper to keeper..Unlike in warm blooded animals like cows the exact food to weight and growth rate of ball pythons is so varied there is no way to get a base line to ever start a study.

So Here's what I do feed them every week and watch them grow..

There is no formula other then feed em regurlarly and see what happens. You cant know what percentage of food turns into body mass. Its the same in all living creatures. Its all about metabolism. Some animals have higher and lower metabolisms. Just cause you pound food doesnt mean anything. The animal will grown at the rate its metabolism will allow it to. Also dont be so concerned about the so called magic weight of 1200 grams. Just cause they get to size doesnt mean they will breed. Yes you want at least 1200 grams and body mass for developing and carrying and laying but if the animal is sexualky mature then it means nothing. Studies have been done on ball pythons sexual maturity and an average sexual mature girl hits it at 3 years old. Now some will hit sooner but the rule of thumb is 2 1/2 to 3 years of age. I have a mojave that is sitting at close to 1200 grams and she is only 14 months old. Theres no way im breeding her till at least december of 2012. I also have a couple normal girls and a spider girl that are over the 3 year mark and they are 1200 to 1300 grams bit girthy so i will try them this year but focus more on sexual maturity and not weight

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Originally Posted by snake lab

There is no formula other then feed em regurlarly and see what happens. You cant know what percentage of food turns into body mass. Its the same in all living creatures. Its all about metabolism. Some animals have higher and lower metabolisms. Just cause you pound food doesnt mean anything. The animal will grown at the rate its metabolism will allow it to. Also dont be so concerned about the so called magic weight of 1200 grams. Just cause they get to size doesnt mean they will breed. Yes you want at least 1200 grams and body mass for developing and carrying and laying but if the animal is sexualky mature then it means nothing. Studies have been done on ball pythons sexual maturity and an average sexual mature girl hits it at 3 years old. Now some will hit sooner but the rule of thumb is 2 1/2 to 3 years of age. I have a mojave that is sitting at close to 1200 grams and she is only 14 months old. Theres no way im breeding her till at least december of 2012. I also have a couple normal girls and a spider girl that are over the 3 year mark and they are 1200 to 1300 grams bit girthy so i will try them this year but focus more on sexual maturity and not weight

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Obviously this goes without saying. But it's always better to have a good weighing girl and then wait for her to mature, than to let her mature then try and get her up those extra few grams. Believe me, I know she might not go this year. But the the bigger she gets now, the more she may yield later. I am HOPING she goes this year, I can't wait another year for my BEL, but it's always better to make sure she's up to size when she decides she's ready.

Oh for sure i agree 100%. You want them to be as big as they can get. I was just stating tye fact about sexual maturity as well as weight cause alot of times people loose sight of that

I recently took my baby ball python to the vet.She is 176 grams and roughly 21 inches long. Based on what he said about her size , she shouldve hatched in December. This doesnt sound right at all. It sounds out of sync with the articles I've read about breeding. Do some breeders adjust temps and humidity to trick the snakes into breeding season? If so, will this have any long term affects on my ball? Doc said she looked good so im not too concerned, its more just curiosity. thanks

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Originally Posted by kmuset

Do some breeders adjust temps and humidity to trick the snakes into breeding season?

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In a temperature controlled room, you can get them to breed almost year round

watch this video guy...

http://www.worldofballpythons.com/vi...kebytestv/357/

every two to three days ill offer my mid weight females food, if they eat they eat if not offer again in a few days.. ive got a female that was really undersized when i got her she will eat small rats every day if offered she is a monster now and a great eater