~ 3 1/2 months @ 108g, is this about right?

What's the average weight for a female BP at this age? Is there averages for different stages? If so please post.

that is pretty low for 3 & 1/2 months, I have 1 month olds who weigh more than that.

There is a good bit of variation, but I think that yours is underweight.

My 3 month old pastel female weighs 240 grams

my female is about the same age (9/3/11) shes at 164 grams right now

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Casillas_Brian

my female is about the same age (9/3/11) shes at 164 grams right now

---

Well she ate for me on day 2 and I bought her about 6 days ago.. the store must have kept her underweight? I see a lot of opinions on feeding.. would there be any drawbacks to feeding her a fuzzy every 4-5 days instead of every 6-7? Since I've only fed her once this seems like the optimal time to get things planned out right.

Edit: 6-7 days for feeding was just what I gathered was the average from different posts and care sheets.

A fuzzy is too small unless you are talking about rats. I would feed 1 hopper mouse every 4 or 5 days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

A fuzzy is too small unless you are talking about rats. I would feed 1 hopper mouse every 4 or 5 days.

---

1 3/4 - 2" bodies with 1" tails, what would this be a fuzzy or hopper? some have fur some seem to not have as much

The best way to go by is weight. You should feed your snake a rodent that weighs 15% of your snakes weight.

Hoppers weigh around 15 grams and are 1.5-2.0 inches

My normal is 3 1/2 months old also. I got her when she was just a couple weeks old and weighed 71g. She refused to eat the first month I had her but has been eating 15% her weight every 5-7 days since. She weighed in at 159 tonight before feeding and then ate a 23 gram mouse.

i feed my hatchlings small adult mice right after first shed. after about a month of eating they normally weigh 125-175 grams. i never use hoppers they are too crack headed (live) and they tend to scare ball pythons. i always go for prey that will leave a small bulge at the biggest part of the snake.
adam jeffery

i feed mine adult mice and they are 6 months, go with size of the body. Food should be no bigger than the largest part of their body. thats the only rule and the advice that i was told was if they eat let them eat because you never know when they will stop eating

I still have 2 babies from last year' they are about 5 months old and 375g+ They have never even seen a mouse. Rat pups from the start...4 day feed schedule.

I just bought a 178g female Ball Python hatched (6/2012). I fed her for the first time a few days ago (F/T rat fuzzy) and after reading some of these posts I am a little worried she is under-weight (~22 inches long). Should I start offering her two rat fuzzies starting tomorrow? They are slightly smaller than her thickest coil. If so, what is the best way to give her the second rat fuzzy? Thanks for the advice. Should I just go pick up some rat pups?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by asmodeus

I just bought a 178g female Ball Python hatched (6/2012). I fed her for the first time a few days ago (F/T rat fuzzy) and after reading some of these posts I am a little worried she is under-weight (~22 inches long). Should I start offering her two rat fuzzies starting tomorrow? They are slightly smaller than her thickest coil. If so, what is the best way to give her the second rat fuzzy? Thanks for the advice. Should I just go pick up some rat pups?

---

Yeah I would consider your girl to be underweight. If you still have rat fuzzies you can just feed 2 of them every 5 days until they are gone and then bump up the prey size. To feed the second fuzzy just wait until she has swallowed the first and then offer the second.

My guy was born on october 8th and is 164 grams.

Excellent thread, as I have been reading as much about this as possible, lately. I'm starting to think my male is underweight... He will be 6 months old at the end of the month, is 22"+, and I weighed him for the first time last night. Empty, he was 166g. I've been keeping him on a 7 day feed schedule, f/t weaned rats. Absolutely fantastic eater! Would it be beneficial to get him on, say, a 5 day feed schedule? He is a pet only, no plans of breeding at all.

He took down 2-19g f/t weaned rats last night. I know it was probably a bit much, but he was so ready to eat!! Took them both like they were nothing.

:confusd:

Mine is 6 + months old and just weighed in at 180 grams.. I got her one month ago at 149

I don't know my male normal's hatch date but he's around 22 inches long and 165g empty. I think it really does just depend on the snake. some are more heavy bodied than others. My lesser male is a late 2011 baby (from what I was told by the breeder) and he weighs 400g, but is much more heavy bodied.

Mine is 6 + months old and just weighed in at 180 grams.. I got her one month ago at 149

Glad to see my guy is comparable to others who are about the same age and weight.

I'm gonna try the every 5 day schedule @ about 15%. He is a pig, I'm sure he won't mind! :chew:

There is no average, depends on various factors weight right out of the egg(while the hatch at about 55/75 grams you have exception, I had a 24 grams hatchling this year), how fast the animal got started (some will eat within a few days after their first shed, some might take 4 or 6 weeks), feeding frequency, prey size etc.

The most important is that the animal looks healthy and of a good body weight, in other words well proportionate.

a 2011 at 164 grams.. it even says '11 in the sig. Is no one else seeing that.

From everything I've read feedings every 5-10 days seem to be okay with most people settling on every 7 days.
BHB did an experiment on feeding and the different results between regular meals more often, regular meals supplemented with vitamin, and larger meals if I recall correctly.
I am not 100% positive their results are transferable to Ball Pythons as they use baby cornsnakes but, more small meals were the smallest snakes followed by regular meals with vitamin supplements in the middle and larger meals on a regular schedule and regular (7 day) schedule larger size meals producing the largest growth gains.

Can you post pics of your snake? She may have just had a slow start and be plump enough for her size. If she is proportional don't sweat it.

And, if you are still concerned about her weight:

Snake weight x 0.15 = The approximate weight of what you should be feeding her. Also check that the prey is not a larger diameter than your snake. Every 5 days, 7 days is up to you.

Good luck and welcome to the club/addiction.

Edit: Disregard, I just noticed the original post date.