Normal Growth for BPs?

Mmkay, so last week after feeding but before poop, Quetzal was 250g. Three days after his feeding this time around (exactly one week later), emptied of his previous meal but not the current one, Quetzal is nearing 265g. Now I know some of this is poo weight, but that seems like an awful lot for him to have packed on considering he's gained about half the amount of mouse I feed him. Growing lightning quick, or is this normal for babies? He's about 7 months by now, 24in.

I feed him 2 weanling mice from rodentpro, so about 30-35g (last feeding was 17g and 18g mice combined), which is 12-14% of his body weight. He eats faithfully every 5 days though I'm debating on backing off to every 7 if he's gaining too fast. He's an aggressive feeder, he'd probably down the entire bag if I offered, kept with a warm spot of 88-92 that he curls over for 2-3 days after eating.

So what, should I back off in case he gets overweight, or is such rapid growth fine with these guys? He looks visibly larger, it's startling.

My juvis put on about 80-100g/month but I don't pay any attention to whether or not they're "empty" when I do weights. I just choose a day about once a month and everyone gets weighed. I do try to make it 2 days after everyone's eaten though.

I think it'd be quite difficult to make a juvi fat. Mine stay on the 5 day schedule till somewhere around 600-800 grams then go to every 7 days.

I think you'd be fine to stay on your current schedule especially if you're feeding mice vs rats.


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There is no exact science or guidelines to rate of growth. They are all different. I would get him on rats asap.

There's no such thing as a normal growth rate. They all grow at different rates. As long as he feels muscular and looks "athletic" when you handle him, I wouldn't worry to much about over feeding him at this point.

I don't think anyone would describe a 265 gram BP as over weight ;)

As everyone said I wouldn't worry. He's a baby and they grow steadily. You could go every 7 days but it wouldn't make much of a difference. I would also move him to rats and up the food size a little. Mine was taking small rats by that age. If you feel smalls are too big then start at weaned

I suppose I'm just used to my adult mammals, noticeable growth there means something's wrong ;P

Although, I do have another question since everyone says to up the food size. He's nice and well rounded since I bumped him up to two weanlings, which is just hovering at 14% of his weight. If I bump up his food size again, to rats, wouldn't that be overfeeding him? I thought the general rule of thumb was as wide around at the pelvis, 10-15% of weight. Not that I don't think he'd take to rats right away, I'm switching him over once he's eaten through the rest of the rodentpro bag.

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Originally Posted by Jazi

Although, I do have another question since everyone says to up the food size. He's nice and well rounded since I bumped him up to two weanlings, which is just hovering at 14% of his weight. If I bump up his food size again, to rats, wouldn't that be overfeeding him? I thought the general rule of thumb was as wide around at the pelvis, 10-15% of weight. Not that I don't think he'd take to rats right away, I'm switching him over once he's eaten through the rest of the rodentpro bag.

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No you will not be overfeeding him switching to rats as long as you feed the appropiate sized rat. Weaned rats should be 30-45 grams so that would be the proper size rat for you to get him on currently.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jazi

I suppose I'm just used to my adult mammals, noticeable growth there means something's wrong ;P

Although, I do have another question since everyone says to up the food size. He's nice and well rounded since I bumped him up to two weanlings, which is just hovering at 14% of his weight. If I bump up his food size again, to rats, wouldn't that be overfeeding him? I thought the general rule of thumb was as wide around at the pelvis, 10-15% of weight. Not that I don't think he'd take to rats right away, I'm switching him over once he's eaten through the rest of the rodentpro bag.

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I often will feed two adult to large sized mice for a month or two before switching my babies over to small rats. There is always a noticeable growth spurt immediately after the rat switch, especially after the first or second time they eat a rat.

I don't often weigh my snakes, and my scale has been broken for a few months now, so I couldn't tell you gram weights on this girl, but here's an example of average growth of my babies:

At 1.5 months, eating a large adult mouse every 5 to 7 days:
http://lllreptile.com/load-image/Sto...age/image/8773

At four months, eating two large adult mice every 5 to 7 days (sorry, crummy cell pics). I occasionally gave her large rat pups, 4 week old, when they were available:
http://lllreptile.com/load-image/Sto...age/image/8774

In January, at 6.5 months, at this point eating small rats every 7 to 10 days:
http://lllreptile.com/load-image/Sto...age/image/8775

And last week, 8.5 months, eating small rats every 7 to 10 days:
http://lllreptile.com/load-image/Sto...age/image/8769

This is pretty average for what my babies go through. I gauge prey item size on sight, rather than weight, which may not be much help for you ordering them online. :/

But I hope that helps with the growth thing! For reference, from the tip of my middle finger to the bottom of my palm is 7". I really need to bring home a new scale...

-Jen

45/265 is about 17%, which is technically larger than 15% though not to the point where it'd be ridiculous I think. That's sort of my point, at what point would "a little too large" become "way too big", because I'm feeding him right veeeery close to the 15% mark as it is. If I tick up the food size, it'll go over 15%. Hope you don't think I'm splitting hairs here, his health is just rather important to me and I'd rather not get it wrong :3

Thanks Jen, that's really helpful. I see now that the big visual jumps are normal, used to mammals and their growing slowly but steadily. Quetzal is between the 6.5mo and the 8.5mo length if I'm estimating right... span between my middle finger and wrist is 7.5in. He wouldn't be still in my hand, wanted to climb my arm, so we compromised.
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/a...3-20223255.jpg
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/a...3-20223501.jpg

Looking pretty good weight-wise?

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Originally Posted by Jazi

45/265 is about 17%, which is technically larger than 15% though not to the point where it'd be ridiculous I think. That's sort of my point, at what point would "a little too large" become "way too big", because I'm feeding him right veeeery close to the 15% mark as it is. If I tick up the food size, it'll go over 15%. Hope you don't think I'm splitting hairs here, his health is just rather important to me and I'd rather not get it wrong :3

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If you order weaned rats they all aren't going to be 45 grams. They will vary in size from 30-45 grams. And even if they were all 45 grams thats only 5 grams heavier than 15% of his current weight. Also, remember that he will be gaining weight from every feeding so it would only take a couple feeding for the 45 gram weaned rats to fall into the proper size range for him.
He looks nice and healthy in the pics by the way!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jazi

45/265 is about 17%, which is technically larger than 15% though not to the point where it'd be ridiculous I think. That's sort of my point, at what point would "a little too large" become "way too big", because I'm feeding him right veeeery close to the 15% mark as it is. If I tick up the food size, it'll go over 15%. Hope you don't think I'm splitting hairs here, his health is just rather important to me and I'd rather not get it wrong :3

Thanks Jen, that's really helpful. I see now that the big visual jumps are normal, used to mammals and their growing slowly but steadily. Quetzal is between the 6.5mo and the 8.5mo length if I'm estimating right... span between my middle finger and wrist is 7.5in. He wouldn't be still in my hand, wanted to climb my arm, so we compromised.
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/a...3-20223255.jpg
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/a...3-20223501.jpg

Looking pretty good weight-wise?

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He does look good weight wise, and he seems to be just barely at that point between bumping up prey item size. By the time you finish the mice as planned, you should be set to just snag some small (wean?) rats for the next batch of feeders.

I wouldn't worry over much about a particular meal being too big or small. You can always balance it out, alternating between sizes, especially with the natural variance between feeders as C & H said.

Lastly, don't underestimate how big of a prey item your snake can eat...I once had a baby (less than 3 months) escape, while I also had an escaped small rat. The rat had been loose for about a week, and was proving freaking hard to catch. I came home from work about two days after the baby ball python had escaped, worried as heck that I wouldn't catch it or that the rat would hurt it...to find that the baby ball had caught and eaten the small rat, and was sitting in the middle of my floor, looking so fat I was afraid she'd pop. She ended up digesting it, although it took days for the lump to go down, and she had the most massive poop ever a couple weeks later.
Not that I would ever recommend in any way to feed a snake that small a rat that size, but when we're not around to regulate their prey item size, they have their own ideas about appropriate meal sizes!

-Jen