Another Question on BP growth.

WHEN, and I say when because its probably inevitable, when a BP decides to lay off the food for a while does this slow down growth a great deal?

Awwww come on, I havent asked a question in a while. LOL :lol:

Paul, no one can really answer that because it depends on the length of the fast and how much weight it was carrying to begin with as well as what point in the process of growing it had reached. Balls generally won't fast their first winter if they're kept in good conditions (skipping a feed or two is not fasting), and that means they're generally done with their biggest growth by the time they fast the first time around. Does that help?

Need to read up more on snake metabolism.

Marla said:
Does that help?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep! :P

Anabolism=rate at which new cells are built and dead ones replaced.
Catabolism=rate at which tissue breaks down.
Metabolism = Anabolism+Catabolism
hmmmm....just thinking out loud trying to get to 600 before I fall asleep.

Ok, glad to help then. :)

I can't speak directly about bp's on this issue, but I know Caesar has continued to grow a lot throughout his three month fast and subsequent sporatic feedings. Pretty amazing creatures, these snakes!

Catabolism slowed down significantly allowing a metabolism that is almost purely Anabolichttps://ball-pythons.net/modules/cop...cratchchin.gif

poof!

Perspective:

2 ball pythons. One hatched summer 2001, one hatched November 2002. '01 ball python is an extremely picky feeder, '02 ball python is a chowhound. Aug. 2003 - '01 ball python is around 22" in length, '02 ball python is around 32" in length.

January '04 - '01 ball python "turns on" and is now around 28" in length as of April '04.

Compensated growth. Food is available and/or readily accepted by animal, animal grows accordingly. Interesting, huh?

K

Quote:

---

kara said:Compensated growth.

---

So what you mean is that the finikey Ball started to play catch up (for lack of a smarter sounding term) once he decided to feed regularly?

Precisely.

K