Growth!

Finally, my little man is putting on length! since i got him in early march he's been hovering at 34 inches, and do you know how frustrating it is to say your snake is almost 3 feet long? even after 2 sheds his length was about the same - i know boas are slow growers, but at this point he's only just shy of 2 and i've had him for three months; no growth in a young snake over 3 months; frustrating. So his last measurement was May 7th. Since then he's shed again, and had 2 meals and 2 poops, and turned 2 years old (yesterday!) so i thought i'd check the tale of the tape. 37.3 inches, baby!!! I guess April showers bring more than May flowers!

By the way i use this site for measurements,
http://serpwidgets.com/main/measure
(i first checked its accuracy by using a picture of a fiberglass tape measure)

March 28, about 33 1/2 inches
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...25245713_o.jpg


May 7, just about 34 inches
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...95739701_o.jpg


June 14, a whopping 37 and 1/3 inches!!! :bow::snake::gj:
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...90871090_o.jpg

Really cute little guy. I never knew boas were slow growers. All the ones I see seem so large :P

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Originally Posted by Ashley96

Really cute little guy. I never knew boas were slow growers. All the ones I see seem so large :P

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Thanks! He is cute, isn't he? Yes, even the big boas is take a lot longer to get there compared to other large species of snake, but my boy is especially little because he is from Central American blood that stays smaller, although I'm not sure if he would be considered a true "dwarf". I'm expecting an adult size 4 1/2 to 5 feet, and he may not attain that length until he's four or five years old. of course they grow for their entire lives but once they reach the "adult size" the rate of growth slows dramatically.

Measured today after he shed, 39.2 inches! Growing like a weed my little buddy is!

Very nice!

UPDATE:

Irwin shed last night and the ruler came out...[drumroll]...3 feet, 7.6 inches!! That's 4 and 1/2 inches in 5 weeks! Folks, he's only getting small rats that don't even leave a bump every 14 to 17 days; the boy just wants to grow!
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...13682815_o.jpg

If you want him to grow faster you can feed him more. I've been feeding my reticulated python medium rats that leave a big bump followed by several adult mice, all in one feeding. And have been feeding twice a week. She has grown almost half a pound in two weeks! A small rat that doesn't even leave a bump every two weeks would result in super slow growth (if that's what you want). I've heard that with snakes you can pretty much control to rate of growth 100% because they almost always will eat twice a week if you offer it to them. On the other hand I got a free ball python that was fed a fuzzy mouse once a month. He was a year old and looked like he was only a month old WOW. When I first got him he ate three adult mice in about an hour LOL. Now I feed him one or two rodents twice a week and he is growing like a weed.........

Here's an example of how large of a meal you can feed your snake. I would never suggest feeding live like this video, just way too risky for the snake, better to feed fresh killed or frozen thawed. But you get the idea of how large of a rodent you can feed in comparison to the size of the snake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJZefXofGvo

I'm betting Katz is feeding very appropriately, way too easy to overfeed a boa, which you should definitely avoid.😛

I totally forgot about you telling me about this method of measuring, Katz! I should try it now!

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The thing with boas and retics is that their similarities are only...scale-deep. Both big tropical constrictors that will eat as much as you give them. But on the inside they are very different creatures. A retic is always hungry b/c it metabolism converts food into energy at an alarming rate resulting in fast moving snake that grows rapidly. A boa is always hungry b/c it has evolved to endure famine and feels that every meal might be its last. It's metabolism uses food for growth, but also stores the energy as fat. Now boas will certainly grow faster to if fed harder, but at the same time they will be developing health issues similar to those that humans who over eat can develop – an abundance of fat that starts to inhibit the function of their organs. Boa experts agree and it has been shown time and again that slow growing on a conservative feeding regimen leads to very long healthy lives. Overfed boas, arguably, aren't as satisfying to keep either as they are lethargic and slow - imagine how you feel right after a thanksgiving feast, now imageine it takes 2 weeks for that feeling to subside, but your host feeds you another turkey 4 days later (and you eat the entire thing in one bite, head first).
My boa is a 2 year old sub adult, still actively growing so I try to keep a meal coming every two weeks, but there are definitely plenty of boa people who think that I am feeding him a little too much. It can be tedious waiting for your small snake to get big – that's why all of my growth posts are so enthusiastic because it gets me so excited, but it's worth the wait knowing that I should have a happy healthy pet for the next 20 years at least. That being said, One of these days, when my kids are older, I really want to get a food-inhaling, poop-spewing, fast-moving retic as well!

I know what you mean about it being tedious waiting for them to get big. 😣 I attempted to use that website to measure my four year old female, she's only approximately 4'7, just shy of 4'8 if I recall. Could be off a little bit because it was my first time using it and I was using my phone. Lol Gonna try a few different methods to measure my new baby, it will be interesting to compare her to my first girl when she gets to be four, and it's nice knowing exactly how old she is. 😃 Do you weigh any of your boas?

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Originally Posted by Fraido

I know what you mean about it being tedious waiting for them to get big. 😣 I attempted to use that website to measure my four year old female, she's only approximately 4'7, just shy of 4'8 if I recall. Could be off a little bit because it was my first time using it and I was using my phone. Lol Gonna try a few different methods to measure my new baby, it will be interesting to compare her to my first girl when she gets to be four, and it's nice knowing exactly how old she is. 😃 Do you weigh any of your boas?

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I would like to weigh him, but i cant justify the cost of an accurate scale just to satisfy my curiosity. If i were planning on breeding, or had a few snakes of different ages whose growth i was tracking, then i would surely invest in one.

regarding the site, try taking some pictures of a rope and experiment with different angles and different "rulers" to see what gives you the most accurate results. One thing i o is to make sure to follow his centerline as closely as i can, not cutting any corners and using as many points as needed. Its a little tedious, but only takes few minutes really.
Which is your 4-year-old?

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

I would like to weigh him, but i cant justify the cost of an accurate scale just to satisfy my curiosity. If i were planning on breeding, or had a few snakes of different ages whose growth i was tracking, then i would surely invest in one.

regarding the site, try taking some pictures of a rope and experiment with different angles and different "rulers" to see what gives you the most accurate results. One thing i o is to make sure to follow his centerline as closely as i can, not cutting any corners and using as many points as needed. Its a little tedious, but only takes few minutes really.
Which is your 4-year-old?

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That's pretty much where I stand regarding weighing them.

I'll try that, I'll also hop onto my laptop to do it, it's a struggle using my phone to make all the points on there and keep it accurate.
My four year old is my anery. She could be younger, I've had her for two years now, and the store I got her from said she had been there for a year and I think they said she was or was almost a year when they got her in. I can't remember! http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...4fd456d672.jpg

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Originally Posted by Fraido

That's pretty much where I stand regarding weighing them.

I'll try that, I'll also hop onto my laptop to do it, it's a struggle using my phone to make all the points on there and keep it accurate.
My four year old is my anery. She could be younger, I've had her for two years now, and the store I got her from said she had been there for a year and I think they said she was or was almost a year when they got her in. I can't remember! http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...4fd456d672.jpg

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yeah, i tried on my phone a few times and its just really frustrating.
She's a beaut'! Great body shape too, thats why i want a female next. Although i do enjoy the games involving Irwin slipping through my fingers, i'm dying for a nice solid snake that takes up most of my hand.

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

yeah, i tried on my phone a few times and its just really frustrating.
She's a beaut'! Great body shape too, thats why i want a female next. Although i do enjoy the games involving Irwin slipping through my fingers, i'm dying for a nice solid snake that takes up most of my hand.

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Very much so! I managed for the most part, but I wouldn't be surprised if it cost me a few inches! Haha

She is a very lean lady (if she IS a lady), sometimes I get worried that she's too small, since she's a BI and I've seen sooo many others that are the same age but signficantly larger. Then I come back and read about the conservative feeding and remember I'm doing a good job. Lol She's getting big slowly, and because of that think/hope she'll be around for a decent amount of time. Get a female, dddooooo itttt.;)

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Originally Posted by Fraido

Very much so! I managed for the most part, but I wouldn't be surprised if it cost me a few inches! Haha

She is a very lean lady (if she IS a lady), sometimes I get worried that she's too small, since she's a BI and I've seen sooo many others that are the same age but signficantly larger. Then I come back and read about the conservative feeding and remember I'm doing a good job. Lol She's getting big slowly, and because of that think/hope she'll be around for a decent amount of time. Get a female, dddooooo itttt.;)

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She might be younger than you were led to believe, like you said, but i think you're on point with the notion that she has the slow-grow body. I know they are supposed to be thicker in the middle, but you see some pics/vids of females with small or normal heads and necks and then they balloon out to the girth of a watermelon, and i'm just thinking, "this cant be right." (and not when they are gravid either).

Oh man, talk about slow, i am working the soft sell on my wife to let me get another. I am actually scared b/c next week is the White Plains expo and i really shouldn't go, but i must! I think if i literally bring nothing but my driver's license and a bag lunch then there is no way i can buy a new noodle. With regard to growing and waiting for growth, part of me would prefer a sub adult who already has some size on her, but it might be easier to convince my wife with a cute little baby or yearling.

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

She might be younger than you were led to believe, like you said, but i think you're on point with the notion that she has the slow-grow body. I know they are supposed to be thicker in the middle, but you see some pics/vids of females with small or normal heads and necks and then they balloon out to the girth of a watermelon, and i'm just thinking, "this cant be right." (and not when they are gravid either).

Oh man, talk about slow, i am working the soft sell on my wife to let me get another. I am actually scared b/c next week is the White Plains expo and i really shouldn't go, but i must! I think if i literally bring nothing but my driver's license and a bag lunch then there is no way i can buy a new noodle. With regard to growing and waiting for growth, part of me would prefer a sub adult who already has some size on her, but it might be easier to convince my wife with a cute little baby or yearling.

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Well, even in the couple years that I've had her it feels like she hasn't changed at all, though I'm sure she has! Just a feeling, though. Lol She does have a good shape, though so I'm not too concerned, she may even be a male for all I know, or yeah, younger. Oh well!

You've gotta get a new noodle, though! 😁 I'd say if you want a subadult then get one.. but if a cute baby snoot could convince the wife, then smother her with cute baby snoots!

Well I think the fire might be out. It seems Irwin's summer growth spurt has slowed down as his most recent measure came out to 3ft 9in., only about 1.5 inches longer than last time (August 28)
Thats OK, i still love him :P

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...77436331_o.jpg

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

Finally, my little man is putting on length! since i got him in early march he's been hovering at 34 inches, and do you know how frustrating it is to say your snake is almost 3 feet long? even after 2 sheds his length was about the same - i know boas are slow growers, but at this point he's only just shy of 2 and i've had him for three months; no growth in a young snake over 3 months; frustrating. So his last measurement was May 7th. Since then he's shed again, and had 2 meals and 2 poops, and turned 2 years old (yesterday!) so i thought i'd check the tale of the tape. 37.3 inches, baby!!! I guess April showers bring more than May flowers!

By the way i use this site for measurements,
http://serpwidgets.com/main/measure
(i first checked its accuracy by using a picture of a fiberglass tape measure)

March 28, about 33 1/2 inches
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...25245713_o.jpg


May 7, just about 34 inches
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...95739701_o.jpg


June 14, a whopping 37 and 1/3 inches!!! :bow::snake::gj:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...90871090_o.jpg

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THANK YOU FOR THIS LINK!!!! Exactly what i have been looking for! i just got a 3 month old BCI and want to try to track her growth somewhat.29.5 Inches as of now

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Originally Posted by Dxw425

THANK YOU FOR THIS LINK!!!! Exactly what i have been looking for! i just got a 3 month old BCI and want to try to track her growth somewhat.29.5 Inches as of now

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My pleasure! I honestly forget who, but one of the boa regulars here hooked me up with that site back in march, so I'm just paying it forward. it's actually rather addictive, and what's really fun is looking for ads for snakes that have something to measure in the picture (usually a soda can) and checking to see if the seller's size description is accurate.
By the way, I keep track of his measurements and all other things with iherp.com, it's designed to help people with large collections, but works perfectly well for just one snake.

Congrats on your baby boa, and happy tracking!

ONE YEAR UPDATE!
​Actually more like 13 months, but whose counting?

Irwin shed yesterday, so onto serpwidgets i went after a long winter break

Folks, we are SO DAMN CLOSE to 4 feet! 47.5 inches And, remarkably, after one year, that is exactly one foot of growth. Of course about 9 inches all came between May and September -

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach....16%2520AM.png[/IMG]

Now I'm just waiting for Gimel to shed. She went clear yesterday so be on the lookout for updates in her progression thread.

I skipped a measure b/c, inexplicably, serpwidgets said he shrunk compared to my last measure. It had him at 3' 10"?? I dunno, but tonight, amidst some other drama and after a shed last night,
Irwin finally hit 4 Feet!!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach....46%2520AM.png[/IMG][IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach....56%2520AM.png[/IMG]

Grats. Good lookin little man.

Hey-Hey!! after a slow summer, Irwin finally decided to add some length! Since his last shed 6 weeks ago he's grown 4.5 inches!!! Not bad, little man, not bad at all. So we are up to 4' 4.5"

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/zuLIAP6.png[/IMG]

He is looking good! What is that app you are using to measure?

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Originally Posted by cletus

He is looking good! What is that app you are using to measure?

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looks like serpwidgets

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Originally Posted by Dxw425

looks like serpwidgets

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Yup 😁 I swear by it, I tested it with pictures of coiled up ropes and it came out pretty damn accurate

http://serpwidgets.com/main/measure

I forgot to post on March 7th, Irwin and Gimel's anniversary (one year apart) . Below is a very rough composite of Irwin last week and 2 years ago. To be honest he hasn't grown much in the last year, he'll be 4 in June and his father was just about 5 foot, so i think over the next ear or so he might put on another 6 to 8 inches and that may be pretty much it for significant growth (but we'll see;))

Check out Gimel's progression post for her before/after

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...cd&oe=5B0053D9

Putting some great growth on
,nice looking boa


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Its not measuring day yet, but i just thought I'd update this progression thread with the announcement that after 2+ years on smalls, Irwin has his first medium rat yesterday! I know you're all totally freaking out right?!!?:D Anyway, he'll be 4 in June, he's 4 and 1/2 feet long, i figure he's ready to move up. He pounded it with ease, though he's been just parked under his basking spot for about a day now in something of a food-coma, lol.

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

Its not measuring day yet, but i just thought I'd update this progression thread with the announcement that after 2+ years on smalls, Irwin has his first medium rat yesterday! I know you're all totally freaking out right?!!?:D Anyway, he'll be 4 in June, he's 4 and 1/2 feet long, i figure he's ready to move up. He pounded it with ease, though he's been just parked under his basking spot for about a day now in something of a food-coma, lol.

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You call that big!!?? /Whips out a Caesar pic. Thats big!!.......oh sorry wrong thread :D

An inch! In 8 weeks and with the biggest meal he’s ever eaten, Irwin grew exactly one dang inch��
Oh hell, the fact is I liked him among all snakes b/c at the time I wanted something small. He turns 4 next month so I’m thinking his current size of 4’ 7” is firmly in the ballpark of his adult size. I think he’ll probably reach 5’ some time next year but I’m going to try to stop fixating on his size and just enjoy his awesome personality. Truthfully, at the end of the day Doc is stunning and growing 6inches/month, Gimel will no doubt be bigger and is absolutely beautiful, but Irwin, normal wonky pattern pseudo-dwarf Irwin is the most fun. Maybe it’s his Central American spiceyness, but he’s the snake that I can actually play with and, so far, the only one who hasn’t bitten me!