Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 746

3 members and 743 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,908
Threads: 249,108
Posts: 2,572,131
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, KoreyBuchanan

Size of ball python help

Printable View

  • 03-10-2017, 05:52 PM
    Kscalise314
    Size of ball python help
    Hi. I am a first time ball python owner. I purchased my python off Craigslist. I was told that the python is female I've named her Wadjet & was told she is 3 yrs old. I just received in the mail today my scale to weigh her. She weighs 594 grams & roughly 3 ft long. She has bulked up a bit since I purchased her 3 weeks ago. I was told by the previous owner to feed her once a week & I was given 2 med size frozen mice by the seller. She had previously been being feed 1 mouse a week. She was thin & in a bad shed at the time I got her. I decided to feed her both of the mice I was given at her first feeding instead of only one. After the first feeding I have decided to increase the size of her food & am now feeding her 1 med size rat once a week. I am worried that her size has possibly been stunted. Her neck & head are rather small. I've measured her thickest part & she is roughly 5 inches round at that part of her body. I am just wondering if maybe she is not as old as I was told or maybe even really a he rather than a she because of her size. I would appreciate any thoughts on if it's possible for her size to increase seeing that she is 3 yrs of age. I just want her to be as healthy as possible. Although I haven't had her quite a month yet we have bonded nicely & I love her & what her to live a long life. Any tips to a newbie like me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
  • 03-10-2017, 05:59 PM
    JodanOrNoDan
    Best way for us to tell if your animal appears healthy is to post a pic of your animal and your setup. At three years of age her weight is very low. Medium rats are a little large for that weight but if she is at three feet and can keep them down it is fine. The good news is her growth is not stunted. If she is otherwise healthy and her environment is good she will do fine. I would predict quite a bit of growth especially weight wise over the next couple months.

    Make sure you take a look at this care sheet.
  • 03-10-2017, 10:15 PM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    I'm having difficulty trying to upload the photos, files are coming up as to large. In regards to the size of the med rat it is the same size as the widest part of her body & doesn't even really show a slight bump after she has eaten it. Although I was a little scared when I feed her that first rat cause her head is so small lol but she surprising handled getting it down rather well.
  • 03-11-2017, 12:54 AM
    the_rotten1
    My 3 year old female is 3 times that size (around 1750g), so she was definitely under fed. Even a baby ball python can eat a small adult mouse. Rats are just a better prey item for them, imo. You never have to feed more than one at a time.

    The good news is that she should be fine as long as you continue to feed her well. I've taken in a few underweight snakes myself and they plumped right up with an appropriately sized rat every week. :gj:
  • 03-11-2017, 01:05 AM
    Eric Alan
    Help with posting pictures: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures. :gj:
  • 03-11-2017, 01:29 AM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3b98358082.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-11-2017, 01:31 AM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8e835a6db5.jpg

    I know, it's not the greatest enclosure but will have to do until my husband builds her one.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 12:53 AM
    JodanOrNoDan
    She looks fine. Keep feeding her and she should grow like a weed. Those gauges in the tank are kaka. They can be very inaccurate. Take a look at some of the thread on the ways to measure temp and humidity.
  • 03-12-2017, 01:05 AM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Yeah I know they aren't great but maybe better than nothing at all...I want to get the digital ones & the temp gun...she does look a lot better from the time I got her. So I believe we are heading in the right direction with her feedings, temps etc.. she seems stronger & more active. I also noticed yesterday her belly is turning a lil pink so I'm hoping I can get the humidity right cause I have my fingers crossed for a one piece shed lol

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 01:14 AM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Also any advice on increasing the humidity for her shed? I've plastic wrapped the top of the tank, put water dish partly over the heating pad & mist a few times a day. By the current gauge that's in there now it stays around 55% humidity but I know I should increase it during shed.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 04:06 AM
    Zincubus
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Just keep on top of the humidity as usual but after they get their normal colouration back and their eyes clear you simply start upping the daily spraying , a few times each day until you find the shedded skin up to a week later ...
  • 03-12-2017, 07:06 AM
    melcvt00
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kscalise314 View Post
    Also any advice on increasing the humidity for her shed? I've plastic wrapped the top of the tank, put water dish partly over the heating pad & mist a few times a day. By the current gauge that's in there now it stays around 55% humidity but I know I should increase it during shed.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

    Keep in mimd that your gauges are terrible, and the humidity may be a lot higher.

    This is a good one to get:

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00...84FK69UW1&vs=1

    I also always read the humidity on the cooler side, too.

    Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 07:07 AM
    melcvt00
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Also.....what is your heat source?

    Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 12:41 PM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    UTH but I also use a heat bulb approximately 10 inch off of the warm side of her tank to keep the ambient temperature up to around 78/82 if I didn't she'd most likely freeze cause the house temp is kept at a cool 68 (Not my choice lol) in the winter & who knows when summer hits & the A/C is running 24/7.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 12:51 PM
    melcvt00
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kscalise314 View Post
    UTH but I also use a heat bulb approximately 10 inch off of the warm side of her tank to keep the ambient temperature up to around 78/82 if I didn't she'd most likely freeze cause the house temp is kept at a cool 68 (Not my choice lol) in the winter & who knows when summer hits & the A/C is running 24/7.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

    You have a thermostat between the UTH and tank, right?

    You are losing a lot of heat to your room with the heat bulb that far off the tank. Your best bet is to get a light dimmer, set the bulb on top of the screen (use foil on top of that side for safety, with a hole cut out), and turn the heat down accordingly.

    You should have a hot side of 90, and your warm side should be what your ambient temp is.

    Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 01:01 PM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    I use digital thermometer that has a probe on it & I've been putting the probe at different part of her tank so inside the cool hide it reads usually around 77-83 The the warm hide 88-93 but under the substrate above the UTH it can read 93-97 with the probe pushed all the way down since I've laid newspaper under the substrate there so I don't actually get a read of the glass It's self.

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 01:05 PM
    Zincubus
    Re: Size of ball python help
    I'd suggest to anyone who keeps snakes or lizards and who doesn't have a digital temp gun to treat themselves immediately :)
    £10 off eBay
  • 03-12-2017, 01:07 PM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Zincubus View Post
    I'd suggest to anyone who keeps snakes or lizards and who doesn't have a digital temp gun to treat themselves immediately :)
    £10 off eBay

    I plan on getting 1 soon

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 08:29 PM
    Kscalise314
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by melcvt00 View Post
    Keep in mimd that your gauges are terrible, and the humidity may be a lot higher.

    This is a good one to get:

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00...84FK69UW1&vs=1

    I also always read the humidity on the cooler side, too.

    Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

    Yeah you were definitely right about the gauge being crappy. I bought a digital one today & it read the humidity around 90% [emoji50] ...so I pulled the plastic wrap back to where it wasn't covering such a large area of the screen top. Now it's reading at 75%. Is that an ok reading since she is in shed now?

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
  • 03-12-2017, 08:33 PM
    melcvt00
    Re: Size of ball python help
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kscalise314 View Post
    Yeah you were definitely right about the gauge being crappy. I bought a digital one today & it read the humidity around 90% [emoji50] ...so I pulled the plastic wrap back to where it wasn't covering such a large area of the screen top. Now it's reading at 75%. Is that an ok reading since she is in shed now?

    Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

    Yep. I like to keep mine at 70-80% when he is in shed. 60-70% wasn't enough for him and he shed in pieces. Otherwise I aim for 50%.

    Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1