Weighing my snake

How does one get an accurate weight on their snake? I placed my bp in a bag and the bag on a digital scale. Each time the snake shifted in the bag (which was constantly) the weight changed SIGNIFICANTLY. Apparently, he weighs somewhere between 369 and 713 gms. There's got to be a better way.

Have you tried a tub or is he too big?

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i use a tub or their hides to place them in to weigh. you need something with walls to stop the snake from shifting on top of the scale.

You need to use a good scale too, cheap scales will change depending on where you place the weight on the pan. Use something else and move it around on top of the scale to see if you can get accurate readings. This is the one I have, it's awesome. Right now it's $110 on Amazon but well worth it. I use it for my rats to dial in the 10% of the snake weight and use it to weigh all my snakes, works for all but my retics (of course!). I put bigger snakes in tubs, small snakes balled up work fine right on the scale.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this one for my retics, not too good for smaller snakes like ball pythons but anything over five pounds is perfect, works great for my 30 pound dwarf retic!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Posted this in the wrong thread, had to delete this post!

This is what I use. Just a cooking scale I already had at home but any really will do. Just have it be able to weight up to say 5000 grams (that's what mine tops out at).

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/VLArvNX.jpg

I take a tub and put it on the scale, tare it, then put the snake in. I don't care if I am off a few grams because I am not needing precision, only accuracy.

Please excuse Dante, he is in a mood so I had to use a stunt double :P

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/6ISiDhu.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/uzqabuX.jpg

I use their hides to weigh them.

Zero out scale with empty hide on it, place snek in said hide, sometimes I cover the hide with my hand to settle them back down if their being snek like and wanting to get secure feeling again, then place it on the scale.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3ac823f5fb.jpg

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My scale has a dish with sides that seems to work pretty well. In fact, he usually hangs out here while I clean his enclosure.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e7e600158b.jpg


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Thank you all for your help and suggestions. My scale is a good one, maybe too good as it tries to adjust the weight whenever he moves. I think the problem is that the platform isn't that big.
The reason I wanted to weight him in the first place is because he seems thin to me. I've only had him since Wed. and was told to wait a week before attempting to feed him but I truly think he's hungry. He's fairly active, very curious and not acting the least bit stressed. He does spend some time in his hides, but does a fair amount of roaming about as well.
As per your suggestions, he's about 2 ft. long, and very curious so it's hard to find a container that I can put him in and get the lid on before he's over the sides. Eventually, I solved the problem by simply placing him on the floor. The difference in texture and temperature prompted him to curl into a ball and I quickly scooped him up and popped him onto the scale. Luckily he didn't budge, and I got an reading of 360 gms., which again, seems light for his size.
Would there be any harm in offering him food tonight even though it's less than a week? I was told he's used to live, but will eat f.t. if I'm patient. I don't have live, but do have a few frozen fuzzies (rats) ranging from 12 - 16 gms. and one frozen weanling rat that weighs 20 gms. Would I be right in assuming the weanling would be the way to go at the moment and what would be the best size to buy for him from this point forward.

I use cooking scales with a tub to plonk my danger noodle or tortoise in. The scales I have I stick the tub on and then set the scales to ignore the tub and then plonk the reptile in it and weigh them. Since the tub is still big enough to fit them and stay on the scales it makes my life easier.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

i use a tub or their hides to place them in to weigh. you need something with walls to stop the snake from shifting on top of the scale.

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+1 for a hide turn it upside reset the scale to zero and place the snake in the hide. By the time she gets out which is quick I get the weight.

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Originally Posted by B.P.'s 4me

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. My scale is a good one, maybe too good as it tries to adjust the weight whenever he moves. I think the problem is that the platform isn't that big.
The reason I wanted to weight him in the first place is because he seems thin to me. I've only had him since Wed. and was told to wait a week before attempting to feed him but I truly think he's hungry. He's fairly active, very curious and not acting the least bit stressed. He does spend some time in his hides, but does a fair amount of roaming about as well.
As per your suggestions, he's about 2 ft. long, and very curious so it's hard to find a container that I can put him in and get the lid on before he's over the sides. Eventually, I solved the problem by simply placing him on the floor. The difference in texture and temperature prompted him to curl into a ball and I quickly scooped him up and popped him onto the scale. Luckily he didn't budge, and I got an reading of 360 gms., which again, seems light for his size.
Would there be any harm in offering him food tonight even though it's less than a week? I was told he's used to live, but will eat f.t. if I'm patient. I don't have live, but do have a few frozen fuzzies (rats) ranging from 12 - 16 gms. and one frozen weanling rat that weighs 20 gms. Would I be right in assuming the weanling would be the way to go at the moment and what would be the best size to buy for him from this point forward.

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The sooner you learn to read your snakes actions and ignore the famous rule"wait one week before attempting to feed a new snake", the better off you and your snake will be. If a snake in the wild had to follow the "rules for ball pythons" that are nearly scripture in some peoples eyes they would have been extinct long ago.

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Originally Posted by Momokahn

The sooner you learn to read your snakes actions and ignore the famous rule"wait one week before attempting to feed a new snake", the better off you and your snake will be. If a snake in the wild had to follow the "rules for ball pythons" that are nearly scripture in some peoples eyes they would have been extinct long ago.

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There are hundreds of posts here and other places of people who have no idea how to care for a new ball python that have gotten their stressed out snake to eat following these types of "famous rule[s]" so I would not be so quick to discredit years and thousands of experienced keepers advice.

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Originally Posted by SDA

There are hundreds of posts here and other places of people who have no idea how to care for a new ball python that have gotten their stressed out snake to eat following these types of "famous rule[s]" so I would not be so quick to discredit years and thousands of experienced keepers advice.

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There is no doubt plenty around that are just learning the nuiances of keeping snakes. As far as years of experience, I was catching, and successfully keeping snakes in the mid '70s. Does it make me an expert? No. Do I have experience? Yes. My exerience has proven a snake doesn't look at a calendar and wait 7 days to eat if it wasn't hungry just 2 days ago. Stress is always the reason a snake won't eat?
I would like to meet the maker of that rule. Thousands of experienced keepers....oh the ones that say I'm brand new in keeping snakes but this is what I think you should do. And those same experienced keepers of snakes that just love to pounce on a newb for using an analog thermometer instead of a digital thermometer made in China. SMH. And what will be the next new rule? I'm not sure, but I'm just glad my snakes don't have internet access to read the rules that have been written for them. Would hate for mine to know they can't eat if there humidity drops to 49% or if it is a mouse instead of a rat. And heaven forbid it has only been 6 days instead of 7 since its last meal.

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Originally Posted by Momokahn

There is no doubt plenty around that are just learning the nuiances of keeping snakes. As far as years of experience, I was catching, and successfully keeping snakes in the mid '70s. Does it make me an expert? No. Do I have experience? Yes. My exerience has proven a snake doesn't look at a calendar and wait 7 days to eat if it wasn't hungry just 2 days ago. Stress is always the reason a snake won't eat?
I would like to meet the maker of that rule. Thousands of experienced keepers....oh the ones that say I'm brand new in keeping snakes but this is what I think you should do. And those same experienced keepers of snakes that just love to pounce on a newb for using an analog thermometer instead of a digital thermometer made in China. SMH. And what will be the next new rule? I'm not sure, but I'm just glad my snakes don't have internet access to read the rules that have been written for them. Would hate for mine to know they can't eat if there humidity drops to 49% or if it is a mouse instead of a rat. And heaven forbid it has only been 6 days instead of 7 since its last meal.

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I look at these as general guidelines. Especially for newbs who want to get the snake, take it home, and immediately want to hold it. As for those analog therms which are not accurate at all and can harm your snake ( I know cause it happened to mine and other snakes at work) newbs should absolutely get digital ones. I do agree with you that snakes don't eat because of stress but what I don't agree with is your condescending, you're right with your righteous attitude. Do you have a different opinion, yes. However, change your tone please.