How big will he get?

i have a 8 month old male that is 511 grams right now, how much bigger will he get?

I don't know about weight, but males (I assume you mean ball pythons) get up to around 2-3 feet (60-90 cm). I'd guess maybe around 1600+ grams.

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Originally Posted by Tonald Drump

I don't know about weight, but males (I assume you mean ball pythons) get up to around 2-3 feet (60-90 cm). I'd guess maybe around 1600+ grams.

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yes i mean a BP id say he is close the that length now, about as round as a circle made with thumb and middle finger

Once they get to a decent length about 3 feet they will then start to really fill out in girth. 2,000 gram adult is not unheard of at all

Or...

3000 gr. like my big boy ! :) Although that is the exception..

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...97856201_n.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...rge/cache2.jpg

Wow, Zina10 your boy is huge. LOL

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Originally Posted by L.West

Wow, Zina10 your boy is huge. LOL

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That, he is :)

The biggest ball python I've ever seen is about 5000 grams. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV7Ps7wW5vI

Of course it all depends on how much you feed them. I also think some lines of ball pythons are genetically different and grow a bit bigger than most. Most of my older bigger females are less than 3000 grams. You can keep them sub 1500 grams if you limit feed them and watch their weight.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Or...

3000 gr. like my big boy ! :) Although that is the exception..

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...97856201_n.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...rge/cache2.jpg

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thats a big boy!!

- - - Updated - - -

so basically he has a lot of growing to do still.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Or...

3000 gr. like my big boy ! :) Although that is the exception..

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...97856201_n.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...rge/cache2.jpg

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No one said anything about overfeeding this time. I wonder if he ever stopped eating. My male is a pain in the ass. If his weight went over 1400 gr. he will stop eating until his weight goes back between 1000 to 1100 gr.

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Originally Posted by MrBeeBow

thats a big boy!!

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so basically he has a lot of growing to do still.

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Don’t get your hopes up lol, not many males are going to get anywhere near that size. Jag is a beast and a rare extreme example of how big they ‘could’ get. But odds are your male will never get that big. I wish I’d get lucky and have a big monster boy but so far out of the 10 plus males I have, not one of them has even broke 2000g.

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Originally Posted by rufretic

Don’t get your hopes up lol, not many males are going to get anywhere near that size. Jag is a beast and a rare extreme example of how big they ‘could’ get. But odds are your male will never get that big. I wish I’d get lucky and have a big monster boy but so far out of the 10 plus males I have, not one of them has even broke 2000g.

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well im only at 500 grams now so he has some filling out to do, ill get my big snake fix soon enough when i add a BOA to my house.

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Originally Posted by cchardwick

The biggest ball python I've ever seen is about 5000 grams. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV7Ps7wW5vI

Of course it all depends on how much you feed them. I also think some lines of ball pythons are genetically different and grow a bit bigger than most. Most of my older bigger females are less than 3000 grams. You can keep them sub 1500 grams if you limit feed them and watch their weight.

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Definitely. My male will be 3 yrs in 06/18 and he's just now starting to push 900g. But he was a picky feeder in the breeder's care and has been doing some fasting unprovoked after months of weekly feedings (compared to the biweekly for the breeder) so I definitely think genetics play a part.

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Originally Posted by hollowlaughter

Definitely. My male will be 3 yrs in 06/18 and he's just now starting to push 900g. But he was a picky feeder in the breeder's care and has been doing some fasting unprovoked after months of weekly feedings (compared to the biweekly for the breeder) so I definitely think genetics play a part.

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Genetics definitely do play a part !

I have mentioned that before, but I got 5 hatchlings in 2010 (3 females, 2 males) all were approx the same size/age.

Despite being on the same feeding schedule, Jag grew much faster and much bigger then the others, right from the start ! He has never, ever been power fed. Last year he took a 8 month fast and barely lost 160 gr or so. I was breeding the 3 females with the other male and even though Jag wasn't the one breeding, he stopped eating during that time :rolleyes: I was showing off one of the females to a friend and then got Jag out afterward. He kept nosing and sniffing around my arm and I believe he figured out there were female BP's in "breeding mode" nearby...

No fat on that boy either, he is all muscle, and quite strong. For a Ball Python, anyway ;)

As for feeding, he hasn't been on a "set" schedule. He now eats large rats, because that is what keeps him "satisfied" and from looking for more (they leave no lump in him, either...) After he eats I simply wait until he tells me he is ready for more. I know him so well by now, I can tell when he is cruising for food. Usually he waits about 2 weeks between meals, sometimes 3. He also skips feeding when in shed.

So he is definitely not being overfed, yet even now he continues to grow, albeit much slower then he used to..

Jag! :bow:

Yeah, the odds on the OP's little guy getting that big are pretty darned slim, but male ball pythons in general will get bigger than the >1000 grams if allowed to. And there is no reason not to allow them to.

Most of my adult males plateau in the range of around 1600-1800 grams. One is smaller, ~1300 (for a 2012 boy), while that particular snake's father weighs in at over 2200 grams.

I’ve come to the conclusion, I’m ok with them being smSll and regulating their weight themselves. I offer plenty of food. If they want to eat and grow, they do. If they want to refuse and stay small, that’s cool too.
Mine are all plenty bulky, so a fast wouldn’t bother me in the slightest at this point.


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Originally Posted by zina10

So he is definitely not being overfed, yet even now he continues to grow, albeit much slower then he used to..

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Do you know how long he is, out of curiosity?

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Originally Posted by hollowlaughter

Do you know how long he is, out of curiosity?

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Its hard to measure his length correctly but last year he could stretch from one side of my queen size bed to another (from side to side) so at least 60 inches.

Here is a older picture that "kind of" shows how long he really is.

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...51629775_n.jpg

and a couple close ups, cause I think he's cute ;)

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...arge/9jag2.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...large/Jag1.jpg

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Originally Posted by zina10

Its hard to measure his length correctly but last year he could stretch from one side of my queen size bed to another (from side to side) so at least 60 inches.

Here is a older picture that "kind of" shows how long he really is.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...51629775_n.jpg

and a couple close ups, cause I think he's cute ;)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...arge/9jag2.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...large/Jag1.jpg

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I have adopted my male when he was 3 years old and he was 3 feet. What surprises me is that it’s written on his identification paper which was issued when he was born that he would reach a maximum length of 4 feet. And it’s true. He is now 5 years old and 3,6 feet. How did the breeder at the time of his birth know that he would reach only a maximum length of 4 feet? By the way, I’m happy with his size, it fits his new enclosure very good. I’m just not happy with his feeding habits

Zina, he is a beautiful and huge boy! He is simply amazing! I hope Odyn gets big. I thought males grew to 4-4.5 ft. Is 3ft normal for a male?

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Is 3ft normal for a male?

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I don't think it is, no. I'm with you, I also think it is more like 4 - 4.5 for an adult. While I don't have it in front of me, average sizes of male BPs are briefly covered in the Barkers' book -- the average lengths are close to the same. Also in the passage, it notes that the collected females had recently laid, and so weighed less at the time than their male counterparts. Females, of course, likely have the greatest maximum size.

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Originally Posted by Dutti

I have adopted my male when he was 3 years old and he was 3 feet. What surprises me is that it’s written on his identification paper which was issued when he was born that he would reach a maximum length of 4 feet. And it’s true. He is now 5 years old and 3,6 feet. How did the breeder at the time of his birth know that he would reach only a maximum length of 4 feet? By the way, I’m happy with his size, it fits his new enclosure very good. I’m just not happy with his feeding habits

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I would say the breeder put "general" information on the papers. Males "usually" reach a maximum of 4 feet long.
Anything between 800 and 1600 gr is considered normal for a male. There are exceptions, as with everything.

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Zina, he is a beautiful and huge boy! He is simply amazing! I hope Odyn gets big. I thought males grew to 4-4.5 ft. Is 3ft normal for a male?

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Most adult males may be longer, but 3 feet is still in the range. Most males I've seen were around 3 1/2 to 4 feet long.

For a few years I just assumed Jag was sent to me sexed wrong and was actually a female. Until I started breeding last year and paired "him" up with my other male. They both sat in opposite ends of the tub, looking highly offended, LOL. I thought to myself, could he/she actually really be a male ? So..out came the sexing probes. And yup, most definitely male. I could have sworn he was a girl, based on his size, girth, growth.

Perhaps somewhere in his genetic makeup he carries the genes of those larger growing Ball Pythons from the Volta region.

I'm not all that worried about it, he is a awesome snake, and not just because he is big, LOL.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Here is a older picture that "kind of" shows how long he really is.

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Yeah, that's definitely the difference then, Pollux is about 38" right now if I remember right, pushing 900g. I don't suspect he'll ever be close to that large, even if he "catches up" somehow. Unlikely, given the fasting he decides to do.

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Originally Posted by MrBeeBow

i have a 8 month old male that is 511 grams right now, how much bigger will he get?

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I dont know of any males personally (over 3 years) that are less than 3.5 feet. My 15 month female is 40 inches now and eats once every 7-10. My male I sold to my friend is 36" and the same age. I don't power feed either. These guys grow through-out their lives. I hear a lot of people say 2'-3' males and in my personal experience that would be the smallest Male i have ever see.


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Originally Posted by Dutti

I have adopted my male when he was 3 years old and he was 3 feet. What surprises me is that it’s written on his identification paper which was issued when he was born that he would reach a maximum length of 4 feet. And it’s true. He is now 5 years old and 3,6 feet. How did the breeder at the time of his birth know that he would reach only a maximum length of 4 feet? By the way, I’m happy with his size, it fits his new enclosure very good. I’m just not happy with his feeding habits

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The size he is now at 5 years may not be his Max size... He will grow throughout his life. All though Males are smaller & grow slower than females, i don't know of any (personally) that are less than 4 feet at 10 years old.


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A lot of good comments in here I wanted to touch on.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Genetics definitely do play a part !

I have mentioned that before, but I got 5 hatchlings in 2010 (3 females, 2 males) all were approx the same size/age.

Despite being on the same feeding schedule, Jag grew much faster and much bigger then the others, right from the start ! He has never, ever been power fed. Last year he took a 8 month fast and barely lost 160 gr or so. I was breeding the 3 females with the other male and even though Jag wasn't the one breeding, he stopped eating during that time :rolleyes: I was showing off one of the females to a friend and then got Jag out afterward. He kept nosing and sniffing around my arm and I believe he figured out there were female BP's in "breeding mode" nearby...

No fat on that boy either, he is all muscle, and quite strong. For a Ball Python, anyway ;)

As for feeding, he hasn't been on a "set" schedule. He now eats large rats, because that is what keeps him "satisfied" and from looking for more (they leave no lump in him, either...) After he eats I simply wait until he tells me he is ready for more. I know him so well by now, I can tell when he is cruising for food. Usually he waits about 2 weeks between meals, sometimes 3. He also skips feeding when in shed.

So he is definitely not being overfed, yet even now he continues to grow, albeit much slower then he used to..

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I agree, genetics are 100% responsible for potential growth. Then comes feeding habits. A snake that has the genetics to get 7' over it's life span should eventually get there if it is not restricted from food, a lot of food will result in reaching it earlier but will also potentially shorten its life span. On the other hand, a snake with the genetic potential to get to 4', will never get to even 5', no matter how much you feed it, extra food will only increase how quickly it gets to it's genetic potential. I have a pastel desert ghost that I received at about 2 years old and was 700g. She quickly showed me she wanted more food so I gave it to her. She has grown longer than any of my other bp including ones that are well into adulthood and she is only a little over 3 and is now 2700g. There is no question in my mind that this is an example of large bp genetics. I have a few other females that eat just as much as her and they honestly have not grown half as much as she did this past year. She is just a genetically larger snake, you can even see it in her head, it's larger than all my other females including the ones that are much older than her and some are even stockier but she still has a lot of filling out to do.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I’ve come to the conclusion, I’m ok with them being smSll and regulating their weight themselves. I offer plenty of food. If they want to eat and grow, they do. If they want to refuse and stay small, that’s cool too.
Mine are all plenty bulky, so a fast wouldn’t bother me in the slightest at this point.


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Honestly, this is the way to do things. Feeding more with some and less with others is ok. No need to push for extra growth or get stressed because your bp skips a meal. Let them eat how much they want, ones with faster growing potential will may want to eat more and imo it's ok to feed your bp until they are satisfied within reason. But if they eat more, don't try to feed them at their normal weekly schedule if they don't show interest. Basically, let them decide to eat how much they want as long as they are healthy, no reason to restrict or push food. With that said, I guess there is the odd case of having a bottomless pit feeder, my personal favorite, and if your lucky enough to have one of them, you will need to stick with a schedule. Just feed them maybe a little larger than average prey size and weekly. They are also the ones that can get that extra rat when one of your others refuse as long as the first rat wasn't too large.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutti

I have adopted my male when he was 3 years old and he was 3 feet. What surprises me is that it’s written on his identification paper which was issued when he was born that he would reach a maximum length of 4 feet. And it’s true. He is now 5 years old and 3,6 feet. How did the breeder at the time of his birth know that he would reach only a maximum length of 4 feet? By the way, I’m happy with his size, it fits his new enclosure very good. I’m just not happy with his feeding habits

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The breeder didn't know, he just went with the average which is fine. If someone is interested in how big their bp will get, nobody can say for sure so it's best to just go with the average.

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

The size he is now at 5 years may not be his Max size... He will grow throughout his life. All though Males are smaller & grow slower than females, i don't know of any (personally) that are less than 4 feet at 10 years old.


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This is another good point, they never stop growing, just slow down. So you never really can say when they are maxed until close to their death. If a snake with the genetic potential to get huge is on a restricted for its first 5 years, you better believe if it starts getting fed more, it's still gonna get huge.

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Originally Posted by rufretic

A lot of good comments in here I wanted to touch on.



I agree, genetics are 100% responsible for potential growth. Then comes feeding habits. A snake that has the genetics to get 7' over it's life span should eventually get there if it is not restricted from food, a lot of food will result in reaching it earlier but will also potentially shorten its life span. On the other hand, a snake with the genetic potential to get to 4', will never get to even 5', no matter how much you feed it, extra food will only increase how quickly it gets to it's genetic potential. I have a pastel desert ghost that I received at about 2 years old and was 700g. She quickly showed me she wanted more food so I gave it to her. She has grown longer than any of my other bp including ones that are well into adulthood and she is only a little over 3 and is now 2700g. There is no question in my mind that this is an example of large bp genetics. I have a few other females that eat just as much as her and they honestly have not grown half as much as she did this past year. She is just a genetically larger snake, you can even see it in her head, it's larger than all my other females including the ones that are much older than her and some are even stockier but she still has a lot of filling out to do.



Honestly, this is the way to do things. Feeding more with some and less with others is ok. No need to push for extra growth or get stressed because your bp skips a meal. Let them eat how much they want, ones with faster growing potential will may want to eat more and imo it's ok to feed your bp until they are satisfied within reason. But if they eat more, don't try to feed them at their normal weekly schedule if they don't show interest. Basically, let them decide to eat how much they want as long as they are healthy, no reason to restrict or push food. With that said, I guess there is the odd case of having a bottomless pit feeder, my personal favorite, and if your lucky enough to have one of them, you will need to stick with a schedule. Just feed them maybe a little larger than average prey size and weekly. They are also the ones that can get that extra rat when one of your others refuse as long as the first rat wasn't too large.



The breeder didn't know, he just went with the average which is fine. If someone is interested in how big their bp will get, nobody can say for sure so it's best to just go with the average.



This is another good point, they never stop growing, just slow down. So you never really can say when they are maxed until close to their death. If a snake with the genetic potential to get huge is on a restricted for its first 5 years, you better believe if it starts getting fed more, it's still gonna get huge.

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Hi Mr. Sully! Long time no see...

Good to see you back!


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Originally Posted by zina10

Hi Mr. Sully! Long time no see...

Good to see you back!


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You miss quoted me lol. But I here ya, have not seen Mr. Sully around here in a while. Welcome back 😊

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Originally Posted by rufretic

You miss quoted me lol. But I here ya, have not seen Mr. Sully around here in a while. Welcome back 😊

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That's what happens when I'm multi tasking, LOL !!!

I just placed my little Pastel Enchi girl...was waiting to meet the new owners while cruising the forum on Tapatalk..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rufretic

A lot of good comments in here I wanted to touch on.



I agree, genetics are 100% responsible for potential growth. Then comes feeding habits. A snake that has the genetics to get 7' over it's life span should eventually get there if it is not restricted from food, a lot of food will result in reaching it earlier but will also potentially shorten its life span. On the other hand, a snake with the genetic potential to get to 4', will never get to even 5', no matter how much you feed it, extra food will only increase how quickly it gets to it's genetic potential. I have a pastel desert ghost that I received at about 2 years old and was 700g. She quickly showed me she wanted more food so I gave it to her. She has grown longer than any of my other bp including ones that are well into adulthood and she is only a little over 3 and is now 2700g. There is no question in my mind that this is an example of large bp genetics. I have a few other females that eat just as much as her and they honestly have not grown half as much as she did this past year. She is just a genetically larger snake, you can even see it in her head, it's larger than all my other females including the ones that are much older than her and some are even stockier but she still has a lot of filling out to do.



Honestly, this is the way to do things. Feeding more with some and less with others is ok. No need to push for extra growth or get stressed because your bp skips a meal. Let them eat how much they want, ones with faster growing potential will may want to eat more and imo it's ok to feed your bp until they are satisfied within reason. But if they eat more, don't try to feed them at their normal weekly schedule if they don't show interest. Basically, let them decide to eat how much they want as long as they are healthy, no reason to restrict or push food. With that said, I guess there is the odd case of having a bottomless pit feeder, my personal favorite, and if your lucky enough to have one of them, you will need to stick with a schedule. Just feed them maybe a little larger than average prey size and weekly. They are also the ones that can get that extra rat when one of your others refuse as long as the first rat wasn't too large.



The breeder didn't know, he just went with the average which is fine. If someone is interested in how big their bp will get, nobody can say for sure so it's best to just go with the average.



This is another good point, they never stop growing, just slow down. So you never really can say when they are maxed until close to their death. If a snake with the genetic potential to get huge is on a restricted for its first 5 years, you better believe if it starts getting fed more, it's still gonna get huge.

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That is a EXCELLENT post !!!

Explains this wonderfully. Many people seem to think how much (and how fast) they feed their animal will result in a "monster".

I see that a lot in large breed dog breeds, too. Always bragging about the "4 mos. old/90 pound monster pup" that will be a "monster" adult. No, that pup will still only get as big as it was supposed to, only a lot faster. Which results in skeletal growth problems, tendons and ligament issues, etc. Not good at all.

Just thought I'd "bump" this once again, Something like this (explanation of growth/vs food/vs time/vs maturity) should be a sticky!

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Originally Posted by rufretic

You miss quoted me lol. But I here ya, have not seen Mr. Sully around here in a while. Welcome back [emoji4]

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Rufretic what a great post you made.. It would take me a day to write up such a informative and well spoken post hahahaha.. Yes im back for a few months now that the snow and -15 degrees is here. Lucy i sent you a pm the other day but sometimes the notifications dont work on this Taptalk thing. [emoji1360][emoji1360]


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Originally Posted by zina10

That is a EXCELLENT post !!!

Explains this wonderfully. Many people seem to think how much (and how fast) they feed their animal will result in a "monster".

I see that a lot in large breed dog breeds, too. Always bragging about the "4 mos. old/90 pound monster pup" that will be a "monster" adult. No, that pup will still only get as big as it was supposed to, only a lot faster. Which results in skeletal growth problems, tendons and ligament issues, etc. Not good at all.

Just thought I'd "bump" this once again, Something like this (explanation of growth/vs food/vs time/vs maturity) should be a sticky!

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Great point Lucy.. My male Pit had 1.5 years of tendon issues from 6 months to 3 yrs because of what i think was the high protein diet i fed him. My female were fine on the same diet. Maybe a genetic problem for him. After 3 years and all the vets telling me $5000 surgeries "MIGHT" help him he healed all by himself. I think it was fast growth and the tissue and tendons ect.. couldn't keep up.


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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Rufretic what a great post you made.. It would take me a day to write up such a informative and well spoken post hahahaha.. Yes im back for a few months now that the snow and -15 degrees is here. Lucy i sent you a pm the other day but sometimes the notifications dont work on this Taptalk thing. [emoji1360][emoji1360]


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Tapatalk drives me crazy !! LOL.

I do use it, but as you can see, not very smoothly :rolleyes: Never saw that notification. I think it shows you a "new" one but if you don't click on it right away, it won't show "new one" next time you open the app?

Or else I missed it otherwise.