Ball Python Not Growing

I recently weighed my ball python who is very light. He is 1 year and 3 months old and only 240 grams. Is this a unhealthy weight (he looks healthy to me). He is fed on large mice now. Should I switch him to rats? How should I get him heavier? Thanks! Any help would be appreciated. I would add a picture, but I'm new on this forum and can't figure out how to add one.

over a year old and only 240g???? oh my, that's waaaay too skinny for that age. my ~240g female is on rat pups and is almost 6mo old.

start here:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...%2F98qfzDH.png

EDIT: your photo isn't working. you need to upload the photo to an image hosting site (like imgur.com) then post the image here.

How often are you feeding him ?

I used to feed him once a week. I switched to every 5 days. He eats every time. Could there be an infection that is causing him not to grow? Its weird because he doesn't look skinny.

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

I used to feed him once a week. I switched to every 5 days. He eats every time. Could there be an infection that is causing him not to grow? Its weird because he doesn't look skinny.

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i would consider getting a fecal done. how long has he been at this weight? when was the last time you weighed him, at what was it? how long have you had him?

It's small but it depends on various factors such as weight out of the egg, how fast the animal started to eat, feeding frequency, prey size, skip meals, genetics etc.

You take a runt 40 grams, that start eating 6 weeks after it's first shed (instead of within the week) and you get it from a large scale breeder that believe in maintenance feeding, well it not impossible, I have received animal that were a year and barely 250 grams.

Now it does not mean the animal is unhealthy, you need to gauge that with body proportion and over health and know that with proper feeding he will catch up and be a normal size.

Here is a picture. Sorry, not the best. I couldn't get him to keep still outside of the cage. https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/a/CaTLwSorry, if it didn't upload this time either.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/a/CaTLw

Ah man, I couldn't upload a picture that time. I am moving him to rat pups. Is that a good size?

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

Here is a picture. Sorry, not the best. I couldn't get him to keep still outside of the cage. https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/a/CaTLwSorry, if it didn't upload this time either.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/a/CaTLw

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i don't see anything ): (i'm on desktop)
if you have a smartphone you can download the free app Tapatalk and upload a photo from your phone.

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

I am moving him to rat pups. Is that a good size?

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yes :)

I have a image on imgur. Lets see if this link works. He doesn't look that skinny does he.
https://imgur.com/gallery/EE2tg

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

I have a image on imgur. Lets see if this link works.
https://imgur.com/gallery/EE2tg

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definitely not skinny, just small!!! also looks like a Cinny. :)

do you have any more pics?

Yes, it is cinnamon. The only other picture I have is the same thing. I could take more pictures. You think it's just a slow grower? Thank you for your help!

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

Yes, it is cinnamon. The only other picture I have is the same thing. I could take more pictures. You think it's just a slow grower? Thank you for your help!

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have you been keeping track of her weight? when was her last weigh and how much? and how long have you had her?

I haven't had a scale for that long. Since I have had the scale he has grown about 10 grams in 2 weeks. I have had him for about a year, but didn't realize he was small until I got a scale.

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Oh, it is also a male ball python.

I'm going to try a rat pup today and see how that goes. I'll take some more pictures on tomorrow/Thursday, but I don't want to stress him today before feeding. Does any one think that he could have parasites causing him to be so small or that he's just a slow grower?

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

i would consider getting a fecal done. how long has he been at this weight? when was the last time you weighed him, at what was it? how long have you had him?

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Oh, I just saw in your post from earlier to get fecal tested. How could I do this? Could I do it myself without any experience?

It's in good overall shape I would not be concerned you just need to feed the right prey as shown in the guide above, are you sure about the weight and age because again it looks really good?

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

Oh, I just saw in your post from earlier to get fecal tested. How could I do this? Could I do it myself without any experience?

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you take a fecal sample to a vet to test for parasites and other nasties; it's not something that can be done at home.

i wouldn't worry about this yet. get him on the right prey item for his size and monitor his weight. if he's not gaining weight then i'd consult a vet. if his gain is slow then that might just be how your snake is, but you need to be sure he's keeping weight on.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

It's in good overall shape I would not be concerned you just need to feed the right prey as shown in the guide above, are you sure about the weight and age because again it looks really good?

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I'm switching him to rat pups rather than large mice. I have a certificate of his birth, so I'm pretty sure of age. I guess the scale could be wrong (it's a cheap spring scale).

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

you take a fecal sample to a vet to test for parasites and other nasties; it's not something that can be done at home.

i wouldn't worry about this yet. get him on the right prey item for his size and monitor his weight. if he's not gaining weight then i'd consult a vet. if his gain is slow then that might just be how your snake is, but you need to be sure he's keeping weight on.

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Ok, I'll monitor his weight gain and see what happens. I'll only do a fecal if he doesn't gain weight.

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Originally Posted by Outdoormagruder

I have a image on imgur. Lets see if this link works. He doesn't look that skinny does he.
https://imgur.com/gallery/EE2tg

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Doesn't look unhealthy.. Looks proportioned. If its easier to feed mice (for whatever reason) you can give him 2 every 7 days instead of 1. Also different stores call Rats different names at diff sizes. Make sure to keep something with you so you know the correct size to get him. Sometimes once your at the store what looks small enough will end up looking Huge compared to your snake once you get home. Hahahaha. At least you cant go wrong with a mouse size at this point. He can eat a Jumbo so they cant screw that up.

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Doesn't look unhealthy.. Looks proportioned. If its easier to feed mice (for whatever reason) you can give him 2 every 7 days instead of 1. Also different stores call Rats different names at diff sizes. Make sure to keep something with you so you know the correct size to get him. Sometimes once your at the store what looks small enough will end up looking Huge compared to your snake once you get home. Hahahaha. At least you cant go wrong with a mouse size at this point. He can eat a Jumbo so they cant screw that up.

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I have access to rats, so I picked up a pre killed rat pup today that I'm going to try feeding him. I'll have to see if that fattens him up.

Our August 2017 hatchling started on 30 gram f/t rat pups at around 180 grams. We switched to 40 gram weaned rats at around 260 grams. He's now on 50 gram weaned rats and, as of last week tipped the scale at just over 400 grams. We have fed every 6 days since we brought him home and he's never missed a meal except when in shed.

Cuisinart makes a great digital scale that you can pick up on Amazon for around $25.

I am definitely not expert in this area but he look fine to me. Following the feeding chart worked wonders for our boy. Hopefully it will do the same for yours.

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Originally Posted by larryd23

Our August 2017 hatchling started on 30 gram f/t rat pups at around 180 grams. We switched to 40 gram weaned rats at around 260 grams. He's now on 50 gram weaned rats and, as of last week tipped the scale at just over 400 grams. We have fed every 6 days since we brought him home and he's never missed a meal except when in shed.

Cuisinart makes a great digital scale that you can pick up on Amazon for around $25.

I am definitely not expert in this area but he look fine to me. Following the feeding chart worked wonders for our boy. Hopefully it will do the same for yours.

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Yeah, I looked at that chart and it seemed he should be on rat pups. I'll feed every 5 days to get him gaining weight quicker.

Over feeding a male is a mistake. It is likely an over fed ball python will go on a fast. A male is more likely to do this sooner than a female in my experience. Is there a reason why you want him big fast? If you want a snake big fast you could adopt one of a million unwanted Normal adult ball pythons or switch to a retic. Not so funny story: When I was first getting interested in reptiles I was pushed into the cutest little hatchling rainbow colored female retic. She was about a foot long and ate little mice. I kept her in a 10 gallon aquarium with a heat rock as reccomended and sold by the pet shop (20+years ago). In 2 months it was obvious that she needed a bigger home so I bought her a 20 gallon aquarium. She was also very aggressive so I started feeding her small rats. This went on. In 6 months she was 12 feet long and very aggressively eating the biggest rats I could find. I watched her eyeball my cats out of her 55 gallon aquarium. I decided to sell the snake. The person who bought her (she ended up being practically free) was deplored by how skinny she was and told me she should be eating rabbits. I gave the snake to the knowledgeable keeper and was thankful that he was willing to give the animal the care it needs. The pet store never told me that this snake would grow like this, but I did not ask either. I just assumed it should grow in a certain way. In the end I made it right, but it could have turned into one of those Florida horror stories about big snakes that you often see on the news. FYI, retic teeth in the knuckles will itch and burn for weeks ;)

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Originally Posted by Ladybugzcrunch

Over feeding a male is a mistake. It is likely an over fed ball python will go on a fast. A male is more likely to do this sooner than a female in my experience. Is there a reason why you want him big fast? If you want a snake big fast you could adopt one of a million unwanted Normal adult ball pythons or switch to a retic. Not so funny story: When I was first getting interested in reptiles I was pushed into the cutest little hatchling rainbow colored female retic. She was about a foot long and ate little mice. I kept her in a 10 gallon aquarium with a heat rock as reccomended and sold by the pet shop (20+years ago). In 2 months it was obvious that she needed a bigger home so I bought her a 20 gallon aquarium. She was also very aggressive so I started feeding her small rats. This went on. In 6 months she was 12 feet long and very aggressively eating the biggest rats I could find. I watched her eyeball my cats out of her 55 gallon aquarium. I decided to sell the snake. The person who bought her (she ended up being practically free) was deplored by how skinny she was and told me she should be eating rabbits. I gave the snake to the knowledgeable keeper and was thankful that he was willing to give the animal the care it needs. The pet store never told me that this snake would grow like this, but I did not ask either. I just assumed it should grow in a certain way. In the end I made it right, but it could have turned into one of those Florida horror stories about big snakes that you often see on the news. FYI, retic teeth in the knuckles will itch and burn for weeks ;)

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I don't want him to get obese. I just thought that he might be a little underweight. Cool story! That is good you gave it to someone that could provide better care. Anyways, I tried to feed him a pre-killed rat pup today. He wouldn't eat it (he was scared). I noticed that it was much bigger than the large mice I previously fed. Anyways, I froze the rat and am going to try again in 5 days (he might be more hungry than). Ball pythons really are picky eaters. If it was a mouse it would be down with in seconds. I sure do hope he eats it the next time I try.

If you want to increase your odds you can try scenting the rat with a mouse. If you have any leftover mice just thaw them in the same bag with the rat and rub them together. I've gotten a lot of snakes to take different prey items by scenting them this way.

If you don't have an extra mouse around you can also use dirty mouse bedding. Just ask the pet store to give you some.

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Originally Posted by the_rotten1

If you want to increase your odds you can try scenting the rat with a mouse. If you have any leftover mice just thaw them in the same bag with the rat and rub them together. I've gotten a lot of snakes to take different prey items by scenting them this way.

If you don't have an extra mouse around you can also use dirty mouse bedding. Just ask the pet store to give you some.

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I might try that. Thanks for the tip!

FYI, I wouldn't refreeze a thawed rodent, you should use a fresh one every time. I usually go by body condition, if he was really skinny I'd say feed multiple mice every 5 days until he shapes up. But his body condition looks good to me, I'd keep feeding him as you are doing.

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Originally Posted by cchardwick

FYI, I wouldn't refreeze a thawed rodent, you should use a fresh one every time. I usually go by body condition, if he was really skinny I'd say feed multiple mice every 5 days until he shapes up. But his body condition looks good to me, I'd keep feeding him as you are doing.

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I tried to feed him a pre-killed rodent, so I figured it would be fine to freeze that?

Yes it is fine as long as you did not leave it in overnight.

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Originally Posted by Ladybugzcrunch

Yes it is fine as long as you did not leave it in overnight.

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Yeah, I didn't leave it in overnight. Just about 30-45 minutes.