Is my ball python under weight or just a slow grower?

im not able to post attachments so i cant post a picture. i got my ball python this month from a breeder at an expo. he was born in june and will be 3 months in september. ive had him almost a month and he’s never missed a meal and has eaten everytime. i didn’t have a scale at first so i went off the width of his body for feeding. i have been feeding him small mice that are 12 grams and he is currently 87 grams. is that light for 2 months? he’s eatin the 4 times ive fed him. should i be concerned or be feeding him bigger mice? i know its supposed to be 10-15% which is what 12 grams is.

Without seeing it I'm not going to guess.

If it's a good amount underweight the spine will be visible, especially when wrapped around an object. It may look pyramid shaped instead of round while laying at rest.

If it's round with no spine sticking out you're probably fine. I'm not going to guess with the numbers alone because the length plays a roll in the numbers. If I'm 4ft tall and 220 pounds I'm overweight but if I'm 6-6 I'm not.

For the food size it should be approx the same size as the snake's thickest part, or just sightly larger.

Just to add to the great advice already provided, maybe increase the frequency of your feeds to every 5/6 days instead of weekly and then switch to weekly when you size up the feed!

Snakes are supposed to grow slowly. I wouldn't obsess over their weight or compare to others if they eat regularly, seem healthy (shed well & have normal stools etc) & have good body proportions. Some people over-feed their snakes & that's not good either. Don't be too quick to upsize meals trying to grow your snake faster- I have a hunch yours is just fine, though as KMG said, we're not even seeing the snake.

as i stated the forum wont let me post a picture so i cant upload one. and i haven’t measured it but its in the range or 18-20 inches or longer. i’ll have to measure

Upload a picture to your profile. Then when you go to the page for that picture on the lower right side will be a set of links you can copy paste and we'll be able to see it.

The forum is not friendly when it comes to posting pictures.

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Originally Posted by Bassman23

as i stated the forum wont let me post a picture so i cant upload one. and i haven’t measured it but its in the range or 18-20 inches or longer. i’ll have to measure

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THIS > > > https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

i made it my profile picture because even in bp pictures it wouldn’t let me upload image.

It's too hard to see.

Its also a good idea to switch them to rats ASAP. They're more nutritious compared to mice

i just measured him and he’s about 16 inches. so he’s smaller than i thought so maybe he’s just a slow grower. i cant get rats unil october at an expo because i dont know of any breeders in my area that aren’t 4 hours away. so for right now i have to get mice from pet stores and i dont wanna over pay on shipping online

He's fine being raised on mice. I wouldn't worry. Some BPs welcome a change to rats, others don't- no way to know until you offer them. They smell & taste different to a snake.

I'll just add that the main reason people switch their BPs from mice to eating rats is for "convenience", because when these snakes become adult sized, a decent meal will take a couple of mice, whereas one appropriately-sized rat would suffice. And BPs "being BPs"- some only accept ONE item for a meal, whether or not it's big enough, so it has become popular to switch BPs over to feeding rats. Some BPs have feeding preferences, but most will accept the change with a little persuasion.

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Originally Posted by Snow Balls

...They're more nutritious compared to mice

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That's not true- according to studies I've read rats & mice are quite comparable in terms of nutrition, but statements like yours are often repeated. :confusd:
(There are minor differences, of course, but not enough to justify choosing one over the other on the basis of "nutrition".)

And keep in mind that BPs didn't evolve in nature eating either one- not domestic rats OR domestic mice.

i dont think my bp would have a problem switching just because the breeders fed him live and he didn’t have a problem switching to frozen thawed. he’s never missed a meal.

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Originally Posted by Bassman23

i dont think my bp would have a problem switching just because the breeders fed him live and he didn’t have a problem switching to frozen thawed. he’s never missed a meal.

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Good snake! :D Some are quite fussy, but others aren't.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That's not true- according to studies I've read rats & mice are quite comparable in terms of nutrition, but statements like yours are often repeated. :confusd:
(There are minor differences, of course, but not enough to justify choosing one over the other on the basis of "nutrition".)

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I would bet my house that if you fed one BP mice its entire life compared to another who ate rats its entire life, the one who ate rats would grow faster and larger 10/10 times

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Originally Posted by Snow Balls

I would bet my house that if you fed one BP mice its entire life compared to another who ate rats its entire life, the one who ate rats would grow faster and larger 10/10 times

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I have a house, thanks, & I don't want yours. :D And BPs can live over 30-40 years, so let's not lose any sleep over this, okay? ;)

And you'll notice that even this chart regards them as equivalent:

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I have a house, thanks, & I don't want yours. :D And BPs can live over 30-40 years, so let's not lose any sleep over this, okay? ;)

And you'll notice that even this chart regards them as equivalent:

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

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You sure? I have a nice house. All your chart provides are equivalent sizes of rodents based on the size of the snake, nothing morehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3ee26f22d8.jpg


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I only posted the feeding chart from this site- suggested feeding equivalents- it's not "mine". In the past, I've seen comprehensive comparisons show little to no difference. May I inquire as to the source of your info? No offense, but anyone can make a chart. To the best of my knowledge, it's opinion, not proven. And I have no quarrel if you wish to promote or recommend a diet of rats.

As I tried to explain, when snakes get larger, it becomes awkward to feed the exact equivalent amount of prey when the snake needs multiple items, & it's likely that most people would stop with 2 mice, whether or not that equaled the size of rat they might have fed instead. Besides, moving is too much trouble when you have as much stuff as I do. ;)