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Is this snake healthy?

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  • 06-12-2009, 11:37 PM
    tom s4wy3r
    Is this snake healthy?
    I'm looking to buy an 08 male pastel. He was born july 08. He was fed a live mouse every week.He weighs 158 grams. Is it healthy for a snake that is almost a year old to weigh 158 grams?
  • 06-12-2009, 11:43 PM
    th3jok3r
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    damn id say no even if it wasnt power fed thats reallly slim for 1 year my 1 year old girl weighs 250+
  • 06-12-2009, 11:46 PM
    Spaniard
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    That is not normal; first year is where you see the most growth. There are hatchlings that are almost that size. Are you sure you have the information correct, maybe someone made and error and you're actually talking about an 09 animal?

    I would be worried about a parasite or a tape worm if an animal of mine was eating for a year straight and only weighed 158g.
  • 06-12-2009, 11:55 PM
    tom s4wy3r
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    the e-mail I got is this "As for records I hatched him myself in July of 08' with three other siblings. Since then he has been eating live mice once a week. Recently I have moved him up to two live mice a week. I just flick them in the head and then wait for him to take it from my hand but he eats fine. I usually switch them to rat pups when they out grow mice." exactly quoted
  • 06-12-2009, 11:58 PM
    RoyalGuardian
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    <_< my female was born 8/1/09 and she is healthy but she is only about 173 grams when empty. is she underweight? She has eaten and I took her for her checkup a week ago and everything was normal.
  • 06-13-2009, 12:03 AM
    tom s4wy3r
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...9/6/pastel.jpg

    here's a picture of him if it helps.
  • 06-13-2009, 12:04 AM
    Spaniard
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian View Post
    <_< my female was born 8/1/09 and she is healthy but she is only about 173 grams when empty. is she underweight? She has eaten and I took her for her checkup a week ago and everything was normal.

    Your snake comes from the future :O ;)
  • 06-13-2009, 12:08 AM
    Spaniard
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I mean the snake in the picture looks healthy but I can't fathom that animal being a year old. Here is a picture of my pastel at 8-10 months can't remember exact its an old picture.

    It could have been a very tiny hatchling but my year old mojave female is at 650g right now.

    http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...o/000_0081.jpg
  • 06-13-2009, 12:14 AM
    waltah!
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    This is my YB at about 7 or 8 months. He was probably 450g or so...give or take a few. Your snake does not look a year old. I would maybe have him checked for internal parasites if he's eating regularly and is that small.
    http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...tarist/YB2.jpg
  • 06-13-2009, 12:28 AM
    dr del
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    Hi,

    What size are the mice?

    I can never remember what size rat "pups" are. :oops:

    But the adult mice I buy are definately bigger than rat pinks or fuzzies so maybe he has been feeding him really small mice?

    Try asking him to weigh one of the mice for you if he can.


    dr del
  • 06-13-2009, 12:38 AM
    Muze
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    He looks tiny! One of my hatchlings from 5/18/09 looks almost the same size as this guy.
  • 06-13-2009, 12:45 AM
    iCandiBallPythons
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I have a sept. 08 male that is a bit over 500 grams, never misses a meal. I also have a female that is a late oct. 08 she is pushing a bit over 650 grams.
  • 06-13-2009, 12:57 AM
    Royal Morphz
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I don't have a yearling under 500 grams and most are well into 700's
  • 06-13-2009, 01:59 AM
    RoyalGuardian
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Spaniard View Post
    Your snake comes from the future :O ;)

    LOL I know! HAHA yeah sorry I have been un packing and doing tons of paperwork so I feel as though my brain is fried. She is an 08' not an 09'
  • 06-13-2009, 02:35 AM
    blackcrystal22
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    Some snakes grow slower than others. I have a 2-year old who is a finicky feeder who only eats adult live mice and sometimes ASF's (one at a time too) who is less than 400g when empty.

    It could just be a slow growing animal, as it does not look skinny or unhealthy in the picture.
  • 06-13-2009, 05:01 PM
    kc261
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I have one exceptionally picky eater from '08 who weighed about that much last I weighed her, which was in March. The rest of my '08s are bigger.

    My guess is either the breeder was feeding tiny mice, or was not feeding every week, or the snake is a picky eater that did not eat regularly. Or, as you pointed out, there may be parasites or some other health issue.

    I don't see any way a BP nearly a year old that ate a regular adult sized mouse each week is still that small. They do all grow at different rates, but that seems outside the range of normal to me.
  • 06-13-2009, 05:15 PM
    Jason Bowden
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I purchased a slow started spider in 06 and she is up to 1800 grams.
  • 06-13-2009, 05:37 PM
    SugarFox03
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    I have a slower grower pastel female I picked up as a 1-2 month old hatchling from Daytona last year. She's just now hit around 250-300 grams. She's an excellent feeder, has never turned down a meal (even while blue) - she just won't grow! Figures too, as she's absolutely beautiful. The snake you pictured looks healthy, so perhaps he too is just a slow grower. I hope my girl will soon catch up. She's just now on weaned rats, so hopefully that will cause a bit of a growth spurt.
  • 06-18-2009, 10:50 PM
    branson
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    For what it's worth, my girl is a late '07 that was on a 'maintenance diet' when I got her in July 2008. She was 150 g, but I fell in love with her (the gf did too) and bought her. She's an excellent feeder and is now about 900g. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another small healthy yearling, but it'll be interesting to see if she'll end up being a small female as well. That first year of growth is just so important...
  • 06-18-2009, 11:13 PM
    aSnakeLovinBabe
    Re: Is this snake healthy?
    my BP splat was almost a year old and hatcling size when she was sent to me. Boy was I mad at how small she was. But she has caught up with ease and eats me out of house and home weekly :)
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