I'm questioning the age of my Kingsnake, Django

So I'm wondering if I may be off in the ballpark age of my California Kingsnake, Django... I got him in October, 2016 and was told he was about a year- year and a half old, but the breeder got him in a trade from his previous owner, so he wasn't positive. When I took him home he was right around 48 3/4" and 622 grams. As of Feb 9 he was 49 1/4" and 645 grams. Lengths are approximate. The reason I'm questioning his age is that he's in shed again. He first shed 1/1/17, then again 2/5/17 and is currently in blue. Does this sound right for his age?

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sorry it's under the wrong topic, not sure how to change that.
I'm sure one of our admins/moderators will fix it when they see it, so thanks in advance

I'd expect a two year old California king to be 24-30 inches long if well fed. So if those lengths are anywhere near accurate, he's either a giant or over three years old. My guess is older. How much older is impossible to tell.

Shedding once every 4-6 weeks was what I expected from my Cal kings.

How was the snake measured? If the measurement was of a shed skin, then it could be a foot longer than the snake's length. Because a shed skin stretches as it comes off.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

So I'm wondering if I may be off in the ballpark age of my California Kingsnake, Django... I got him in October, 2016 and was told he was about a year- year and a half old, but the breeder got him in a trade from his previous owner, so he wasn't positive. When I took him home he was right around 48 3/4" and 622 grams. As of Feb 9 he was 49 1/4" and 645 grams. Lengths are approximate. The reason I'm questioning his age is that he's in shed again. He first shed 1/1/17, then again 2/5/17 and is currently in blue. Does this sound right for his age?

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Shedding has nothing to do with age, it's usually a growth thing - or healing, or breeding/cycling related. If you feed them, they will shed. Adults shed less frequently because their rate of growth is minuscule compared to a younger animal. Without being able to contact the actual breeder, it's really just a guess. Django is certainly within the range, size-wise, of a 2-3 year old california kingsnake.

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Originally Posted by John1982

Shedding has nothing to do with age, it's usually a growth thing - or healing, or breeding/cycling related. If you feed them, they will shed. Adults shed less frequently because their rate of growth is minuscule compared to a younger animal. Without being able to contact the actual breeder, it's really just a guess. Django is certainly within the range, size-wise, of a 2-3 year old california kingsnake.

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Thank you. I know shedding is related to growth, and feeding and other variables can affect a snakes growth rate. That's why I was curious. I figured he was about maxed out length-wise, which would mean a slowed growth rate, which in turn would mean less frequent sheds. That's what made me question his age.

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Originally Posted by paulh

I'd expect a two year old California king to be 24-30 inches long if well fed. So if those lengths are anywhere near accurate, he's either a giant or over three years old. My guess is older. How much older is impossible to tell.

Shedding once every 4-6 weeks was what I expected from my Cal kings.

How was the snake measured? If the measurement was of a shed skin, then it could be a foot longer than the snake's length. Because a shed skin stretches as it comes off.

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Thank you. Now I have a better idea what to expect s far as shed frequency.
His measurements are pretty accurate. He's an absolute sweetheart, so he lets my girlfriend and I get him straightened out and measured with a fabric tape measure with pretty much no resistance.