unusual growth rate

I have an incredible female spider who I think may be growing unusually quickly. I just want to see if this is something normal or if she might be a little odd.

She is an 08 hatch animal who i got from another breeder (catie at Casperson reptiles, great transaction, great animal -- nothing but good things to say) but she has almost DOUBLED in weight in the last 3 months.

Here are her reccords: (minus urinations, sheds, and cleaning). All weights, if given at the same time as a feeding, were taken BEFORE feeding.

6/4 - received from breeder, 632g
6/6 - feed f/t weaned rat (60 grams)
6/8 - poop, 632g empty
6/11 - refuse (heavily in shed)
6/22 - fed . 672g
7/3 - fed
7/7 - poop
7/8 - fed plus given 2 small rat pups (refusals from another animal)
7/14 - fed . 871g
7/21 - poop . 818 empty
7/25 - fed, plus 2 mouse hoppers (refusals from another animal)
8/8 - fed
8/13 - refusal, hit a rat badly and wasn't interested in food for the rest of the evening
8/18 - fed . 980g
8/22 - fed
8/27 - fed . 1085g
9/2 - fed
9/11 - fed, poop, 1195g empty

is this within the normal range? She also exhibits behaviors of a gravid female, on the cool side very often (though in the morning i usually find her in her hide). She is often wrapped around her water bowl. (note she has NEVER been with a male, i'm just explaining the behaviors). The temps are in "normal" range; 90.5-93.0 on the hot side with a cool gradient to ~80. Humidity isn't measured but i do give everyone a good mist 2x a week (everyone is in an animal plastics economy plastics rack) and she's in a 32quart tub. She's got a single hide and a water bowl just like my other female of a similar size.

i have 4 other snakes (3 of them BPs) so i don't have a good enough feel for growth rates to see if this is normal. As you can see, i don't think i feed that often, sometimes i skip feedings (there was a period where i moved in there and no one as fed for over a week prior because i didn't want someone pooping in their bag or regurging because of the stress, then there was the settling in period). I feed smaller meals than i consider normal, they don't leave a lump in this animal at all, she gets small rats. They weigh about 70-100 grams or so depending on the rat.

I acquired an 08 male spider about 3 months ago that weighed 224 grams :( but now he is at 575

trying to bump this back up i think it fell behind the more interesting posts :P

Was it underfed at all? We got a pair of female normals from someone that Connie worked with who had them for about 2 years, only fed them one mouse a month. They were right around 600 grams when we got them, which would have been mid October of last year. They both broke past the 1800 gram mark this month. We also have a pinstripe that we picked up at Tinley last year who weighed 500 grams at the time, and she's also over 1800 grams now.

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Originally Posted by m00kfu

Was it underfed at all? We got a pair of female normals from someone that Connie worked with who had them for about 2 years, only fed them one mouse a month. They were right around 600 grams when we got them, which would have been mid October of last year. They both broke past the 1800 gram mark this month. We also have a pinstripe that we picked up at Tinley last year who weighed 500 grams at the time, and she's also over 1800 grams now.

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She wasn't underfed that I was aware of. When i received her she was in excellent body condition, full and healthy looking and no "triangle" or thin look about her. I just weighed her today when i cleaned her cage and she's 1232 grams its just crazy.

Its nice to know that at lease SOMEONE else has had this happen (and im sure there are plenty of other people too, I just wanted to know about it).

Thank you for your response.

I'd say it's just good genetics. You got lucky and got a quick grower. :gj:

I've also got three girls over here that hatched out in October last year, and all of them are past the 1000 gram mark. All on one appropriately sized meal per week.

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

She wasn't underfed that I was aware of. When i received her she was in excellent body condition, full and healthy looking and no "triangle" or thin look about her. I just weighed her today when i cleaned her cage and she's 1232 grams its just crazy.

Its nice to know that at lease SOMEONE else has had this happen (and im sure there are plenty of other people too, I just wanted to know about it).

Thank you for your response.

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I think she got my cinny females growth genes. Shes well over a year and only 360.

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Originally Posted by sg1trogdor

I think she got my cinny females growth genes. Shes well over a year and only 360.

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ive got a little normal female who i got as an unstarted baby in.... April or May. She was 53 grams. NOW she's 186. She's not growing fast.. She does seem to be doing better on rats now though.

I feed smaller than average prey items usually though. They don't even leave a lump in her and she's a little sausage snake. This is the little one.

http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/q.../FrankyNom.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

ive got a little normal female who i got as an unstarted baby in.... April or May. She was 53 grams. NOW she's 186. She's not growing fast.. She does seem to be doing better on rats now though.

I feed smaller than average prey items usually though. They don't even leave a lump in her and she's a little sausage snake. This is the little one.

http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/q...FrankyNom.jpg/

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Hm, it's sort-of interesting, because my spider female is also a very good grower, and my original male that I got over 2 years ago is growing slower than molasses in January.
Maybe the spider gene has something to do with it too?

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Hm, it's sort-of interesting, because my spider female is also a very good grower, and my original male that I got over 2 years ago is growing slower than molasses in January.
Maybe the spider gene has something to do with it too?

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its possible. Perhaps we can start a poll in a more frequented section on the forum just to get a general pooling of information?