Adult ball python shedding too often?

[Angruin]

Hello,

This is my first post in this forum.

I think my adult mal 2011 pastel het clown ball python is shedding too often.

He lives in a rack system with 90°F on the hot and 79°F on the cool side. In the night the hot side goes down to 84 °F. The humidity is being kept at 55% and increased with spraying when he is in shed. He is alway shedding in one piece and otherwise doing great. I got him in April and he ate 2 120g rats the week after I got him and the week after that. Them he however fastened for 6 months. Now he has a ravenous appetite again. However I noticed that he is shedding more and more frequently. The sheddings in my care were on:

08/13/2014
10/15/2014
12/07/2014

Now he is again starting to become blue.

His weight was 1700g at a length of 4,5 ft when I got him and fell as low as 1650g during his fasting. Now he is at 1850g.

Is his shedding intervall normal for an adult ball python or could this be a sign of some internal problems?

[Eric Alan]

They shed based upon how quickly they are growing. Based on the amount of food he's getting, I'm not surprised one bit about your post. I'm also not surprised that he fasted for a bit after he gorged on those big rats.

Most adult males get offered one small rat (50-90 grams) per week at most. I'd be more concerned with getting on a more appropriate feeding schedule/amount than with shedding frequently if I were you.

[Angruin]

Ok. I appreciate the warning. I fed him 4 rats with about 120g since November. I will reduce the feeding then to rats of about 60g per week. Do you think that I should reduce the feeding intervall to one 50g rat every 2 weeks for some time. I am unsure of what would be the optimum weight for him and how to get him to achieve this?

[Eric Alan]

Optimum weight vs optimum body shape are different things - kinda like in people. 6 ft tall and 200 lbs can be very different depending on body composition. A healthy ball python shows symmetry from its slimmer neck to its heavier body. They should appear "plump" and feel appropriately heavy, but not obese. Shoot for a good body shape.

I'd say a good feeding schedule would be a small rat once/week with the occasional skipped meal being fine.

[Angruin]

Okay, I will give him one small rat every week now. Thank you for your advice!

[Angruin]

Okay, thank you very much for your advice!

[Eric Alan]

Anytime. Also, welcome!

[blk02ssmonte]

I feed my adults 1 small rat a week.

[Reinz]

Welcome to the Forum.

My 12 yr old sheds roughly every 51 - 62 days.

Except during hunger strikes.

Hope this helps.