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  1. #1
    Registered User Absololol's Avatar
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    Is my snake growing too fast/am I overfeeding?

    Hey all! I documented the trials and tribulations of Koh, my first BP in my progression thread.
    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...my-first-snake

    But I think she may be putting on weight too fast. I'm trying to follow feeding guidelines but it seems like she is moving up the scale so quickly.
    I got her when she was 68g on January 2nd 2020. She was a hatchling (no exact age known) on small mice.

    I switched her to rats straight away and since then she has moved up from fuzzies, to small weaners, and has just come off the large weaners. At month 4 she was 390g. I feed her every 7 days, and she has skipped some due to shed.
    It's now almost month 6 and I gave her a small adult rat. It just seems way too huge for her, but she's 510g now, and it was maybe a little bit bigger than her middle. Does this progression/feeding regimen sound about right for a 6 month old female ball python, or should I slow down a bit? Feeding charts suggest I should stick to small rats... large weaners seem too small, and small rats too big. Any guidance or suggestions?

    Here's the last feed and you can see how it's such a mouthful. The last thing I want to do is overfeed her.

  2. #2
    BPnet Royalty 4theSNAKElady's Avatar
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    Re: Is my snake growing too fast/am I overfeeding?

    If they prey is bigger around than the snakes widest girth, its a bit too big. I would stick to the smaller rat.
    ALL THAT SLITHERS - Ball Python aficionado/keeper
    breeder of African soft fur Rats. Keeper of other small exotic mammals.
    10 sugar gliders

    2 tenrecs
    5 jumping spiders
    paludarium with fish
    Brisingr the albino
    Snowy the BEL
    Piglet the albino conda hognose


    FINALLY got my BEL,no longer breeding snakes. married to mechnut450..

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to 4theSNAKElady For This Useful Post:

    Absololol (05-23-2020),Bogertophis (05-23-2020)

  4. #3
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Remember that snakes do NOT need a perfectly exact feeding schedule either. So if you can't find the "perfect size" prey, leave more time between meals if the prey is
    on the large side, & don't stress over it if it's on the smaller side, as our snakes mostly eat way more in captivity than wild ones do, AND with less exercise. Snakes in
    the wild don't live by feeding schedules.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 05-23-2020 at 01:23 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Absololol (05-23-2020)

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