Female BP, purchased 2 weeks ago, has gained nearly 500g since. Building eggs?

[statistique]

Hi all, my first post! I purchased an adult female (2016 or 2017) ivory BP 15 days ago with intentions to pair her this fall. I was told by the breeder that she had been paired with a highway male "last season" but didn't produce any eggs, hence why he was parting with her. On that day she weighed 1559g on both breeder scale and mine, so I assumed her lack of eggs was due to borderline weight/condition. Yesterday, 14 days after purchase, she weighed in at a whopping 2026 grams. I double-checked the scale several times to be sure, but she also looks visibly much thicker. During the 14 days, fed eagerly, taking 7 or 8 rats total (approx 60-100g each, all of them smaller than what she could handle). She shed about 9 days after purchase after spending 3-4 days in a cool damp hide, and has been seen hugging the water bowl on occasion, but it seems like the last few days she looks visibly very thick in lower 2/3 (what prompted me to weigh her yesterday). Last night she had a large bowel movement and this morning she still weighs 1980g empty. I have not noticed an ovulation but entirely possible it occurred before I got her, OR on a day in last 2 weeks that I didn't disturb her so wouldn't have seen it, OR it is still forthcoming, OR not. I am aware that retained sperm is possible and her follicle building could have taken longer than the breeder anticipated. I wasn't able to palpate anything today, but I am not experienced at that either. Given this is all the info I have, anyone want to venture a guess what is going on and where we are in the process, given the ~400g of weight gain in 2 weeks? Should I be pairing her up, or prepping the incubator? (This will be first clutch for us if it's coming). Thank you!

[jmcrook]

It’s because she’s been given well over two months worth of prey, 420-800grams, in two weeks. I have a male that weights more than yours at the weight you received her and consumes that same quantity of prey over a 4 month period or greater. That swelling you see is an enormous build up of waste in the digestive tract.


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[statistique]

Just to clarify, half of the rats were about 50g (leftovers my smaller snakes didn't want, so I offered to her, not expecting her to eat because she was new) and half were about 100g rats. I checked my records and 7 rats total within 14 days, so roughly 525g in rats spread out over 14 days, starting on day 2 (she hadn't eaten in a while when I got her). Don't think that's astronomical as feeding weekly at 10% body weight, you'd feed about 480g over 15 days if the first day fell on a feed day. Still doesn't explain the weight gain to me except perhaps she's building fat reserves and follicles in preparation. More interested to know if others have noted weight gain in their own females that couldn't be explained by feeding alone.

[Igotsmallballs]

I would like to think that 10% of 2000 is 200grams. So imo. Not an expert 15% of 2000 is 300grams that should probably be fed with one meal every 10-14 days. Plus there is a big risk with gut impaction feeding an animal that many meals in that short of time. Even tough they may be smaller. Not to mention over all organ health. Just my two cents. Let me know if she pops out some eggs! always down to learn something new! I hope you get the answer you are looking for!

[jmcrook]

Folks. You don’t feed adults by body weight percentage like juveniles. Their metabolism RADICALLY changes as they mature. Very few royal pythons will ever need anything more than a medium rat more frequently than a 7 day interval without the likelihood of prolonged fasting periods or obesity. Over 500grams in two weeks is unnecessary to say the least



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[statistique]

Again, she had not eaten in a couple of weeks when I got her on a Saturday, and she ate soon after getting home (the next day, not even 24 hours later). It would be logical to feed her again the following weekend, and again a weekend after that (say, Day 1, Day 8, Day 15). In my case it was more like Day 1, Day 8, Day 14. Not a big difference. I checked my records as noted above following my original post, and she ate roughly 525 grams total (given as 7 smaller rats) across 3 weekends, or 175 per weekend feeding. I'm surprised to hear so many comments that this seems like overfeeding when she started out as 1500 grams, and the total grams per feeding and frequency of feeding is not out of line with the mainstream advice or the chart posted above, particularly when it's occurring in months leading into the breeding season.

[jmcrook]

Clarifying that this was three feeding events is helpful. However I would not be offering the same prey item between various animals in your collection until everyone has passed quarantine.

1500grams at 3-4yrs old is not ~terribly small. Snakes are all individuals and don’t all necessarily reach the same adult size either. Regardless, the majority of that 400gram weight gain is that has not finished its digestive journey yet.


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[statistique]

None of the others made contact with the prey (all frozen/thawed) as they were dangled from snake tongs by myself. Re: the girl just being full of poop (despite pooping normally over these weeks), I suppose time will tell!

[jmcrook]

Contact or not, should always use separate tools and feeders for animals in and out of quarantine. Not trying to get off topic, but is the new addition kept separate from established animals?


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[Craiga 01453]

The 10% rule goes out the window for adults...

You're not following proper quarantine...


Might be a good idea to put breeding on hold for a while and learn the basics.