Is there a "special" way to...

[aalomon]

So I bought a ball python recently on a longterm payment plan (about 3 months). I had been hoping to breed her for the '10 season considering I breed very late in the year. Anyway, when she arrived today she weighed less than the advertised weight three months ago. I contacted the breeder and she said she had started brumating her. *Side note, I am not happy about this at all*

So I never brumate and I really dont want to. Is there any specific way I could bring her out of it? Especially because Im waking her up early?

[Kaorte]

Ball pythons don't brumate...

[2kdime]

Someone is using the wrong term here.

The breeder was COOLING the animal, whether to breed, or because it was in the same room as the others and unavoidable.

I would imagine just normal temps and offer food until she eats.

[aalomon]

According to the breeder she was put in the brumation rack. Ok, wrong term but that what she used.

Another question, how much weight is normally lost during cooling? She is about 100g less than she was 3 months ago, but she was only cooled at the beginning of October. Is it normal to lose 100g+ per month when cooling?

Also, is it common practice that a breeder does this without telling the buyer? Like I said, Im slightly upset because I was expecting an animal near 1000g, not 700g.

[Kaorte]

Wait, so she lost 100g over a 3 month time?

If the perveous owner wasn't feeding her during cooling then that is entirely normal. Heck my snakes take poo poos bigger than that.

If this snake is around breeding weight than I would not say that is a significant weight loss at all. One or two meals in her and she will be back up to the weight she was at.

[aalomon]

Yes, but she was only being cooled for 1 month (over the payment plan she was supposedly fed for the first two months). So she lost a minimum of 100g in one month assuming she had not grown at all over two months.

Bottom line is I was expecting a 1000g snake, not a 700g one which to me is a huge difference.

[WingedWolfPsion]

This is total BS, IMO. You can't breed a 1000 gram female ball python, so why would anyone cool one? I would ask for at least some compensation for this--the breeder did not FEED the snake! 700 grams when you were expecting a 1000 gram animal? Ridiculous!
When my snakes are off feed, they usually only lose about 1 or 2 ounces per month--more like 60 grams, rather than 100.

I would say the breeder didn't feel like feeding the snake. And no, there is NOTHING normal about this at all.

[Kaorte]

That makes more sense.

Well, as far as getting the snake out of cooling, just keep the temps normal and offer food weekly is all I can suggest.

I would think about contacting the previous owner and asking them what they were thinking when they started cooling an animal that was being sold.

[aalomon]

I have talked to her. The first email I got back was:

I'm so sorry, I actually had her in my brumation rack. :-( I started brumation at the beginning of October. I totally apologize for that. :-(

I emailed back telling her I probably wouldnt have bought her knowing that (I paid the price for a breeder or at least soon to be breeder) but I havent heard back yet. Unfortunately her guarantee only covers DOA.

[stratus_020202]

I'm going to be the oddman out, but you shouldn't have paid the price for a breeder unless it was a breeder. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." If she was so close to 1K g's then she might have stopped eating around this time regardless of being cooled or not. It should have been something you were prepared for.

I think the breeder was wrong not to feed her, but you shouldn't have assumed the bp was going to gain so much weight. They all gain at different intervals anyway.