The Social BPs

[AK907]

Sounds like a normal ball to me. I've got some that feel the need to ALWAYS be into stuff and be nosy while I'm in the room. Others simply want to be left alone and have no problem letting me know I am bothering them. As long as she is eating and growing fine, I wouldn't worry too much. Some are just a little more active/nosy than others.

What kind of fuzzy are you feeding her? Rat? Mouse? ASF? Other? If that is her in your avatar, you might try bumping her up a prey size. I large rat fuzzy every 5 days would be a minimum for her in my opinion.

[neondreams]

Sounds like a normal ball to me. I've got some that feel the need to ALWAYS be into stuff and be nosy while I'm in the room. Others simply want to be left alone and have no problem letting me know I am bothering them. As long as she is eating and growing fine, I wouldn't worry too much. Some are just a little more active/nosy than others.

What kind of fuzzy are you feeding her? Rat? Mouse? ASF? Other? If that is her in your avatar, you might try bumping her up a prey size. I large rat fuzzy every 5 days would be a minimum for her in my opinion.

I've been feeding her what they were feeding her at the petstore, Arctic Mice fuzzies every 7 days. That is her in my avatar, I haven't actually measured her but I'd say she's about 1 1/2 feet...

How do you determine if a snake needs the next size up in prey? [And do these rat fuzzies come frozen, because that's the only option I have for me right now...]

[AK907]

Oh yeah, rat fuzzies shouldn't be too hard to come by. At her size she should be on at least rat fuzzies every 5 days. Pick a rat that is about as big around as the fattest part of her body or if you have a scale (produce scales work great) about 15% of her body weight. A mouse fuzzy is a small meal for her. I always insist that ball python owners start their balls on rats because they are more nutritious than mice and switching younger balls to rats is usually easier than switching an adult mouser. Its no fun having to feed an adult ball 5+ mice in a sitting when its easier, cheaper and healthier to give it an appropriately sized rat. So lets say, in theory, she weighs 200 grams, then I would feed her a prey item that weighs 30 grams or so every 5 days. After she hits a year old or so I would move her onto a 7 day schedule. This is just a general rule. You'll learn to read her as to her needs. Some are just slow growers and will only eat a small meal every two weeks. Others will eat 2 appropriate sized rats a week and beg you for more.

[decensored]

My Adelle flies out of her tub when I pull it out. She has no desire to escape she just wants something to do! I've never had a BP who enjoys exploring and being handled more than she does. Some BP's are just active - as a general rule your correct in assuming that a hiding ball python is a happy ball python - but as long as all the conditions are correct in her enclosure than enjoy your busy little ball.

[maczurry]

I got a 2 year old boy who didnt grow at all his first year I think cuz he refused frozen for 3 months finally gave in to live he refuses anything smaller than a large rat. Hell eat every week as long as u give him somethin 1.5x his thickest point cuz I woulda thought with his appetite he woulda been bigger even for a boy 2 years old 600g he's really long but he isn't stout like you see most ball pythons he's a hair from touching the 55 gallon he's housed in end to end so nearly 5 feet at 600 grams I've never had a BP grow that sleek cuz he is perfectly heathy solid round and the most social snake I've ever owned and he's starting to pack weight the past 6 months but we all have our favorites

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