bugs or slow grower?

[angllady2]

He might be a tiny bit on the thin side, but very little. He's just a smaller snake. His body seems well proportioned, so I doubt there is really a problem.

You mention he seems hungry all the time, can you elaborate on that ? Do you just see him out and about, or is he actively tracking movement and heat around his tub all the time ?

If he is actively tracking heat signatures, then he is actually hungry and you need to look into that. Once you get your scale, weigh him and then weigh his food. Ideally you want his food to be 10 - 15% of his weight. So if he weighs 500 grams, you want his food to be 50 grams or so. This rule changes once he hits about 1000 grams, I never feed a meal bigger than 100 grams except for the biggest of my females.

If he's eating the right size of food and he's eating every 5 days, I would consider a fecal check just to be sure.

Gale

[sandra]

He might be a tiny bit on the thin side, but very little. He's just a smaller snake. His body seems well proportioned, so I doubt there is really a problem.

You mention he seems hungry all the time, can you elaborate on that ? Do you just see him out and about, or is he actively tracking movement and heat around his tub all the time ?

If he is actively tracking heat signatures, then he is actually hungry and you need to look into that. Once you get your scale, weigh him and then weigh his food. Ideally you want his food to be 10 - 15% of his weight. So if he weighs 500 grams, you want his food to be 50 grams or so. This rule changes once he hits about 1000 grams, I never feed a meal bigger than 100 grams except for the biggest of my females.

If he's eating the right size of food and he's eating every 5 days, I would consider a fecal check just to be sure.

Gale

i just got a scale today, and it said he's 184g..is that good? and i mean, like he eats readily all the time...like hes never once rejected the food. i put him in a separate container and the second he's in there hes in ''food mode''. im pretty sure i could feed him 2 rats every meal and he would take it. would that help? but i dont want to overfeed him.

[Annarose15]

i just got a scale today, and it said he's 184g..is that good? and i mean, like he eats readily all the time...like hes never once rejected the food. i put him in a separate container and the second he's in there hes in ''food mode''. im pretty sure i could feed him 2 rats every meal and he would take it. would that help? but i dont want to overfeed him.

If this is the case, then there is no way you are feeding small rats. Small rats range from ~50-80g.

[sandra]

If this is the case, then there is no way you are feeding small rats. Small rats range from ~50-80g.

Lol you're right! I looked at the box, it said small mice..but it did say 45g each is that ok still?

[Annarose15]

Lol you're right! I looked at the box, it said small mice..but it did say 45g each is that ok still?

That's 24% of his body weight, so it's still a little on the big side. I would only feed him every 7 days until he catches up a bit (percentage-wise). I'm only using my hatchlings as comparison, but 184g does seem a little small for an eight month old BP. My bumblebee was 700g at that age (on a 5-7 day schedule with rats). You might want to weigh the actual mice you are feeding him, to make sure the box is accurate. As others have said, he could just be a slow grower, but a fecal exam wouldn't be a bad idea. You should be able to take a sample in without having the pay for a physical exam (just the fecal exam). Also, I would switch him to rat pups (20-30g), if you want him on rats long-term.

[sandra]

That's 24% of his body weight, so it's still a little on the big side. I would only feed him every 7 days until he catches up a bit (percentage-wise). I'm only using my hatchlings as comparison, but 184g does seem a little small for an eight month old BP. My bumblebee was 700g at that age (on a 5-7 day schedule with rats). You might want to weigh the actual mice you are feeding him, to make sure the box is accurate. As others have said, he could just be a slow grower, but a fecal exam wouldn't be a bad idea. You should be able to take a sample in without having the pay for a physical exam (just the fecal exam). Also, I would switch him to rat pups (20-30g), if you want him on rats long-term.

700g? wow, I'm even feeding him more than what he is supposed to eat and mine is 500g less than yours. How do i get a fecal exam? I really hope there isn't anything wrong with him

[Poseidon]

Lol you're right! I looked at the box, it said small mice..but it did say 45g each is that ok still?

I have a box of 6 mice and the box says 45g on it. I weighed one and it was at about 10g. Are you sure it says each?

[angllady2]

^

This. Chances are you are feeding the little guy waaay too small of food.

Gale

[okswerve16]

You should weigh the actual prey, most likely it is a lot smaller than you think. This happened to me except the opposite, the bag said 45 g small rat but it actually weighed closer to 70!

[RestlessRobie]

Here is an approximate size chart for you to use as an idea of what prey weighs what. I would try and get him on rats asap they seem to grow a little faster on rats In MY opnion

MICE

Sm. Pink 1-2 grams
Lg. Pink 2-4 grams
Peach Fuzz 4-6 grams
Fuzzies 5-8 grams
Hoppers 8-12 grams
Sm. Mice 11-16 grams
Med. Mice 15-24 grams
Lg. Mice 24-28 grams
XLg. Mice 30 grams+

Rats:
Rat Sm. Pink 3-8 grams
Rat Lg. Pink 5-12 grams
Rat Fuzzies 10-20 grams
Rat Pup 20-30 grams
Rat Wean 30-45 grams
Rat Sm. 40-80 grams
Rat Med. 80-150 grams
Rat Lg. 140-200 grams
Rat XLg. 190-250 grams