Confusing BP size???

[BpOsirus]

Hi my name is Brock and i have an 8-month old, 370 gram, 34 inch female ball python. Everywhere online it says ball pythons start out about 18" in length and grow about a foot a year for the first 3 years. It also says that BPs get only 3-4 ft long, maxing out at 5. If a hatchling starts as 18" and grows a foot a year for 3 years, that means my 8-month old should only be about 26" but its not its 34"... And how can adult pythons only be 3-4 ft when my 8-month old is already 3 ft practically! Lol i just wanted some insight on this and if my Babys size sounds all right. Answers greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Slip]

Those sizes are for males. Females grow much larger then males.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Those sizes are for males. Females grow much larger then males.

They all grow at different rates so don't believe everything you read on the net.

[Slip]

I thought it was obvious they all grow at different rates? I'm talking more about the 3'-4' range

[megancurtisarbonne]

3-4' is an adult male. Adult females grow 4-5' with an occasional 6'. Even the males can occasionally outgrow the 3-4' and reach 5-6'.

[CptJack]

All those numbers - both rates and adult sizes - are averages. Averages include outliers in both directions (slower, smaller, faster and bigger), and the entire range including outliers and extremes on either end are normal. Nothing to get confused about.

[Kamerick]

Sounds alright to me. I have a 14 month (1 year, 2month) old male ball python who is about 3 feet long and 860 grams.