Growth and feeding schedule?

[kiiarah]

Hi everyone! It has been a while since I posted, luckily no major issues have come up recently. I have noticed a slight behavioral change in Shesha recently. He is an approximately 6 month old pastel ball python and has been on a feeding schedule of one F/T rat weekly. I have been using the 10/15% body weight rule for the size of rat I offer him, although I have seen recently that there is some debate as to whether this is truly a good guideline to follow. My understanding is that it is an appropriate method for juveniles but not for adults, but I would appreciate any correction or suggestions if that is not the case. Either way, Shesha is my first ball python so I am not sure what would be considered healthy growth but he seems to be showing a very steady upward trend. When I got him at about 1 month old he was 92 grams and now weights 268 grams at his last weigh in. He eats like a champ and hasn't refused a meal since he got on a regular schedule after arriving at home. For the first 4 months or so he would eat his rat, retreat into his hot hide and stay coiled there for 48 hours like clockwork. Lately he has been increasingly active. I will notice him resting with his head extended from his hide as little as an hour after swallowing his meal. I have always been under the impression that when they are positioned like this it is because they are waiting for a potential meal to walk by, so it seems odd that he would return to this position immediately after eating. He has also been spending less time hiding following feeding days. This week he was out and coiled in his branch only 24 hours after eating.

So this all has me wondering whether these might be signs that he needs a larger prey item, or possibly a shortened feeding schedule like every 5 days instead of every 7. I have read that some people feed every 5 days, can anyone clarify what the reasoning is behind a 5 vs 7 day schedule? He doesn't look underweight, he has a nicely rounded body and is active. I feel like often the cues these guys give us are subtle and can be missed if one isn't paying close attention, I just want to make sure I don't miss anything. I adore this little guy and want to be sure that he is as comfortable and well cared for as possible. So does it sounds like something needs to be changed or is it possible that he is just growing up and changing his habits? Also, what would be signs of underfeeding? He is not overly thin, but is there any other warning sign I should be aware of? I put together a growth chart that I could attach tomorrow when I return to work if that would be helpful, unfortunately I don't seem to have a copy on my home computer. The main thing the chart shows is that all of his weigh ins closely follow an average line so no sudden weight gains or periods with a lack of gain, it seems as though his weight has been increasing at a very constant rate.

For size comparison, here he is on my hand when he came home

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Here is a recent picture of him with my son

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[bcr229]

I can't see your pics, but if his body shape is good then keeping up with a feeder of 10-15% of his body weight weekly should be fine. Once he hits 500 grams then one small rat per week should be enough.

Snakes in captivity tend to be overfed anyway, and with keepers reporting subsequent health issues, I think slightly underfeeding is preferable to overfeeding.

[Albert Clark]

Well, now that he is 268 gms. i would want to know if that is the same hide he had when he was 92 gms? The 10-15% rule is a good one, so is the rule of feeding a prey item that is close to or slightly larger than the widest circumference of the animals mid body. A slight bulge is what you want to see without stuffing or giving multiple items. Maybe he is ready for a larger hide although its ok for him to roam around after feeding. Signs of underfeeding will vary based on the extent but a hungry snake will initially continue to move around pretty much continuously, repeated tongue flicking and overall more active. Stay in peace and not pieces. A.C.

[kiiarah]

That was one of my concerns about upping his meal sizes. I know people tend to aim for a fatter snake than is really healthy when it comes to balls. I just would hate for him to be in any way uncomfortable or sitting around hungry all the time, but I suppose with an animal that can go months without food that isn't too much of a concern. The thought also occurred to me that it may not be wise to base feedings on his hunting behavior. Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume that in the wild they will spend the majority of their time watching and waiting for prey, even if they just ate, since they need to stock up in case nothing comes along for an extended period of time. In the wild, waiting for prey constantly makes sense, but in captivity if they were fed every time they do this it would surely be an issue. The main thing that struck me is that he didn't used to seem so eager for food, but I suppose that very young animals always behave differently than older ones so that might be all that it is. I have a tiger salamander that is constantly "hungry". He will stand on his rear legs against the tank wall and watch me as I go by. I have seen him stick his tongue to the glass trying to jump and strike at me when I walk by and he came very close once to swallowing a cloth leaf on a plant in his tank because I moved it slightly, so I am familiar with animals that want food much more often than they really need it. Just out of curiosity, does frequency of handling change the recommendations for feeding at all? For instance, if an animal is not a pet and is only taken out for cleanings should they be fed less often than one that is out frequently and therefore expending more energy? He comes out very regularly and I sometimes wonder if he is eating enough to make up for the energy loss. Also recently he has been "begging" to come back out when I return him to his enclosure. This is another thing he never used to do. He doesn't seem at all stressed by handling, but it is definitely more exercise than he would get in the wild.

[kiiarah]

Good to know AC! His hides are pretty new actually, but I think he is about ready for a larger size anyway. I was misting his tank the other day and his side was at the entrance so he felt the water on his scales. He flexed to try to move away and the whole hide lifted! I was so excited, he is growing up so fast. ^_^ I didn't know that they would actively wander the enclosure when hungry, the only time I have seen him do that is this last week or two when I put him back he will not settle down and go in his hide. He used to go straight into the hide and curl up and seemed relieved to be back in his dark warm home, but these days he will pace the front of the tank poking it with his nose, cross the tank to look in his other hide then immediately go back to the other side where he will peek into his hot hide and turn right back around. I had to let him back out the other night because he had climbed the suction cup plants and was obsessively poking his nose against the tank lid. My first thought was to panic and check for something wrong in the tank, but temps and humidity were all perfect and he had been peacefully curled in his hide before I took him out that night. I don't know what to think about it. They aren't supposed to enjoy being handled and I didn't think they were the sort to "beg" either, but boy has it seemed that way recently. He settled down once he was back out and I let him slither around the bed for about 15 minutes (this was around 1:30 am mind you so I was pretty ready to curl up and go to bed myself). I put him back hoping he would calm down but he just continued pacing around the tank. At that point I turned out the light and got in bed and he did eventually go into his hide, but it was strange to say the least.

[Sauzo]

When I got my little pied girl at about 2 months old, she was 102g and about 12 inches. I fed her every 3-4 days on a 10-15% rat and she went from that 102g skinny little girl back in November to her now round self of 433g and about 30 inches. its amazing how fast she grew. Since hitting the 433g I have moved her to a once a week feeding of a weaned rat. I personally think as babies, its hard to really overfeed them as this the time when the most rapid growth happens, then it slows down considerably after a year thus why you put them on maintenance schedules and the whole 10-15% goes out the window. Also each snake is different so you just got to physically assess each one and make sure he/she looks well rounded and overall good. If he seems hungry right after feeding, maybe next time up his rat size a little. Plus babies always seem hungry. Dot always acted like she was starving and would stand up out of her hide like a cobra and strike the air around the top of the cage when I opened it and that was feeding her every 3-4 days with the 10-15%. Now she has mellowed out a lot but still likes to eat, just doesn't act like starvin' marvin

And as for hides, I found the RBI large one works perfect for Dot at about 30". She absolutely loves them and bounces from the warm one to the cool one a lot. She also loves to sit on top of them at night.

[DennisM]

Shesha has nearly tripled his weight in 5 months with steady weight gain, I'd say he's getting enough to eat.

[kiiarah]

Thanks for all the feedback. Sounds like I can keep doing what I am doing. I know temperament can change with age so I could see that activity levels and such could vary as well. I feel like he is growing well and he seems healthy so I will base things on that. I have a feeling there are still some mannerisms he will display that I will have to get used to. So glad that I can come on here and get advice when he does something I don't know what to make of lol. Thanks again you guys.