My Hatchling Is Finally Eating, But Is He Emaciated?

[Snoop_Dong]

Recently got a BP normal male through a local breeder. He came pretty small which i didn't fully realize because he's my first BP. It took awhile to find his feeding habits he missed only 2 weeks of feeding (with a stressed out me trying to study every inch of BP psychology in order to situate his pattern eating). What finally worked was i got my hands on quality bred fuzzy rats which weren't albino and also didn't come soaked in their own urine. He ate with insane enthusiasm. Due to me getting him in the midst of his first shed (Which he still hasn't gotten off even though his eyes have turned back to black for about 1-2 days) i have no idea if he's just emaciated or a lot of the loose skin is from shedding. He's exhibiting non stressed out behavior and he has numerous hides on both the warm and the hot side which for the most part are identical (He prefers the identical ones in which i made). He properly has temperature responses (moving when hot/cold). Only time he exhibited weird behavior was when i left him to his own devices to adjust to his new cage and he stayed out next to his water bowl for awhile but after a couple hours he has completely stopped that behavior ever sense. Sense i got his food agenda on track and his humidity and heating are perfect for him (70% at the moment because of shed) and (80 Fahrenheit because of him digesting). I deeply care for him very much and want the best for him like i assume most of us on here do. Please shed some advice onto the novice snake owner, it would be deeply appreciated. If increased notice is exhibited towards my post i can figure out a method of posting photos of Jörmungandr (My BP). He has plenty of loose skin but i know he is getting proper water (I mist every day and monitor humidity while also giving him fresh cold water every couple of days). He has 2 bowls, 1 to bask in and not drown and one where he can climb up and drink from with ease (I have also witnessed him drinking and basking from the water dishes like a normal ball python in shed). Getting him to eat was a massive stress reliever and also an eye opening experience because i regard my python as if he were my child and would be utterly devastated if anything were to be inflicted upon him due to undo diligence from my own lack of responsibility. Everything seems to be in order but this is almost like you guys analyzing a project to get any quirks out. Thanks in advance to anyone who were to read this wall of text from your typical paranoid first time owner haha.

P.S: I also have geode rocks inside his cage for when he finally decides to rub his shedding skin off.
P.P.S: He is in a 29 qt tub (I know a little on the big side) but the amount of his hides makes the actual open part of the "land" for him to freely crawl and explore, fairly small so it's as if he were in a smaller tub which is why he is acting a lot more secure than if he were only getting 1 hide.

[treaux]

If he's acting normal and eating, I don't think you have much to worry about. How often are you feeding him?

I also have an undersized normal that I think was not fed enough before getting shipped out (66 grams at 2 months old). After getting his husbandry right and realizing he is not willing to take rats yet, he's been eating fine and gaining weight (still on mice). Next step is to try and convert him to rats.

[Snoop_Dong]

If he's acting normal and eating, I don't think you have much to worry about. How often are you feeding him?

I also have an undersized normal that I think was not fed enough before getting shipped out (66 grams at 2 months old). After getting his husbandry right and realizing he is not willing to take rats yet, he's been eating fine and gaining weight (still on mice). Next step is to try and convert him to rats.

Man you don't know how much music that is to my ears. I'm just really worried because he has clear rib cage showing when he turns due to excessive loose skin from shedding (which has also been causing considerable stress). I'm feeding him what the breeder told me he did; 1 rat fuzzy every thursday (i moved up from pinkies which the breeder also was doing for the rest of the offspring). Though i might go power-feed him fuzzies every 2 days for 1-2 weeks only to bulk him up decently so i know he is properly nourished. He is frequently urinating his urates (They stink up the whole tub haha) and has defecated twice) so he isn't dehydrated (unless Ball pythons urinate frequently when dehydrated which i doubt). I'm glad he seems to be imprinted on rats because when i was trying Petco mice (Don't recommend them at all; over priced, low quality, just go to your local mice/rat breeder you'll save a ton trust me) and he was acting like a toddler eating vegetables until i showed him a quality non albino rat fuzzy he immediately flicked his tongue and inspected the dangling rat (blow drying the thawing rats seems to be wonderful tip to get him interested). He currently looks like a female clutching eggs with how wide the fuzzy has got him though haha.

[treaux]

How old and have you weighed him?

I wouldn't feed him every 2 days, but every 4-6 is acceptable. If mine seem hungry after 4-5 days, I'll feed them. They are growing like weeds and using it all up so it seems.

If the fuzzies seem too big (and are leaving a huge bulge), you can always try and get smaller ones for safety's sake. I have a local rodent breeder and I ask her for smaller fuzzies (mouse hopper size) and she can get them for me consistently.

[Snoop_Dong]

How old and have you weighed him?

I wouldn't feed him every 2 days, but every 4-6 is acceptable. If mine seem hungry after 4-5 days, I'll feed them. They are growing like weeds and using it all up so it seems.

If the fuzzies seem too big (and are leaving a huge bulge), you can always try and get smaller ones for safety's sake. I have a local rodent breeder and I ask her for smaller fuzzies (mouse hopper size) and she can get them for me consistently.

I tried mouse hoppers but my BP wouldn't even interact with them like they were food. It isn't a big bulge where he is struggling to hold it, it's just apparent you know what i mean? He's around 14 days i guess? That's a rough estimate because i got him at around age 10 days. Seems to me the theory of ball pythons imprinting on certain prey animals holds true. That's also wonderful to hear your BP's are growing so fast i hope that is the same way for Jörmungandr!

[AllThatInThemGenes]

sounds like you doing well with him and if he contines to eat (which it sounds like he will) everything will be back on track in no time.

1. what is the hot spot temp?
2. the breeder sold the animal to you at 10 days of age?

[PitOnTheProwl]

A scale is a good purchase.
I am a little OCD on keeping track of weights.

[Snoop_Dong]

sounds like you doing well with him and if he contines to eat (which it sounds like he will) everything will be back on track in no time.

1. what is the hot spot temp?
2. the breeder sold the animal to you at 10 days of age?

1.) Around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (My first post has the exact temp)
2.) The breeder didn't specify but he is small like a hatchling (Easily fits in the palm of my hand and has excess room) and the post was around 7 days old (I know the ad's age wasn't exactly his age) but he has got to be a hatchling they have got on proper feeding schedules for at least 1 week, though i'm guessing he was around 10 days old when i got him. He most defiantly isn't a month old because he is way to small for that. They did specify these were hatchlings in the ad though so if their not exactly 10 but around that age when i first got him 2 weeks ago.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...hon-hatchlings he looks to be around the size of this hatchling (Ignore the gross hardened yolk) but he is a lot skinnier than that BP.

[Snoop_Dong]

A scale is a good purchase.
I am a little OCD on keeping track of weights.

I'm only planning on keeping 1 BP at a time at the moment in time so i didn't think i needed a scale. Also if i were to buy a scale friends and family would think it was for something else other than for my ball python . Though i am aware of the addictiveness to owning different morphs so i don't know maybe in 2 years ill have a collection .

[SmoothScales]

1.) Around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (My first post has the exact temp)

I'm seriously hoping I'm reading this wrong, because your hot spot temp should be closer to 90°, with 80° being a better choice for ambient temperatures.