Do I decide when my baby ball eats, or do I let her decide?

[DennisM]

I'm not planning to breed her but I want to get her as big and long as she can get without getting fat or compromising her health. I don't need it to happen fast but I'm a bit worried about stunting her growth by not feeding her enough. Can that happen..?

Thanks for all the help everyone

yes, if the animal is underfed it's growth will be stunted. there's nothing complex about properly feeding a ball python. feed it a prey item that is roughly the same girth as the widest point of the snake. For young/undersized snakes feed every 5-7 days. for larger snakes feed every 7-10 days. if the snake refuses a meal, do not offer again until the scheduled feed date.