BCI growth

[CloudtheBoa]

Rapid growth at least until 5-6 years, noticeable growth for 10+. As they get older, their ability to gain size dwindles. I don't really buy into the whole life thing, but boas are slow growers can grow a long time, and many die young. My ball python hasn't grown so much as a millimeter in 10 years, but my biggest male boa continues to grow at 8 years old (but only 2" in the past 3 years). My smaller, older male boa hasn't grown any measurable amount, but I've only had him 3 years come December, and I never did measure my oldest female boa when I got her. The breeder said she was 7', and she's right on the dot now - she's 11 years old. All my snakes, regardless of species (from garter snakes to boa constrictors), age, sex, feeding frequency, or growth rate shed every 1-3 months, except for my sunglow boa. lol She could double her weight and grow half a foot and still maybe shed a couple times a year. My absolute oldest snake is my 13 year old bp, and he sheds at the same frequency as everyone else despite zero growth. Shed =/= growth.

I assume they have a "predetermined" size. If they're power fed, they'll reach that sooner (and unless they have extremely good genes, they'll also die young), but you won't get them any bigger than their genes will allow. Some snakes also just don't grow no matter how much food you give them. On the other hand, if you feed less, they may eventually stop growing, it just takes a lot longer.

I also feed seasonally. I noticed slightly more growth in my juveniles, and better muscle tone in my adults doing so. I feed slightly bigger meals, and try to feed rabbits to large enough adults, right before and right after a fast. I notice maybe a few ounces of weight loss in the adults, and no weight loss in the juveniles - they were gaining more size, and thus weight. I don't straight up fast the youngest, though. Their second winter I feed half as often, and third winter I start fasting.