I think you guys noticed something neat, but I have to whole heartedly agree with Adam. Your getting more food into the snake from one feeding, use less energy to constrict and swallow then a few mice etc. I think it's more efficient to feed one rat instead of a few mice. I have no problem with mice, just whatever works for the snake. (not even sure the multiple mice is using any more calories, but you do get more bang for your buck w/ one rat.)

Now I would also like to add something, these snakes very well could have gone through their respective growth spurts, just not at the exact same time. Young snakes grow a lot, and I'm sure you know that. I sometimes open my young ones tub and am amazed at how much they've grown. (I deal mainly with the rats, so may not see them every single week )

Different snakes, different metabolisms, different growth rates. I think you have something to think about, but there are just too many variables to peg it all to just food item. Look at Jasball's 07 female's breeding, how many snakes can do that? How many grow like a ****ens and slow down to a crawl?

Genetics, husbandry, food items, stress/enviromental cues, they all have a hand in how a snake grows, so it's hard to say that feeding rats is better than mice pertaining to growth rate, or vice versa.

I don't want to rain on your parade so much, I just think the evidence leaves much to be desired and is very inconclusive. But congratulations on the post, it is something to ponder.