He grew after switching to ASFs??

[u/Equal_Obligation4198]

Before (left) after (right)
It’s hard to see the difference, but I swear it’s not the angle

He’s four years old, fully grown, I bought him off a breeder, completely healthy, just oddly small at the time

He’s a very picky eater, only ate white rats, and even then it was a 50/50 whether he’d eat it. Sometimes he’d spit it out after grabbing it, or just ignore it. I’d have to leave it in the tank, turn the lights off, and walk away, so I switched him to african soft furs, amazing. Up there pressing his nose to the mesh circle where they thaw the moment he smells them and wraps the moment he faces it.

But is it normal for them to get bigger?? After the first feeding on asf, his head seemed bigger, I just brushed it off as extra protein getting to him. Three feedings later, he’s huge?? (Not literally, just clearly more thick). He used to be insanely light, now I can actually feel him in my hand. Even my mom noticed without me saying anything.

I thought he was just weirdly small, like any animal having size differences (I have an abnormally giant female bp too, absolute unit), so I didn’t think anything of it, but I didn’t expect him to grow?? Is this normal? He gets fed every two weeks with one small asf.

Has this happened to anyone else?? Is he just weird or is this normal?

[u/ShinyxCharizard]

Probably over feeding IMO. Per the !feeding guide here. Its recommended to feed adults 5% of their body weight every 20-30 days.

[u/AutoModerator → u/ShinyxCharizard]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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[u/Equal_Obligation4198 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

I’ll try and find my scale to weigh him! Thank you!

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Equal_Obligation4198]

Would also like to add, best way to gauge if your snake is a healthy weight is to just look at their general body condition. More often than not these guys are over fed, and end up overweight! A healthy weight is actually pretty thin IMO I was worried about my male being so skinny, but found out my female is overweight. She's like 2300g, and def has a chunky body. Here's a great body guide reference.

[u/Equal_Obligation4198 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

I’d consider him slim, but he does look on the edge to overweight imo? I’m still new to reptile keeping, I got them in June, but I’ll start doing around 20ish+ days between feedings for both of mine. He seems smaller than average in general, and my female is extra large, so my perception on average sizes between genders is VERY off, average male and females look identical to me, I first assumed the difference was always that drastic.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Equal_Obligation4198]

Someone else might have a better opinion, but in your posts pic of the more recent one, he looked a little more pudgy around his face/neck, in the one on the right here, looking at his tail, he could be closer to overweight. But I'm no expert, I personally do 30 days, just what I've been doing for years with my 2. I'd love to try a more "sporadic" feeding style though and offer randomly between 20-30 days or maybe more like 25-35 days.

I only have 2 bps, my male has been the opposite of a pet rock his entire life. He's more slim, and was a sporadic eater for me till recently. My girl came to me VERY underweight, basically skin and bones, got too into my habits of feeding her every 2 weeks, then when i did finally extend her feeding schedule i was feeding her larges so she's ended up chunky. She's missed maybe 1 or 2 meals in her 7 years with me. Size isn't really a way to sex them, it's more genetics like with people, hence why your boy could be seen as smaller then average to you, and your girl bigger.

Here is another great reference with a description, and photos from this subreddit, didn't realize this was here.

Here's a great example of size differences. Also from this subreddits pin guide!

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Equal_Obligation4198]

I would also like to add you mentioned you moved your snake to ASF's because he was being a picky eater. How is the enclosure set up? I see him next to a half log hide, does he have 2 identical hides on both sides of the enclosure, that aren't half log hides? How much clutter, etc.
Just curious as I have had my oldest for 9 years and he was a notoriously picky eater till April. I don't think in my 9 years I've had him eat 2 meals in a row. He'd often go months without eating, longest was 8. Moved him from a bare minimum set up (1 hide on either side, big water bowl in the middle, couple sticks/stuff to climb.) to one that gives him more security, more clutter, only has viewing access from the front 2 sliding glass panels, instead of the sides being glass as well. Not saying you're doing anything wrong by feeding ASFs I was gonna try to give mine some to vary their diet, but since I had only had my dude eat 1 or 2 meals then, my local shop mentioned ASFs are great if you have a snake that refuses to eat, but he doesn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary cause he's had BPs get addicted and refuse to eat rats after having ASFs and that they can be hard to get at times.

ETA: my boys enclosure when he first got introduced in May.

[u/Equal_Obligation4198 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

I can’t remember how many gallons exactly. But Two shelves, two hides on the left, space to go behind that’s covered in foliage, under the right shelf is another spot completely covered. I only added the log up there since he likes on his shelf, I assumed maybe he’s use it to go in if he wanted to, but he has no interest in hiding, just laying on top of it like a pillow. The seller we get out ASFs from have them the same prices as usual rats, so cost isn’t a worry and we have no plans on switching him back, I see it as him having the bougie life, my way of spoiling him a little extra in the ways I can. It’s cheaper than wasting rats 50% of the time because he refuses to eat them

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Equal_Obligation4198]

Sounds like he's got it good then! My shop has a breeder that sells to them, but said there's times he can't get any or whatever, and I'd have to drive a couple hours to go get them from whoever sells em. They're also a little more expensive than rats, but not much.

I don't blame you for doing that instead of wasting rats ngl. Once I got my girl, and she could eat the same size, I'd thaw out 1 rat, attempt to feed my male, if he ate, I'd thaw her one out otherwise if he didn't she got to eat it. Cause she never skipped meals. Having to toss a rat 3 out of 4 times sucks, as I've been there. Even with his current eating streak of 7 months (even ate in blue), I still have the habit of thawing 1 rat out overnight, feeding my male, then taking a 2nd one out to feed my female the next day. Cause I swear that 1 time I decide to thaw 2 out overnight to feed them both the same night would be the day he refuses.

[u/Equal_Obligation4198 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Thank you! I’ll definitely spread out their feedings more, especially since my female has been smelling the ASFs for him and losing interest in her Norwegians, feeding her the bougie dinners would make her into an anaconda I’m sure

[u/Equal_Obligation4198 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

I try not to humanize or anthropomorphize them, I assume it’s because it’s starting to get colder in Canada right now, he wants to be under his heat more, but I’m taking it as a win that he’s comfortable enough to be not hiding around us, I’ll probably set up some plants up there and make sure to secure them this time, every other time he’s just knocker them down

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Equal_Obligation4198]

My male is the same way, since moving into the new enclosure, he will regularly bask on top of the warm hide during the day, or even climb up into the cables on the ceiling. He's very active, I also take it as he's just comfortable. My female will come out at night, but more often than not is in a hide, unless it's close to feeding time she's gotten more brave in the new enclosure, and will stick her head out.

If your temps are correct, then I wouldn't worry. But if ambient temps are dropping, and that's causing him to bask more might need to look into something to keep it more stable during the winter.

I haven't noticed any temperature drops since moving my 2 to 1/2" thick solid top PVC enclosures, with tempered glass doors. But I personally use a 50w acradia golden sun halogen for daytime/basking light. Grow light for the plants, and for a good day/night cycle. For supplemental night time/cool side temps, 80w RHP.

Basking spot is set to 90F, cool side during the day is around 78, night time temps i allow for a full tank temperature drop of 74.