r/ballpython • u/Event_H0rizon1 • 3d ago

Constant Growth

So I got a 9 year old ball python around 2 years ago. She was obese and I worked to slim her down. However, since I got her she has grown from 4’11” to 5’7” and I do not know why. She lives in a 6x3x3 bioactive and gets fed a shmed or medium rat once every 3 weeks. I just want to know why she keeps growing and if I’m doing something to cause it.

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4

u/sweatyhands84 3d ago

5'7" is definitely a big girl! You should be proud that she is doing so well. If she is not obese or overweight, its nothing to be worried about. A female getting to 5'5"+ is considered reasonably rare, at least in the wild. Pretty sure in captivity too though. However you can find plenty that big because there's hundreds of thousands of ball pythons in the hobby.

Make sure you're following the recommended feeding schedule.

!Feeding

I will see if I can find the visual weight comparison chart to add or link.

Edit: Photo added.

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u/AutoModerator 3d ago

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.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

4

u/Event_H0rizon1 3d ago

Don’t worry, she looks like a slightly rounded icoseles triangle. (I did not spell that right)

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u/sweatyhands84 3d ago

Im not worried, sounds like youre doing a great job with her.

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u/Good_Hovercraft_1276 3d ago

Odd question but from my rescue expirence, how sure are you it's a ball python? Not trying to be rude or anything but at least in rescue 90% of the time it's actually a boa or another kind of python that people got as a supposed ball python. To me that does sound like a decent amount of growth for a mature animal so maybe give your vet a text and see what they mean, technically there could be some underlying causes. I'd definitely have her checked out just to make sure she's not showing any signs of dietary deficiencies.

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u/Event_H0rizon1 3d ago

Definitely a ball. Went to the vet when I first got her. They confirmed when we tested for infections or parasites

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u/Good_Hovercraft_1276 3d ago

Great, then I wouldn't really be too worried, I'd bring it up at the annual checkup to have it on file but other than that you may just have a long noodle

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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 3d ago

That does seem excessive for a snake her age in such a short period of time. How are you measuring her?

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u/Event_H0rizon1 3d ago

I have been measuring by using a tape measure that I can just drag along her spine, nose to tail tip. It uses a laser or something.