Ball Python Average weights

I found a pretty interesting conversation about BP weights over on the Sound Off Forum. Unfortunatley that one turned into a slight arguement. So I figured I would move over here and start the conversation again. Here goes:

Okay~ I’ve been keeping track of monthly weights on a group of CH 03’ BPs. I feed every 7 days (give or take, I try to feed on Wednesday~ sometimes I swap to Tuesday or Friday if I have plans on Wednesday) I feed live~ rats to those who will take rats~ mice to those who will not. Once/if the first food item is taken~ a second is offered. I don’t offer a third food item unless the first two were small (I try to feed a little more than the girth of the snake~ but sometimes I don’t have enough of the right sized rats or mice)

This is NOT a scientific study (Obviously) and the “Averages” should be compared with the individual weight charts for each animal.



Look here for both charts

Now~ those charts are based on the individual monthly weights found here:

Look here for individual monthly records

As you can see Female # 1 was a monster in November at 723 grams and only 7 months old. However she then stopped feeding for the winter and has just begun feeding again recently and is now at 13 months and 767 grams. A couple others did this as well, but no others as dramatically as Female # 1.

Female # 7 was only 395 grams in November~ but she continued to feed through the winter and now weighs a hefty 825 grams at 12 months old.

Also~ all of these snakes have been offered food on EXACTLY the same schedule~ but Female # 10 is only 231 grams at 12 months old. Picky girl~ I call her Turkey Bird!

Just interesting info that I *think* demonstrates there is no “Right weight” for a growing BP and that even the heaviest feeders will regulate by going off feed the next Winter. ~Or~ I imagine as they get older then breeding will affect this as well~

We’ll see~ Cuz I’ll keep notes!

ya, I have a may 03 male called garbage gut and I weighed him the other day and he started at 73 grams and now is 1000 grams. I usually feed him 1 time every two weeks, he has never passed on a meal and use to eat some of the others rats when they didn't want them.

I have another girl (that was a rescue) the picky one that I think is around 2-3 years and she was around 700 grams when I got her last oct and that was after the rescue place worked hard to get her up to that weight, well now she is coming in a little over 1000 grams because she is finally starting to eat more often.

I wish the first one would rub off on some of my other snakes and then everything would be great.

hey were those the ones you picked up at the pomona show last year? garbage gut is the one I got at that show.

As a matter of fact~ some of them are!

Lets see~
Spring and Autumn came from Jose Dominguez (Bad deal~ he sold me 1.4 that turned out to be 5.0~ don't trust him)
Female #1-5 came from Prehistoric Times at that IRBA in Pamona (Female 4 was removed from the charts because she did not voluntary feed until very recently)
Female 6-15 came from Dembinski reptiles (#11&12 did not make it~ no fault of Dembinski reptiles though)
Female 16-21 came from Planet Reptiles in Norco

All where fresh hatchlings when I got them, but they came in on different months which is why the charts reflect "Month1" and "Month 2" rather than "June" or "July"

Glad to hear your Garbage Gut is doing well! I've got an 02' like that~ we named him "Munch" cuz we're pretty sure he would eat a doorknob if I warmed it up first!

I am curious about how average weights of males progress. I saw you had one male in there but I was wondering how close to average he was.

Actually 4 of those animals are males.
Male 2
Male 13
Autumn
Winter

Thats all though.

Ah ok. Somehow I missed that when reading through the charts. Thanks!

I have been curious because my ball (who is supposedly a boy, but I need to get sexed by the vet) is said to be an August '03 hatch, but when I got him in April, he was at 180 grams. So, I am thinking he is either younger than I was told, or was underfed. Just been trying to figure out where he should be.

I'll look over the charts more. Thanks!

Some of my 03's are very small. Check out the wieght on female #10. She was hatched in late May of 03 and is only 240 grams. She has been offered feed on the same schedule as the others.

Can all be very vairiable.

I have noticed more wieght gain in the rat feeders than the mouse feeders. Unfortunatly I do not have the time to update all of those charts with info on each snakes feeding habits. I keep that info, but I mark it on little 3X5 cards~ it would take hours to enter all of that info into the PC!

Hope that helps some!
Tootles!

Oh, thanks very much!