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Ball python fasting and gaining weight?

salottimc

salottimc

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My ball python has been fasting since the early part of February. I'd guess he (I actually do not know the sex) is roughly 2 years old now. I did not have a scale in the beginning, but I got one in the middle of March. At that time, he weighed 785. From that point his weight fluctuated back and forth (going as low as 772). After hitting 772, his weight has increased to 794 over the course of a couple weeks. I noticed today that he is about to go into shed (pink belly). Is this normal for their weight to actually increase during a three month fast? I have been weighing once a week since March. I always test the scale with an item of known weight before each weigh in. This will also be his second shed during this fast. Thanks!
 
He shed yesterday and now weighs 767. Since this is my first ball python, I have no idea what to expect. Has anyone else experienced similar weight fluctuation during a fast? I will attempt to feed him again tonight.
 
are you sure you have a male? I could see it being possible for a female going through folicular development to gain a small amount of weight and still be off feed. Males idk though.
 
Unless you have super accurate scientific scales, this might just be weighing inaccuracies, especially if he is moving around a lot in the pan. If you want to weigh him accurately he needs to be dead still and centred on the scale - very hard to achieve.

I think you're just being over keen and these are fluctuations around his real weight which is somewhere in the middle of all that and sounds quite stable.
 
Even though its fasting they still drink quite abit. I have a stubborn female that hasnt ate since october and is on a liquid diet of water only.. her weight increases and decreases quite a bit..
 
Thanks for the feedback. He (or she) actually ate for me last night. It allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
 
I've been through this before, I have a male Spider ball, born in October of 09 and his first winter he fasted the entire time. It worried me a lot since 1. he cost a lot, and 2. I never had one of my other snakes fast for such a long period of time so it scared me. But I did my research, and just kept offering him a meal every week to see if he'll take something. He ate once every 3 weeks once he started taking food again, and then around June he got back into his usual eating habits which was great. Usually my males will be the ones who fast, I only had the same problem with my oldest female once and that only lasted 2 months, and she's a big girl so I know it wouldn't harm her. When it happens, pretty much just try to offer food still, and keep an eye on the weight, also checking the snake's body once in a while for anything bothering them off their feed would be good as well (mites, ticks, etc) but sounds like your snake just did a winter fast. :)
 
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