Here's my weight...guess my age!

My rescue banana lesser pastel female weighs 425.24 grams and is a husky 31 inches long. Origins unknown, but she is a rare beauty in excellent health. What is your best educated guess as to her age? My vet wants a birthday!

***She was (obviously mistakenly) wholesaled to Petsmart as a normal "banana" and then tossed in with a bunch of baby normals and pastels half her size. Original purchaser could not cope with her strikey ways when she tried to handle her and passed her on to me. Lucky me: I like bitey-fighty girls just fine, and she settles down once out of her cage and in hand.

Originally Posted by Dovetail

My vet wants a birthday!

You will I'm sure get some good estimates here, but perhaps you should consider an experienced reptile vet who could make his/her own educated guess as to age.

You got a banana lesser pastel FEMALE at the petstore?
A female?

Something to keep in mind is that you may be able to get some educated guesses but you cannot get true age based on weight/length alone. A lot depends on how much (&/or how often) they are fed, genetics, etc.

Your gal could be (or is), likely, a yearling (2015), based on her weight, but that does not eliminate the possibility that she could be a very early 2016 or even a 2014(+).

Yep, she did. Female. Couldn't believe it when I saw it, but I've popped her repeatedly on different days. I'll have my vet probe her for confirmation when we check in with her, but I'm pretty confident. No hemipenes at all. Unless they are almost totally inverted, she is a girlie girl.

This photo is from VPI's website, but she looks just like this:

http://vpi.com/images/118

I was shocked.

Now, as to the 3-gene combo, I WISH I had a camera available right now for more expert opinions, but she's really something else: lovely fade along her sides from her scutes to her top line, no spots or ticking, exceptionally clean pattern, some white highlighting beginning to pop around her dark patterns toward the bottom, exactly 1 dark scale on her whole body that I hope will shed out, bright green eyes, but only lightly "rubbed" look on her pate, if any. Now, I also have a lovely pastel male that also has an unweathered pate, so I don't think that rules out the pastel gene.

I'll upload photos as soon as I get my phone repaired. Worst comes to worst, I'll attempt the dreaded laptop camera photo shoot, but will probably just get a close-up of a mouthful of teeth on camera, since I don't have a photo assistant! She guards her habitat like a doberman pinscher....

Originally Posted by Pasodama

Something to keep in mind is that you may be able to get some educated guesses but you cannot get true age based on weight/length alone. A lot depends on how much (&/or how often) they are fed, genetics, etc.

Your gal could be (or is), likely, a yearling (2015), based on her weight, but that does not eliminate the possibility that she could be a very early 2016 or even a 2014(+).

Oh, I don't think there are enough rats in the world to create such a bumptious big '16 by the first of June, and she's only eaten three times since she came into my care in April. Though since she doesn't seem to be a faster, I'm thinking '14 is equally unlikely. I'm guessing late summer 2015, since I KNOW my 195 gram male is a November baby. Does that seem reasonable? I guess our British friends would call her a Michaelmas baby...maybe more like Sept. 1?

However, I go forward fully prepared to discover I have a lovely male with inverted hemipenes. Wouldn't be the first time I've experienced pet gender confusion...I volunteer at the humane society - try sexing an angry cat while it poops in your hand and struggles mightily to take your eyes out!

Me-OW!

Originally Posted by Dovetail

Oh, I don't think there are enough rats in the world to create such a bumptious big '16 by the first of June, and she's only eaten three times since she came into my care in April. Though since she doesn't seem to be a faster, I'm thinking '14 is equally unlikely. I'm guessing late summer 2015, since I KNOW my 195 gram male is a November baby. Does that seem reasonable? I guess our British friends would call her a Michaelmas baby...maybe more like Sept. 1?

I know of cases where a ball had not reached its 1st yr. yet weighed 1000 grams (+). Likewise, 2 yrs. olds who had not, yet, broken the 1000 gram mark (& less).
However, if you choose to not believe such can/does happen, that is your right.
My thoughts, as already stated, is that your ball is likely a 2015.
However, was giving you info as to why you cannot always go by weight/length since other factors may need to be taken into consideration.
You had not given any info on feeding, very little history, and an unknown background/genealogy.
Regardless, good luck and enjoyment, with her.

I see your point. Ultimately, I'm not going to look a gift snake in the mouth...with any luck at all!