• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Ball python stunted?

D

DarkJaeden

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Burlington, NC
General question although maybe I'm just over worrying. I have a male Mojave ball that I bought at a repticon and he was only 2-3 months old when I bought him but he's close to 9 months now and he only weighs about 70-80 grams... He eats fine although he did go off food for about a month, but he eats like a champ now and he's just not putting on any size. He's currently eating mouse hoppers around 16 grams.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
How much did he weigh when you bought him?
How often are you feeding him?
Live or F/T?
 
For husbandry before you ask he's kept in a rack system and the hot side hovers 89 and the cool side is 83


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My babies are about nine months old and they're around 200 - 300 grams. They don't miss meals. There's definitely something wrong if he's consistently eating but not putting any weight on.

My first (obvious) suggestion would be to make sure that the scale you're using is accurate.

My second suggestion would be to post a picture of him - if he's not getting nourishment from the food that he's eating, it's possible he could have some sort of medical condition that needs to be checked out by a reptile vet. The condition of his body would be a good indicator of how much nourishment he's getting from it (such as looking for a ridged back, poor body shape, etc.).
 
qenaty4a.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
He seems rather thin to me - even babies generally have that thin - thick - thin body shape going on. He reminds me of the body shape of colubrids. Bit of a triangle shape there too, spine wise :S

My next question would be... is it possible the breeder lied to you about his age? It might be possible that you were sold a very, very young neonate and he's only six months old, though he still should have packed on some weight and shouldn't look so rail thin...

Instinct is pointing toward seeing a vet, though. Here's what Google says about which reptile specialty vets are closest to you:

Southwoods Animal Hospital Call 336-303-8974
Hours: M,Th 7:00am - 8:00pm, Tu-W,F 7:00am - 6:00pm, Sa 8:00am - 1:00pm
Services: Animal Boarding, Animal Daycare, Animal Flea Control, Animal Grooming, Animal Microchipping, Declawing, Exotic Animal Vet, Holistic Veterinary Medicine, Reptile Vet, Small Animal Vet, Spaying/Neutering, Veterinarians, Veterinary Dentistry, Veterinary Docking, Veterinary Euthanasia, Veterinary Medical Specialties, Veterinary Surgery
Description Bios Photos
Southwoods Animal Hospital is acredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. We are a companion animal hospital that provides veterinary services for pets ranging from dogs and cats to snakes and gerbils. Our goal is to provide comprehensive animal care in a compassionate manner.
3005 Randleman Rd, Greensboro, NC 27406
Click to expand...

Greensboro Veterinary Hospital Call 336-419-1372
Hours: M-F 7:30am - 6:00pm, Sa 8:00am - 1:00pm
Services: Animal Boarding, Animal Daycare, Animal Flea Control, Animal Grooming, Animal Microchipping, Bird Vet, Declawing, Exotic Animal Vet, Holistic Veterinary Medicine, Reptile Vet, Small Animal Vet, Spaying/Neutering, Veterinarians, Veterinary Dentistry, Veterinary Euthanasia, Veterinary House Calls, Veterinary Surgery
Description
We have been providing quality care in our community to dogs, cats, birds, pocket pets and exotics for over 75 years. Our hospital is well equipped for in and out patient medical and surgical care, dental care, imaging and laboratory services. We favor an in-depth approach to preventative and theraputic animal health care. Therefore, we prefer to thoroughly investigate your pet's problem, so that we can correct the cause, rather than simply treat the symptoms.

Mission Statement:
Our G.V.H. Team of Excellence is here to serve you and the needs of your family members whom you have entrusted to us. We do this by providing quality care delivered by a compassionate, knowledgeable staff in a timely and professional manner. We promise dependable service with integrity in a pet and people friendly environment.

American Animal Hospital Association Member:
Our hospital is proud to be a memeber of the American Animal Hospital Association. The American Animal Hospital Association (A.A.H.A.) is a voluntary organization that has been at the forefront of advances in hospital design, standards of patient care and continuing education since it was founded in 1933.

Hospital Members must meet stringent standards of hospital construction and design, equipement, laborator and X-ray services, cleanliness, surgical facilities, etc. The standards are upgraded periodically and evaluation of the Member's compliance is by impartial inspectors trained by and reporting to the central office of the A.A.H.A. If the inspector finds that the hospital fails to meet these high standards the hospital's membership is suspended or revoked.
3741 High Point Rd, Greensboro, NC 27407
Click to expand...
 
I use stoney creek veterinary. The vet there is awesome. The ball has somewhat of a ridge line but I give him the biggest prey item he will eat... I guess a vet visit is due. Just irritating that he eTs like a beast and had great personality just isn't getting any bigger... You know my Burms are a hell of a lot less trouble than my balls just saying


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Internal parasites could be a factor...but you're probably just underfeeding him.
I start my hatchling BPs on mouse hoppers, with feedings about every 5 days; and start increasing prey size as they're able to take them.

Don't worry too much about stunting - a few years ago I took in a 6 yr old female BP that was only 600g...she had been fed a mouse a month (supposedly, she wouldn't take bigger prey, or eat more frequently...and she only ate live). I offered her a f/t rat the afternoon she arrived, and she has fed every/every other week (depending on how often I'm offering) ever since; and put on 1000g in her first year with me.

*edited to ad
I see that you said you feed him the largest prey he will eat...have you tried offering more than one? I think larger prey items are better, personally...long and skinny doesn't look right on BPs
 
That can happen if they have some sort of intestinal parasite. Ask your favorite vet for a fecal exam and you'll probably figure out the issue right quick. I've briefly browsed through some threads on BP.net that reported the same issue and intestinal parasites seem to be the cause.

Also, I do believe intestinal parasites can be transmitted, so it might be a good idea to bring your other herps too... just in case. At the very least, it might be wise to quarantine him from everyone else.
 
No need to bring them all in - it's a waste of money. If he's positive, do some random sampling OR consider prophylactic treatment. Check with your vet - it might be worth treating your rodents, too, if you breed your own.
 
I'll send in a fecal within the next week or so and try and get him a slightly larger mouse


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
IMO, a parasite check in definitely in order, however there are congenital issues that could also be causing malnourishment. For example, a coworker had a 7yr old retic that was absolutely emaciated that she insisted she fed appropriately but could never put weight on. I agreed to keep him for her while she sold her house and moved into an new one, but the stress of moving did him in ASAP. I talked to a herp vet that said albinos (which it was) commonly had congenitally dysfunctional kidneys and that probably caused the muscle wasting. To prove to my coworker that I didn't kill her snake thru bad husbandry or something, we posted him, and sure enough he pretty much had no kidneys. That said, I do want to throw out there that I have a 4 yr old female (het VPI axanthic) from a reputable breeder who has been so SLOW to put on weight that she STILL isn't up to my standard for breeding size, however, just in the past 6 months she has really taken a huge growth spurt and I hope to breed her next season. She has never missed a meal, even for shed. After a parasite check (if it's negative) see if your vet will do an ultrasound to look at kidneys etc. If you find nothing wrong, just keep trying (as long as you don't feel he's suffering). My girl was skinny and spiny for a year or so before she started to look not malnourished. Here's a pic of her now to show how small she is for a rat-a-week 4 yr old and BTW I have huge hands.
And p.s. -best of luck and keep us updated!
 

Attachments

  • Ripley000.JPG
    Ripley000.JPG
    91.3 KB · Views: 136
Thanks, I scheduled him an appt. for Saturday and of course he went blue today so we shall see


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top