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Snake growth...

G

glassitis

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Hey I need some info here.
Some old laddy that use to have a couple big boa's that I know said snakes grow according to the habbit.Like she told me my ball wont get any longer/bigger untill I get a bigger/longer cage or aquarium?
Is this true?

I don't see how this could be true because if a ball is eating 1-2 mice a week that weight 50+ grams a piece more or less I don't know just guessing,I would surely think the snakes weight would defently change after a while,how would it not grow!

Also do snakes grow longer or bigger around anytime or do they only grow when the shed?
Thanks for any help!
 
Snakes are in a continual state of growth throughout their lives. The rate of growth decreases gradually with age, and eventually is barely perceptible, but does not actually stop.
The shedding of the skin can occur as a result of numerous factors, one being that they have simply grown to the point it must be replaced. This is the reason snakes shed much more frequently when young. Once they have grown to the point the old skin has reached it's limit, the shed occurs allowing growth to proceed as normal. Growth is not the result of the shed, but in this case the shed is the result of growth.
Hormonal changes resulting from breeding activity, wear and tear on the skin, and even very large meals are all factors that can initiate a shed.

The idea that any snake grows only to the size of its habitat is a complete fallacy. Anyone suggesting this as fact is demonstrating their ignorance of the basic physical characteristics of snakes.
Food intake and environmental factors can affect growth rates, but under normal optimal conditions a snake will grow irrespective of its enclosure size.
Your ball will grow according to your feeding schedule primarily. You will move it to a new larger enclosure when it becomes necessary because it has outgrown the one you are currently using. As long as you continue proper husbandry, your snake will grow normally.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the info Clay!
Thats about what I was thinking to.
It was just that my mom's girl friend "for real" told me that she had 2 big 8 foot pluss boa's and she sounded like she knew what she was talking about,I mean she even told me about when there eyes cloud up it means there going to shed,but once I herd her say that they only grow bigger from there tank size,I basicly said yep.

Just picked up a med sized black mouse from the pet shop,somthing just told me my 2 foot ball might be hungry,even though it just ate 4 days ago or so,I was right!
Brought the mouse home and stunded it before giving it to the snake,this way the snake still gets somthing alive and that can't bite either,the snake seemed very intrested right off the bat.
The mice was alive but was like playing dead and the snake I almost though was just going to start swallowing it!
But sure enough the ball grabs the mouse by the face and squeezed the mice harder then he ever did before,I swear he alomost had the mouse like inside out!
Then just unwound and swallowed it after about 3-4 minutes.
That meal should help him/her get bigger!

The ball was acting wierd after it ate.
The snake usealy woulden't be moving around so mush after it ate but it was just looking out through the glass at us.
Moving around the aquarium,I don't know if it was looking for another meal or what,but he has two mice in him now!

I picked him up and he calmed down,it almost seemed like he wanted to thanks me for feeding him again,he wanted to be held but after 5 minutes putt him back into the cage so he could be a proper temps yo aid in digestion.
Thanks
 
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