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Sub sahara ball python

P&A Pythons

P&A Pythons

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So I just recently acquired a sub sahara ball she is approx 2500 grams empty. She def needs a few good meals. She will be a monster for sure the head on her is just huge. What kind of tub or enclosure should a snake of her size be in. I have her in 41 qt as of now. The reason I ask is I'm starting a remodel of my basement once I finish room then it's onto racks for the room.
 
I would say any of the Animal Plastics breeder racks would work fine. For temporaty housing till you get your rack up and going, a 40 gallon breeder aquarium should work just fine.
 
I guess what I'm trying to ask is a 4x2 enclosure to big. This snake has potential to get as big as a boa. Roughly 20 lbs. I don't think a 40 breeder is big enough. There has to be others with these big boys out there.
 
I not think she will get that big most female get too 3500g and stay I keep mine in 32 qt tubs no need for 41qt but if you have a few 5000g female which are rare then yes,the sub saharen name came out this year for big females dont think it means much;)
 
P&A Pythons said:
I guess what I'm trying to ask is a 4x2 enclosure to big.
Click to expand...

I've never had any giant girls, but I wouldn't think that'd be too big as long as she's got a hide or two. It's not that much bigger than a 41quart. I'd love to be able to give all my big girls that much space.
 
Kingofspades said:
Actually, it's for snakes imported from specific area...
and honestly, I think it may be a genetic trait.
I have a hold back female YB from YB x Subsaharan female. She eats the same as her brother, and is almost twice as large as him.[/QU
Everybody around my way are calling big females sub-saharens:shrug01:,I have some big girls also have some petit girls too that stay around 1300g most of them have pastel in them.
Click to expand...
 
Ya this was imported from josh at outback reptiles. I have big females about the same size gram wise this is a different type of ball the head is huge almost the size of a tennis ball wide. I have never seen a ball with this size head reminds me of pitbull. This snake looks capable of pounding xxxl rats.
 
I have been seeing people call big balls sub saharas but when I see pic the normal sized head gives it away that is just a big ball and not a sub sahara. I will take some pics of her tonight I gotta see if I can get a tennis ball for size comparison.
 
I've kept 4,700 gram girls in apx 4 foot X 2 foot tubs and felt those where big enough. I sold one of them so a smaller girl now gets one of the big tubs. Neither of mine had disproportionately large heads, although both have eaten retired breeder male rats but that was a stretch. I'm considering building a display case for the remaining girl just because I'd like to see her more often (she's my founding Garcia chocolate and nice to look at), also think she could use some more exercise with something to climb.
 
I think head size comes with age. At my store a have probably 8-10 customers with ball pythons 20 years and older and they all have bigger heads. Than my adults in the 5-6 year range. I think it just takes longer for there head to grow into there body when they get in the 4000g plus range. That's just something that I always noticed.
 
The 4,700 gram girl I sold this summer was 16 years old and originally came from VPI. Her head was big of course but didn't stand out like I expect from the descriptions of these sub Saharans. I've had my keeper 4,700 gram girl for 11 years and don't have a for sure hatch date on her but estimate her at 15 years but again, not an extremely large head for her size.

The one I sold was more slender and muscular but there was something odd about her; she would skip lots of years between clutches (I told the buyer about this and priced her accordingly). I remember a discussion years ago about a giant line of ball pythons and it was thought any change in their setup caused them to stop breeding. With my girl my theory (based on one of the years she did lay 14 huge eggs) was that she needed actual cooling unlike the rest of my ball pythons. Has anyone noticed if the sub Saharans benefit from different cycling?
 
All ball pythons come from the sub sahara which leaves we wondering why they were ever called that :shrug01:

I have no doubt size is hereditary, but I do these bigger females deserve any different name other than the fact that they get huge?
 
I just got a 3600 gram subsaharan from him, too. He's just about 6' long, and has a huge head. There's an absolute difference in size on this one. If she were the same body shape as my 3500 gram normal, she'd be in the 5000-6000 gram range.

To the OP, if she'll eat we'll while in a 4x2 enclosure, or even in a 41 qt., she's doing fine and won't need any change.

Btw, the head on mine is about 2.5 times bigger than my biggest "regular". I love it!
 
U just get it like last week? If so I was gonna get her she had some size to her. One I got she looks like she just dropped eggs gonna try to feed her next week
 
Well I wouldn't say new name some others call them Volta, giant guess it depends where u look. I have other females that are older and little bigger but there is a diffrence in this giant or sub sahara or whatever u want to call it. My othe females look nothing like this. I guess u have to see it to believe it
 
Maybe I'm a boa guy here, and I have no interest in keeping or breeding bps, but I had to read this. All ball pythons are sub-saharan. This sounds like a selling gimmick to me.
 
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