Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We got this girl back in May. She eats every week on rat pinks but will not grow. I have attached a picture of her with another female that came in with her. Dwarf??

J&J Reptiles
sales@jnjreptiles.com

I bought some balls that were smaller than the other 95 (literally) and 3 didn't eat but two were slow growers but they caught up to the others in year 2 so just give her time.

Thanks
Stephen

We buy and sell 500-600 balls a year, so we have had plenty of runts, and they all put on weight and size, this girl has fed since day one and for the last 3 months or so she has been at 78-79 grams. She eats 2 rat pinks of 2 hopper mice a week, like they are nothing, but just won't grow.
She seems to be stuck at this weight. Whatever the reason for her size, she has got to be the cutest ball we have had.

Thanks
J&J REPTILES
sales@jnjreptiles.com
www.jnjreptiles.com

What a darling little thing! If you ever want to sell her, let me know. I'm a sucker for misfits.
-----
2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

She is the only ball we own that we would not sell.
My wife would kill me if I sold her little girl.

Smart Woman! And smart man to heed her wishs. lol
-----
2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

yeah but what are the odds on finding a male!

Would be crazy if she stayed small enough to be sustained on adult mice.(Adult@300grams!lol)
-----
Charles

i had a male that was the same way. when i got him he weighed 85 grams. the whole first year he never refused a meal and i have the feed card to show it. he was eating rat pups and fuzzies. at the end of his first year he weighed 150 grams. the over the next year and a half he gained weights out of no where and is now 480 grams. you could literally watch him grow. i was amazed. i am sure yours will grow up just fine to a normal weight.

On another forum. I have a female that is almost 4 years old, she weighs just under 400g. She eats 3-4 live mice with each feeding. She hardly sheds and will NOT eat rats. I have a female that is 2 years old and ready to go this season. She eats medium rats, and I thought she was a slow grower. I don't know if she is a dwarf or if there even is such a thing. If she is I can't breed her to find out, she's too small to breed! If only she was a he...didn't think I'd ever say that about a bp. -Joe

The dwarf...this girl is 4 years old.

I read that an inability to gain weight could be a sign of internal parasites. I'm about the least experienced person around here, so I'm not sure how much you should believe me.
-----
1.1 Normal Ball Pythons (Snakerton and Mathilda)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Walter)
0.1 Albino Ball Python (Perrie)

My girl has had plenty of fecal samples examined, along with the rest of my collection, no signs of internal parasites, no mites and the rest fairing well. She is not deathly skinny and only refuses a meal when she is in shed. She doesn't shed very often, only about 4-5 times a year, so I know she is growing slow. Thing is for the last year and a half she hasn't gained any weight. -Joe