Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok i got my ball python 6 years ago. i was told that a typical ball will reach 4 ft in captivity. then i find people that have like 5 to 5 1/2 ft. how big is a "typical" ball python?
what is the growth like. do they just keep growing all their life or do they stop at a cirtin age?

im not sure that im feeding adiquite size food. how do i know other than feed her till she dont eat. i figure on bout the girth of my snakes mid section? i also feed bout every 7-10 days. when i see that she goes to the bathroom she gets fed.

Ball python size tends to vary greatly, especially by age and sex. 6 foot is not unheard of for females of considerable age (15 years) but the average BP will be around 4.5 feet.

A snake should be offered food items that are as big around as the widest/girthiest part of the snake's body. Most snakes will take one of these a week and that would be a solid meal. However, Ball pythons are notorious fasters. They may eat an appropriately sized for item every week for several months, then not eat for the rest of the year. Adults of breeding size tend to do this most frequently over the winter months. I still recommend offering a food item every 3-4 weeks during this time just in case the snake gets peckish (and mine do).
-----
26 year old 0.1 from Lincoln, NE
Ball Pythons - 0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma, 0.1 Yellowbelly, 2.1 Normals
Kingsnakes - 1.0 L. m. thayeri, 0.1 L. m. thayeri X L. alterna, 1.0 L. g. californiae
Other - 0.1 Whitesided P. catenifer sayi, 1.0 H. nascicus, ?.? Chrysemys picta, 1.0 husband