Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

First a little intro. I purchased my first snake, a CH 2 month old baby ball, from a shop on 7/25. I was told to feed it 5 days later so I did, and within 5 minutes it was gobbling down a thawed hopper. Next week I fed it again and I had not dangled the mouse in front ot it for 5 seconds when he struck it and coiled. Same thing this last Friday...3 seconds of dangling and BAM!!. Awesome snake. For now he's in a sweater box with three hide boxes - cool, warm, and warm/humid, as well as a water bowl big enough for him to soak completely.

My questions are -

1. How fast do ball pythons grow?
2. How often do they shed?
3. Should the thermometer be reading the temperature at the surface of the substrate, in the middle, or at the bottom of the tank?

Thanx,

Snake Eater.

my snakes generally shed about every 4-6 weeks, a little less when full grown. they grow alot the first 18 months, should be able to eat small rats at least by 12 months or sooner. for my ground dwelling snakes i monitor the temps at the bottom. hope this may help! NERD has a nice website with a good caresheet also i like the SNAKEKEEPER website

thanks

vaughn

>1. How fast do ball pythons grow?

This varies on a number of things: how often they are fed, what they are fed, their enclosure temperatures, their general health, etc. There are a few unscientific charts that have been published. You can even find one in the Ball Python Manual. Is there anything specific you want to know in this area?

>2. How often do they shed?

This depends on the answers to the first question. On average, my BPs shed 5-6 weeks until adulthood. It fluctuates though. Sometimes they shed as often as every 4 weeks or as long as 3 months.

>3. Should the thermometer be reading the temperature at the surface of the substrate, in the middle, or at the bottom of the tank?

You really should measure several areas of your enclosure. You also want to focus on ambient air temp as well as any localized hot spots. You want a cool end, warm end and basking spot.
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Jay A. Martin