Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if anyone has input on growth. I have three northerns from seperate clutches in 2000 and also a bull from the same year. They are all just pushing 5 ft. I don't power feed and I normally brumate every year regardless of age. The northern breeders were all well over 6 ft, the bull I don't know.They do seem small to me and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what is considered normal growth and what are your feeding habits.

Some examples of length and age from my collection are:

Burlington Co. northern pine-appr. 5 foot at 3 1/2 years.

Ocean Co. northern-appr. 30 inches in 9 months.

Albino northern pine-appr. over 4 foot at 2/12 years.

Locality het albino TX bull-appr. 4 foot in 2 1/2 years.

Snow southern pine-between 3 and 4 feet in 2 1/2 years.

Stillwater hypo bull-appr. 3 feet in 3 1/2 years.

Albino Applegate gopher-between 4 1/2 and 5 feet in 5 1/2 years.

Red cape gopher-appr. between 3 1/2 and 4 feet in 3 1/2 years.

Hope this helps! Of course this can vary from snake to snake. Some snakes grow faster than others, and I do not power feed any of my animals. I have seen both fast and slow growers in my collection.

Take care!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

Thanks Billy I hear so much about snakes reaching adult size in a short time I was just wondering if I dont push hard enough.

Well..some snakes can reach adulthood in a short time even if you feed them a lot less often than others. Then there are some that never seem to reach adulthood no matter what your feeding schedule is like.

What you described in your first post seem fine to me. My northern pine, Solomon, shown here was actually one of the fastest growing snakes I have ever had..and I just feed him, and all my others, once a week. Sometimes I look and decide to skip a meal every now and then with him and the others. I believe that always trying to keep them on the leaner side is better for them anyways. The breeder I got this snake from does exactly just that with his snakes and actually Solomon's mother lived to be 24, producing eggs up until age 23.

Kind of like with us. We are healthier with less excess weight and fat and being more lean. I of course am trying to be leaner these days! LOL!

Take care!

Billy

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Genesis 1:1

Interesting I have a cal king male that just turned twenty five in march and he was treated the same way all his life. Maybe fatter is deader for everything. Nice northern who did you get your two from.

Twenty five year old cal king? WOW!!!!! How awesome is that??? See...that is proof right there!

The northern pine snake pictured was purchased from John Meltzer.

Take care!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

Billy said it all--WOW!!!!!! I am reknown in these parts for butchering cliches but here goes--the proof is in the pudding!! I don't believe you'll get longevity like you have with your king, by power feeding. The rush to get snakes to breeding size I believe is hard on them. Now having said that, if we look at wild populations we find some years, when food is abundant, that the snakes seem to gourge themselves. Other years, when food is scarce the snakes make due with less. I lived in Pearsall, TX, for seven years and cruised the roads and turned tin/wood each year. Some years were drought years with an apparent drop in food items. Snakes found were relatively thin. In years when there was significant rain in the early and late winter with more spring growth, the snakes found were almost obese, esecially the Western Diamondback Rattlers. Conditions are so different in the wild, that it is difficult to apply to captive keeping the same parameters. I try to feed every 7-10 days and I feed several smaller items rather than one big item. It works for me and I like my critters more on edge, ready to react rather than living like I do with my big butt in my office not getting exercise, etc Just my $.04.

Oh, and Billy, I still covet that Pine of yours!!! And that is sin!!!

Pat G-C

Hey Pat..don't be coveting your neighbor's pituophis! LOL!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

I can't help myself--I do that which I hate!!!

Pat G-C

HA HA!!!
That rules Pat!!!!!

Hey...post some new pics if you can!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1