Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Spot is done with the antibiotics! WOOHOO! I don't know if the RI is 100% gone yet, but it's very close.

Also, he ate!! If this doesn't prove he's a fighter, I don't know what does. Not only that, but he ate 2 F/T !!!! He scared the CRAP outta me when he struck the first time. All it took was a bit of teasing. He swallowed it rear first, for whatever reason (and didn't constrict either).

He was pretty quick about #2 as well!

I do have a question though...he got these down fast, do you think they are too small? It only took about 2 minutes per mouse. However, they did leave bulges. He's a bit thin after this ordeal, so I'm having a hard time telling what a good size meal would be for him.

I think he's earned a few days rest! It's soooo awesome that he took F/T!
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder
Watch for grinning-geckos.com coming this summer!

6:12:2 Leos Gilean, Aurora, Tigerlily ...Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

Congratulations! That is good news - as for what he eats - it's hard to tell what his size is from the photos - do you have a weight? Most hatchlings can easily take a wean to small adult size mouse or a fuzzy to pup size rat. Approximately 15-20% of their body weight, but since he's been sick and on meds it's probably best you didn't feed him too much this week. Since he is such a good eater I would try to get him on rats as soon as possible to avoid problems converting later on.

Congrats again.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

11.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

He was 72g at the vets on 1/18. I didn't think to weigh the fuzzies, but they looked a little small. That's why I fed 2. He's a good 16" long...so he's on the skinny side right now.
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder
Watch for grinning-geckos.com coming this summer!

6:12:2 Leos Gilean, Aurora, Tigerlily ...Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

Thanks for posting length and weight. As Tosha can tell you, I have an obsesion with lengths and weights. Every time someone posts both, I'm putting the numbers in a file. Eventually, I'll be able to plot a rough progression of snake sizes.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

Hey Bill -

Snapped this one especially for you - these two girls are coming up on thier first birthday (same clutch) - they were both around 48 grams when I got them - the bigger one is about 3 feet and a bit over 800 grams and the smaller one is about 2 feet and in the mid 300s. Fluffy on the other had was 46 inches at one year old and about 1400 grams. Very variable.

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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

11.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Thanks for the information, for the picture, and for being tolerant of my neurotic tendencies.

I'm making peace with the fact that my snake won't be in the center of the bell curve (or whatever distribution describes python growth). As long as my girl will eat something every week, I'm happy enough. I'd be happier if I could get her to take 15 to 20 percent of her body weight, but if she takes one 10 gram fuzzy, she'll get to where she needs to be. I also have to consider that she may be holding back slightly right now because we're in the winter months. While I don't think her cage is any cooler than it was previously, she may be waiting for something that I can't sense.

When I looked at Cheryl's data, I noticed that most of the snakes that she tracked went between 100 grams and 200 grams very quickly. Most would hit 200 grams within a month of hitting 100 grams. My snake was around 115 grams when I bought the scale in early December and is only around 140 grams now. However, I found one of Cheryl's snakes that took a few months to pass through this weight range, so I'm satisfied that things are going okay.

As I've said in other places, I tend to make mistakes in life that are the opposite of the ones that everyone else makes. I've worried that if I make a fatal mistake in husbandry, the mistake will be one that most keepers have never encountered. Therefore, I take comfort when my snake follows the patterns that everyone else's snakes follow and become a little obsessive about watching those patterns.

The good news is that my girl is on track to follow the growth of the 300 gram snake that you showed and one from Cheryl's collection. While I'd like to have size quickly because I like big snakes, I'm enjoying her while she's small.

Thanks,

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

I think you'll find after she reaches about 300 grams you'll turn around to weigh her again and she's 1000 grams overnight they seem to do this amazing growth spurt about then.

LOL - don't worry - we all have our neurosis!
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

11.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

that is good info tosha all 3 of our bps have hit the 300 mark.
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2.1.0 ball python (aragorn, frodo, arwen)
2.0.0 columbian boa (wiggles and squiggles)
1.0.0 rat snake (alabastered)
0.1.0 corn snake (baby)
3.3.0 cats (rockie, bs, brownie, lerrado, kole, camie)
1.3.0 kids (dilyen, dakota, chyanne, sierra)
Brian n Chrissy