I have a ball python who’s two years old now (Marshmallow) and growing veeeery slowly. I got her about the same time as another one of my BP babies (Sepia) and they’re only a couple months apart in age. She seems to be growing much more normally - I’ve been weighing them (and all the rest of my snakes) about once a month to track, and I just plotted their weights against each other to highlight the difference. Any ideas why Marshmallow is growing so slowly? Their care has been the exact same: fed once a week on rat fuzzies (Sepia is now on weaned) and for a while they were living in the same rack at the same temp until I moved Sepia to a larger enclosure as she grew. For a while Marshmallow was having really loose stools and I asked the breeder about it and he said it was fine as long as she keeps eating and pooping regularly, but her stools have firmed up now for the most part. Does anyone have any idea what may be causing this? Should I take Marshmallow to a vet?
It’s fine to me.
Growth rates aren’t set in stone. Just like people, our snakes will grow at different rates. Even just the individual genetics can be a factor in size.
I have a 5 year old girl who only weighs 1300gm. And a 2 year old at 1600gm and growing.
Here’s one set of siblings. One female is larger than her brother and sister.
Here’s another group of siblings. All females. The size difference is enormous. The smallest hatched at 32g and the other 2 at 52g and 55g.
Do u use a app for growth charts im curious i take photos of them on the scale but now that 2 r almost identicle im thinking that when i look at the photos of them now im probly ganna get mixed up and i dont like sifting through my photos anymore have u used any other apps that work well to that you recommend