Ive had my ball python, female, for about 5- 6 years now and she is about 3.5 feet long. ive never really power fed her until recently ive been feeding her more and she is a voracious eater. She has never refused a meal and eats her prey within a minute of dropping it into the tank. do ball pythons continue growing at this age. could she get any bigger or is she pretty much the size that she will be for life. I want her to grow grow grow
All reptiles grow throughout their life However once adults they don't grow to any substantial amount. After adult they might grow 1mm every year or so.
Most animals grow the most in their first 1-2 yrs. After that they slow down Alot! In a few years you can expect a 4ft snake but not till then.
I actually heard that pythons kind of grow with their cage size. I had a ball python 2 years ago and he was only about 4 feet in a 15 gallon and he lived in there for about 2 years without growing. then we moved him to a thirty gallon and he grew another 2 feet pretty fast.
Passionwave, you are incorrect! What you have done to that BP is animal cruelty! Snakes will grow throughout their entire life if they are fed properly, housing does not have any bearing on growth rate. The proper size enclosure would be a minimum of 1 square foot of floor space per foot of snake.
Yes, what Stormy, and passion said... they will grow a certain amount depending on tank size.. and like passion said, if moved to larger enclosure, they will get bigger
***** A SNAKES GROWTH CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED BY KEEPING IT IN A SMALL CAGE!!!!! ****** ***** THAT IS CRUEL TO THE SNAKE! ****** In case anyone missed what I just typed, here it is again! ... ***** A SNAKES GROWTH CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED BY KEEPING IT IN A SMALL CAGE!!!!! ****** ***** THAT IS CRUEL TO THE SNAKE! ****** If a person is using cage size to keep a snake small they are mistaken.... the only thing it will do is make the snake live in a cramped environment. If the snake is being fed properly it will continue to grow it's entire life no matter what size cage it is in.
Stormy is right. That is just an old wive's tale. Keeping a snake that size in a 15 gallon tank is inhumane and could get you into a lot of trouble should the ASPCA or Humane Society in your area found out. It is cruelty. It would be like making a teenager live in a baby crib. You should not attempt to control snake growth by feeding less or by small housing. You should be feeding that snake the properly size and amount of food it requires at EVERY feeding throughout it's life. The snake should be in a cage that is big enough for it to stretch out, move around easily, and be able to stay completely and easily on the warm or cool side. Meaning that if they choose to bask, they should be able to have enough room to coil or stretch out underneath the basking area without any part of their body touching the cooler side. And for a four foot BP, that would mean at least a couple of square feet of floor space. Saying that animals grow according to the size of their cage is an ignorant statement. You cannot stop the growth of an animal. By inadequate housing and feeding you can do a lot of damage to the animal's growth and development and I don't just mean size...I mean damage to internal organs, skeletal structure, and behavior. Yes, snakes needs mental stimulation also and by keeping it in a cramped cage is not stimulating. By advising someone to attempt to control the natural process of growth, is advising them to be guilty of animal cruelty and neglect.
... For people not so snake savy .. What size cgae is approiate for a ball python, then? a 45 gal? 30 gal? Don't they like height rather than width (or am I in the wrong specis?) I'm so glad someone posted this because the kid at the pet store told us the same thing about the size of the cage vs the size of the snake. I want to learn all I can before Leo goes and buys his snake so he can be healthy! What about a 55 gal? I have one of those that I was gunna get rid of, but if the 55 is the right size, I'll keep it. (We have like six extra tanks just sitting around "just in case" lol) Thanks! -Julez
I don't like to use glass aquariums because they are so narrow. But if you are getting a juvenile BP, then a 55 would be okay. BPs don't need a lot of climbing space. I would go for more floor space, a more square cage than rectangular. A lot of people keep adults in aquariums without any problems, but I think they are too narrow, not just for the snake, but also for you when it comes to handling and cage care. A cage with a front-opening door is easier in my opinion with larger enclosures and larger snakes. People have different opinions obviously, but technically a 55 gallon would be acceptable.
BoyntonStylez..... can you back to the pet store and smack the kid that told you that snakes will grow according to cage size biochic is right abouth the front opening cage being a lot easier.... but the glass tanks will work. As a bare minimum figure one sf of floor space per foot of snake. I like to go a little bigger though, I use 3/4 of the length of the snake for cage length and a minimum of at least a 1/4 of the snakes length in cage width though. ie: a minimum size cage for a 6' boa would be 4.5' x 1.5'. Adjust those dimensions to some more practical sizes and you would have a minimum of a 4x2. You can always go bigger if you want.
If someone wants to use an aquarium I always suggest using a 40 gallon breeder tank. They measure 36" long by 18" wide by 17" tall. That size tank should happily house all but the very biggest of ball pythons all of their lives. I too think the 13" width of other aquariums are just too narrow. Not that usuing a 55 gallon will do any harm, I just feel that a snake would be more comfortable with the extra width. As far as racks go, my adult rack usues 41qt sterilite containers. They measure 34 1/2" long by 16 1/2" wide by 6" tall. They do a good job, the three snakes I have left in them seem to do just as well as the snakes that are in my boaphiles. As long as a balls housing and husbandry and food needs are being met it really does matter what you use. Be it wood cages, melamine, plastic, aquariums, racks, etc. But I still have to laugh at the thought of a snakes enclosure size stopping it from growing. Where do poeple come up with some of this crap?
for those of use not in the know... count me BIG time in that, sterilite? Is that like rubbermaid or something completly different? I'm picturing the clear plastic storage coontainers?
Some critters *can* be growth-limited based on what size cage they're kept in I kiiiiiiiiid....old internet hoax, folks...don't email me
Oscar, Sorry my bad, Sterilite is just another plastics manufacturer like Rubbermaid. You are picturing correctly!!
