abnormal size?

meteor0 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 08:36 PM

so my columbian was supposedly 8 months old when i got her. she was 23/24 inches then. shes about a year old now. she's 26 inches now.

i just went to a website with a picture of another 1 year old snake that must be about 45 inches.. the owner is an amateur and probably wouyldnt powerfeed. thay are the same age! i feed my snake a mouse once a week. is something wrong with her? isnt this growth rate abnormal?

pathfinder36 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 08:50 PM

I'd say yes. Every yearling that has been properly fed/aged is between 38-50'' in length. My 10.5 -11 month old Colombian is 43'' currently, and my roomate's (slightly younger) is 46''. A mouse a week is your problem. Colombians (and most other boas) except in rare circumstances should eat rats of appropriate size most of thier lives. I started mine on rat pinks or pups and are now on small\medium rats. A good rule of thumb for prey size is:
The prey should be (imagine it without hair) the same girth or slightly larger then the girth of your snake at it's widest spot. Mice will cause a slower groth rate due to a lack of proper nutrition when compared to rats. Get your colombian on rats and you'll notice a significant increase in groth rate over the next couple of months.

pathfinder36 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 08:53 PM

(in regards to above, I meant every yearling I've seen... not every one period)

Here's a pic of my 11 month old Colombian... Coma:

themoononastick · #4 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 09:09 PM

my year and a half BCI's are, i think, about 36 to 40 inches long(ish).

They get fed one fuzzy/small rat each week with occasional longer periods of up to 15 days, live in a leafy viv with plenty of climbing space, a balcony with a decent view and a double garage just behind an immaculately tended lawn.

garrett · #5 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 09:56 PM

see, i have a problem. I live in a province where rats are illegal, so what should I do?
(sorry for hijacking ur thread)

pathfinder36 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 10:07 PM

Order frozen rats from www.rodentpro.com

Frozen feeders shouldn't be illegal. I can see if you were feeding live, but you shouldn't do that anyhow. =)

themoononastick · #7 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 10:27 PM

and... if you're not in america there's always www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk

they seem to do rats at good prices.

garrett · #8 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 10:30 PM

I live in Canada

themoononastick · #9 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 10:52 PM

Have you looked here: http://www.anapsid.org/resources/preysources.html

??

buck2003 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 10:52 PM

Mt male bci is 13 mths old now, was born november 03, he's over 3ft now, prob closer to 4ft tbh and on sml rats.

louise · #11 (**permalink**) 01-21-2005, 11:56 PM

my boas always got rat pups then rats when bigger.

The Big Squeeze · #12 (**permalink**) 01-23-2005, 02:08 AM

Certainly a rat based diet will increase his/her growth rate...!

ChicagoCubs22 · #13 (**permalink**) 01-23-2005, 02:52 AM

mine is a little bit over a year old and she looks like the one in that pic. Just shed btw, and id estimate maybe 40 inches give or take. its a female, her name is nara. growing great now, shes on f/t medium rats, and i think i can blame a slow start to her growth on mice. She at primarily mice as a young-ion. She has been eating noting but rats now.

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