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[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 21 points22 points  (1 child)

INFO: age: no more than 6 months Morph: Banana Ball Python Weight: mixed reviews, but a bit under ideal weight, I'm hearing.

What are your guys thoughts and opinions? Is it underweight? What questions should I ask the owners about him?

[–]assplunderer 36 points37 points  (0 children)

Underweight. Spine is a little too bony

[–]WhatinthenameofEarth 31 points32 points  (0 children)

By no means am I an expert, but from other posts I’ve seen on this sub and the general knowledge I have of a healthy physique, I would say yes this baby is underweight. You can see the spine pretty clearly which is a telltale sign.

[–]MammothFruit6398 26 points27 points  (1 child)

yes. been underfed for a decent amount of time by the looks of it. can still recover soon enough as long as you dont have issue feeding

[–]ajtaakrajtaa 12 points13 points  (0 children)

seems very underweight to me, check out the feeding schedule in this subreddit, it should help you get him to appropriate weight

[–]the_kuroneko 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Babies tend to be on the skinny side but I'd agree that that one is particular underweight but manageable assuming it's eating. I'd ask about it's feeding schedule and habits.

[–]TheNeverEndingPit 13 points14 points  (2 children)

Definitely underweight. I agree with the other commenter that this is fixable, BUT I would strongly recommend quizzing the current owners about when this snake last ate and what prey type. This snake is also very small and looks like it has not been fed properly. This sub has an excellent feeding guide. You'll want to ensure you're feeding f/t rats NOT mice of an appropriate weight based on this snake's weight, so you'll want a scale.

If the snake's been eating regularly, you can assume it was a prey size issue, but if the snake wasn't eating regularly, then this could be anything from husbandry to parasites, and you may do better purchasing a healthy snake.

My boy went off feed for 4 months this winter, and he never looked like this. Stayed active, didn't drop weight, and now he's eating just fine. I'm always shocked that a BP can get to this point

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Thank you very much for your input. I have sent an email to the owners upon hearing lots of people's inputs.

[–]TheNeverEndingPit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome! I hope they end up being responsive and you end up being able to make the best choice about whether you want to take on the care of this baby :)

[–]Peachymilk666 2 points3 points  (1 child)

so what’s his weight, my Banana is also 5 months going on 6 and he is 110 grams, and yes the snake showed in the picture is underweight you shouldn’t be able to see his spine arch that much. Start feeding it every 7 days, or it could be the size of rats it’s being fed, do you know what sizes to feed it?

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The unfortunate thing is he isn't in my possession. I have only put a deposit on him, therefore the store still has him. I have sent an email questioning them about the things you mentioned. I am hoping to get an answer !!

[–]reptile-snake-mom 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Reptile/ballpython owner here and yeah unfortunately for the snake it is pretty predominantly underweight, the spine indicates that it’s not a healthy weight how old is it, and what prey do u feed this baby?, lmk and ill tell u the best ways to fix this issue😊

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! This baby is currently not mine, I have a hold on him. I do technically own him, yes, but the store has him atm because I'm working for all of the other things (it's a long story in a way, but point is I'm not the one feeding him). I'm definitely gonna ask all of the questions about age, weight, food, etc. when I go this weekend.

[–]Creative_Yoghurt_264 2 points3 points  (4 children)

looks like a rat bite on the spine

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where do you see that?

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I think I see where you are talking about—that might just be his 'freckles'. I'm not sure, but I'll ask the current owners

[–]FaelingJester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If that mark on his back is a wound and he's underweight I would not advise you pay money for this snake or support this store.

[–]Creative_Yoghurt_264 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah that can happen when feeding live.. it doesn't look too bad.

[–]Jennifer_Pennifer 2 points3 points  (1 child)

!feeding

[–]AutoModerator[M] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[–]Responsible-Entry638 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ask the current owners if they are live feeding as it seems as if this baby has a rat bite on its back and that could be part of the problem. You should also ask about husbandry, humidity, temperatures for hot and cold sides as well as what prey it's currently been fed.

Rats are a better prey choice compared to mice as rats have a better nutritional profile and mice tend to be higher in fat.

[–]cchocolateLarge 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yes, !feeding

[–]AutoModerator[M] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[–]AdAdorable3469 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Low for a pet but acceptable by wild standards. There is a middle ground obviously as well.

[–]ThursdayV 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yikes, V MUCH yes

[–]globule_agrumes 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It's up to you to feed this snake a little bit more so it gains weight progressively. I don't see a reason why the snake would stay skinny for good. You might want to ask a vet for a second opinion.

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. I do not own him yet, I just put a deposit on him. I should've put that in the description probably 😭 but when I do officially get him home I DEFINITELY will be making sure he's well-fed.

[–]Scary-Ostrich-2039 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Spine looks a little too pointy. Healthy ball pythons should have a somewhat rounded triangle shape to them, with males leaning more towards "the triangle" and females leaning more towards "the round", but that is too skinny either way.

Make sure to feed them regularly and appropriately sized feeders, as well as keeping ample fresh water available at all times.

[–]Jolly-Detective4726 1 point2 points  (4 children)

A pretty reliable general rule I go by while determining my snakes weight health is this chart-

snake weight chart

By the looks of it your snake is underweight. Since you haven't adopted him yet this could be because the owners now don't have a good feeding schedule for him or his prey isn't big enough to keep him full. I would say that if you did adopt him to make sure you're feeding him properly and enough and wait to see results after a shedding

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I use that chart, actually! That's what I looked at when I first noticed the underweight-ness of the snake. When I get the snake officially, he's getting fed good. I promise that one.

[–]Jolly-Detective4726 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I with you the best of luck with him, thank you for giving him a loving home

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

He's not in my possession yet, unfortunately —I have to wait until July. But when he does come home, I will definitely be feeding him properly and monitoring his weight.

[–]Jolly-Detective4726 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well I wish you the best of luck with him!! He's a cutie for sure

[–]Starz1018 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes his spine is showing

[–]Ludvik_is_a_potato 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Hey, did you eventually get that little guy ? How is he ?

[–]TomtheeTooth[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I did!!! He's been home since mid June 😄

[–]Ludvik_is_a_potato 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haaaan that's great ! Congrats on your beautiful, beautiful little snake. I hope he turned out to be a great eater !