# Growth rate of Coastal Carpet Python



## Mat001 (Dec 11, 2009)

Hi, I'm a relatively new snake owner and I've got a beautiful carpet python that I'm told is about 1.5 years old. He is currently 95cm long and about 3 cm in diameter (about thumb width). My question is, what sized mice should I be feeding him and how quickly do they grow? He doesn't appear to be growing a lot and I'm worried that I'm underfeeding him. He currently gets two weaner mice every Sunday and I was about to get him a bigger size this coming week.

Any help with this will be very much appreciated. 

Thanks,

Mat


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## fritzi2009 (Dec 11, 2009)

Weaner mice sound way too small, I don't own a coastal though haha. PLENTY of people here do though, My guess is he should be feeding on rats by now.


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## fritzi2009 (Dec 11, 2009)

Not massive adult ones though. Maybe pinky/fuzzy rats. Not certain though. I dont need to feed my snake rats haha


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## sacred_DUC (Dec 11, 2009)

bump up the size of food, should be getting him onto rats, fuzzy rats small rats are what would be your best choice

growth rate is well some times u don't even relise they are growing unless u actually measure them


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## Mat001 (Dec 11, 2009)

Wow! I feel so bad. He looks way too skinny to eat rats though. I'll see what sizes are available and give it a go. Thanks.


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## karasha (Dec 11, 2009)

hey my coastal is coming up to 2yrs next month and he is 1.2m and weighs about 400gm. i feed him 2 small rats every two weeks and he smashes them, hed probably eat more given an oppurtunity. so i seriously reckon you should get him on to rats. also weigh him regularly to see how much he is growing.


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## Mat001 (Dec 11, 2009)

Should I just bump him up to rats straight away or slowly increase the size?


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## karasha (Dec 11, 2009)

slowly increase the size and as the size increase stretch the time between feed out to 10-14 days.


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## Mat001 (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks for all the help people. I immediately increased him to adult mice for two weeks and now have him on weaner rates. He seems much happier and I was amazed at how quickly he struck at and devoured the rats. I'll be sure to weigh him regularly and increase his food size as he grows. Thanks again!


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## ozianimals (Jan 2, 2010)

A good indicator for the food size, It should be approx. 1.5 times the pythons girth at the largest point and that is a good size. You should see a small lump after he/she has eaten.


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## wokka (Jan 2, 2010)

For a snake a meter long and as thick as your thumb I would feed a weaner rat which is about 50- 70 grams.


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## Jarden (Jan 2, 2010)

My coastal is almost 12months he can easily eat 80g rats which are about a small adult, He is alot bigger then your one get him onto rats as soon as possible some snakes go fussy after eating mice for along time


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## wokka (Jan 2, 2010)

big is not necessarily beautiful. Snakes growth is determined by the amount of food they are fed. I would expect an 18 month old snake as thick as your finger and a meter long is quite healthy. For that age it could be twice that size, or half that size depending on what it had eaten.


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## learner74 (Jan 6, 2010)

my coastal is about 12months( about 85cm) and i feed him 1 fuzzie a week, he eats them with ease.


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## dazzarama (Jan 6, 2010)

my 10month old coastal is about over 1m and eats a hopper rat 1nce a week


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