how big should my diamond be?

[pythomaniac]

I have not posted on here in a while. I have a diamond python that is about 3.5yrs old, how long and fat should he be? im feeding him once every 10 days and he is eating full grown mice (just about to change to small rats) and he is about 1.5m long and about 2cm thick in his largest part. his head is about 1.5cm from the joint at the jaw. is this a bit small or about right?

any suggestions on feeding?


thanks, Daniel

 

[tenacres1100]

im feeding him once every 10 days and he is eating full grown mice

I don't know how big he should be, but I'm feeding my adult spotted python full size mice once a week and it's not fat.
Daniel, I was told by a breeder that carpets should be on rats so my 8 & 10 mth MD's are already on pup or velvet rats, no more mice for them.

 

[disasterpiece7.0]

Sounds quite small. Could you get some pics?

 

[pythomaniac]

Sounds quite small. Could you get some pics?

I will see what i can do in a while. Do you think badly small, is it from under feeding?

 

[Chrisreptile]

A diamond that is 3.5 years old and 1.5m should be taking things alot bigger than mice.
Have you had him since a hatchling?

 

[dodgie]

If he is 1.5m long he should be eating big rats.He sounds way under weight.

 

[pythomaniac]

If he is 1.5m long he should be eating big rats.He sounds way under weight.

ahh thats what i get for neglecting the forum for 2 years

will post pics soon, ive had him since he was 10 months old.

 

[Chrisreptile]

Try and get a picture of him next to an everyday object for comparison.

 

[tenacres1100]

ahh thats what i get for neglecting the forum for 2 years

will post pics soon, ive had him since he was 10 months old.

don't be to hard on yourself, it's better to under feed than to over feed, just start giving it larger rats or mice over the next few weeks

 

[pythomaniac]

the tape is about 1m long,



the rats and mice are about 10cm if it dost show in pic.

 

[dodgie]

don't be to hard on yourself, it's better to under feed than to over feed, just start giving it larger rats or mice over the next few weeks

It's hard to say without seeing a pic of the animal but do not pump massive amounts of food into the animal,it may be to much for it to digest,feed it up slowly.

 

[pythomaniac]

should i wait until he ''poops" to feed him another mouse or rat, that is what i have been doing lately, he normally takes about one week.

 

[funcouple]

i have a female that age and she eats large rats 200g and is over 2m, and maybe as thick as a coke can at the widest part

 

[tenacres1100]

it doesn't look to bad to me , change up to rats the same size and take it from there. if it's only had mice it might not take them straight away. I wouldn't be feeding more than once a week at that age, 7-10 days is normal I think

 

[pythomaniac]

nahh ive fed him hopper rats before, loves em. he is a perfect eater takes the rat/mouse straight away if he dosnt want it i leave it on the bottom of his enclosure (very rarely) and he gets it when he wants it, he has never even mistaken a finger for a meal! ive never been bitten! the big fat white thing is a "small rat" as it says on the packet the thin mouse is an adult mouse.

All i want to know is if he looks healthy, what i should be feeding him and how often.

thanks everyone

 

[tenacres1100]

just take your time and increase the size until its on full size rats, it will do a bit of growing over the warmer weather.

 

[dodgie]

When he has eaten you should be able to see a small lump in his stomach (the rat) and that is the size rats he should get,if you can't see a lump the rat is to small and if you see a BIG lump the food is to big.I hope this makes sense.Until he puts on some weight feed him every 7-10 days.Once he has put on some beef feed him every 2-3 weeks.

 

[daniel1234]

No expert on diamonds, but my bredli is 1.5m he easily takes adult rats. My MD's are about 80cm and are taking adult mice. May like to seek others advice I really cant see why he would not take a rat now/next feed. Saw a diamond in a shop and they reckon it was a couple years old, and it looked pretty short but healthy. My bredli was shortish and has grown alot in the short time I have had him. I have just recently been pm'ing with Helikaon about feeding, and he recomends if giving small feeds allow at least four days before the next.

 

[davoid001]

I do agree that larger food is probably best
I feed Adult mice to my 2 year old 80cm diamond, good to stretch the skin. She gets one every 2-3 weeks.
At the same time though, there's no real size that a diamond 'should be'. Mine is a lot smaller than the average captive diamond at her age, but my reptile specialist vet said he was very pleased to see one her age at her size and reccomended a more spread out feeding schedule.
So don't be worried. Go bigger because its a good idea and would be better for him, but don't think you've done him ill
Regards
Captain Dave

 

[Pythons Rule]

way to small mate, 3.5 years and only 1.5 metres and on large mice for a diomand is rediculous. there not the same built python as coastals there much more chunckier and a mate has diomands at about the same age and there just over 2 metre's just like has been said already, I'd say a 1.5 - 2 year old diomand would be 1.5metres how can you not ask sooner if he's been in this situation for 2 years. sorry if I come on strong but he looks very underweight.

try feeding him a medium rat once a week - fortnight some of mine are that size and are on medium rat's to large rats a month but there at there right length and weight. he will start showing some real changers in the next few months.

another way you can test if he is underweight is gently pinching the side of him and if you can grab anything then he is keep doing that now and then till you can't grab it, to tell if there over weight you will be able to see fat rings on the sides of him. if you can't pinch and if you cant see fat rings then he is at right weight.

if you feed it way too fast and don't space meals out after every poo, and feed too much in too short a break inbetween meals your snake may get pin head sindrome.