How to tell if your Snake is a Proper Weight by Snake Discovery
So your snake is looking a little chubby. Is that really a problem? After all, it looks kind of cute with those fat rolls, right?
Previously, I covered how to get your snake back to a healthy weight if it has gotten overweight.
Just like with humans, snake bodies exist on a spectrum from underweight to normal weight to overweight to obese. It is known that a severely underweight snake is in a dire health condition, and snakes will die much more quickly from being underweight than overweight.
Being overweight is unfortunately very common for ball pythons in captivity. As pet owners, we want to give our snakes the best care possible. However, it’s easy to accidentally overfeed or under-exercise a ball python, leading to obesity.
An overweight ball python can suffer from reduced mobility, health issues, and a shortened lifespan. So it’s important for any ball python owner to learn how to recognize if their snake is overweight, understand the causes, and take steps to get their ball python back to a healthy weight.
How to Tell if Your Ball Python is Overweight
There are several clear visual signs that indicate an overweight ball python
- Thickened back and neck, with the spine barely visible
- Head looks smaller compared to the body
- Visible wrinkles and folds when coiled
- Obvious fat deposits at the tail and vent area
- Skin visible between scales
- Body feels soft and squishy
A healthy ball python should have a visible spine when viewed from above. An overweight snake will have fat obscuring the spine. Healthy snakes also feel firm to the touch, while fat deposits make overweight snakes feel soft and puffy.
Severe obesity leads to even more noticeable indicators. An obese ball python will have large fat rolls and may look rounded or segmented due to the amount of fat buildup.
What Causes Ball Pythons to Become Overweight
There are a few primary reasons pet ball pythons often become overweight or obese:
Overfeeding
It’s easy to overfeed a ball python without realizing it Many owners feed juveniles too often – they should only be fed weekly Adult ball pythons only need to eat every 10-14 days. Offering prey that is too large can also lead to obesity over time.
Lack of Exercise
Ball pythons are ambush predators that don’t move around much in the wild. But in captivity, their enclosures are often too small and bare to allow natural movements and exploration. Lack of “exercise” can contribute to weight gain.
Power Feeding
Some breeders intentionally overfeed ball pythons to get them to breeding size more quickly. An overweight snake from a breeder can become obese in the new owner’s care if not fed properly.
Providing Proper Care for an Overweight Ball Python
If you discover your ball python is overweight, don’t worry. With some adjustments to their care, you can help them slim down and improve their health. Here are some tips:
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Reduce feeding frequency: Follow the feeding guidelines outlined above for juveniles and adults. Weigh prey items to avoid oversized meals.
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Add enrichment: Give your snake more opportunities to move around with additional climbing branches, hide spots, and other decor. Rotate new enrichment items to keep things interesting.
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Increase handling: Frequent handling imitates exercise and increases activity levels. Handle daily if your snake is comfortable with it.
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Re-evaluate enclosure size: The enclosure should allow full stretching and free range of motion. Add height for climbing. The minimum for an adult is 36” x 18” x 12”.
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Implement exercise routines: Let your snake roam under supervision or create “obstacle courses” outside the enclosure to encourage movement. Climbing stairs is excellent exercise.
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Track weight weekly: Use a kitchen scale to weigh your snake and note progress. Consult a vet if no improvement after a few months. With proper care adjustments, your ball python can lose the excess weight and regain its health!
Being overweight or obese puts ball pythons at risk for health issues and mobility problems. It’s vital for owners to recognize if their snake is overweight early on and take corrective actions like adjusting feedings, enriching enclosures, and implementing exercise routines. With close monitoring and updated husbandry, an overweight ball python can successfully return to a healthy weight.
Effects of obesity in snakes
Obese snakes are at higher risk for clogged arteries, liver disease, kidney disease, and heart disease, just like humans with obesity. When snakes are overfed and underexercised for long periods of time, it tends to reduce their lifespan.
Obesity also causes a snake to become less active, which can weaken their muscles over time, as well as continuing to increase their weight because of inactivity.
Overfeeding young snakes to get them to grow faster (power feeding) has also been shown to shorten their lifespans dramatically, sometimes cutting the lifespan in half.
How do you know if your snake is obese?
How to tell if your Snake is a Proper Weight by Snake Discovery
It can be difficult to know whether a snake is overweight just by looking at it because different snake species have different body types. In most snakes, a visible V-shape at the spine is a sign of being underweight, but there are some species in which that appearance is normal.
Likewise, some snakes simply look chubbier than others. That being said, there are a few signs that point to a snake having too much body fat.
Signs of a snake being overweight or obese include:
- Rounded back with the spine not easily visible on the top side of the body
- “Cleavage” on the sides of the spine rather than an evenly rounded spine
- The appearance of “hips” on the lower third of the body
- Fat rolls in the bend when a snake bends its body
- Lack of definition between the head and the neck
- Scale spread (skin visible between the scales)
Note that on heavier-bodied species, there may be some normal scale spread when they move the body in certain positions. Also, scale spread occurs normally after a large meal or when a snake is gravid or pregnant. It is when scale spread is apparent at all times that it indicates a weight issue.
Experienced keepers can tell the difference between handling a snake with obesity and a snake with eggs or pregnancy because the snakes that are carrying young or eggs have a firmer feel to the “fat” areas, and the overweight snakes feel squishy.
How to tell if your Snake is a Proper Weight by Snake Discovery
How to tell if your Snake is a Proper Weight
FAQ
What to do if my ball python is overweight?
- Add additional enrichment items to the enclosure.
- Handle more often, encouraging movement (although not so much as to cause stress)
- Create “obstacle courses” for the snake to explore outside of the enclosure.
How do I tell if my snake is too fat?
A good way to tell is go to the tail (last few inches of the snakes body before the cloaca) and see if it is smooth taper all the way up. Obese ball pythons tend to bulge out around their body and you can see it in that spot. If there is a smooth transition between tail to body it’s probably good weight proportions.
How to help your snake lose weight?
The best way to get a reptile to loose weight is to feed it just as often as before but instead of small rats feed it a mouse. So many people try to just stop feeding their snake but snakes have gone on record for not eating for over a year and they don’t lose much weight at all.
What does an unhealthy snake look like?
You may be able to see the soft tissue between the scales where the skin has stretched out, and there may be palpable fat deposits throughout the body that make the snake appear uneven. You may also see physical fat rolls, some people may think this is cute, but it is very unhealthy and potentially lethal.”