I just got a python. How can I tell how old my new snake is?

Hi. It’s really impossible to accurately age reptiles. We can guess that they are juvenile, sub adult, or adult based on size, but this is not terribly accurate. Since reptiles are ecototherms and their metabolic rate is related to their environment, nutrition and temperature affect growth. Therefore, reptiles don’t grow based on chronological age, but rather based on the appropriateness of their previous husbandry. So we can see 2 reptiles of the exact chronological age have very different body sizes if one is fed and housed under one set of parameters compared to the other. Your best bet would be to have a new pet wellness exam done by your veterinarian who can maybe give you an educated guess. Good luck and enjoy your new pet!

It depends on who you ask, but I would consider Strangle to be a juvenile python. When he reaches about a year old, he would them be considered an adult python. Since he is still growing, consider feedin him every 5-7 days. When he is older/bigger, you can stretch out that time between feedings.

She is stunning. The best way to confirm good health is to have her examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. In the meantime, make sure she is active and alert. Look for missing scales or injury along the length of her body. Check in and around her mouth for discharge, redness or swelling. Offer appropriately sized prey. At her age, she is probably eating hopper or weanling mice depending on her weight. When feeding any reptile, it is important that the temperature is species appropriate. A cold snake will not eat. If you feed pre killed, be sure to completely thaw it and allow it to warm to at least room temp. Some owners choose to feed in a container other than the enclosure. A snake should not be handled after feeding to prevent regurgitation. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html

Find out when the snake was last fed. If it was fed recently, wait 3-5 days before feeding at home. If it hasn't eaten recently, it may eat right away. Each snake is different and not all will adhere to general guidelines.

All pythons vary in eating. Most eat weekly but based on shedding and weather they can eat less often. Most pythons grow based on their enclosure. If you want to have it grow bigger try a bigger enclosure and good husbandry (substrate,lighting,water) are super important.

Male veiled chameleons have a tarsal spur, a heel spur, that is present from hatching. Females do not. Check the back legs for this bump. If it is present, you have a male. There is no definitive method of determining age. Chameleons will grow at different rates. If possible, go back to Petco and ask the associate. There should be records which may contain a breeder/source and a hatch date.

Hello! Snake feeding requirements are more based on size and weight than on chronological age. So generally, yes a corn snake under 1 year should be eating pinkies and older corn snakes will typically start eating small mice, then larger mice, it can depend on the individual. I would recommend taking Franklin to a reptile vet for a wellness/new pet exam and they can give a much more specific feeding recommendation based on their exam findings. Since I can’t see Franklin, it’s hard for me to give you a specific instruction about size and number of mice or rats to feed, though I suspect that he should be eating more than just a pinkie every 2 weeks. Good luck!