Runt of the litter?

[Stefan-A]

Hey guys I wanted to know when breeders refer to a snake as the "runt of the litter" does it specifically mean a problem feeder or does it also apply to every snake that is a slow grower, or born with a birth defect, etc.?

Can't speak for the breeders, but I usually associate the term "runt" with an individual that's smaller and weaker than the others at birth, perhaps sickly, tends to be unable to successfully compete for food with the others (among birds and mammals, at least) and as a result, it lags behind developmentally. Deformed and problem eaters are in my opinion something different.