Blood Python Feeding Schedule/Size?

[55fingers]

Hello! I am new to blood pythons though I have been researching and looking to get one for quite a while. We attended an expo a few weeks ago and ended up putting a deposit on one. We are currently setting up her enclosure and ensuring temps and humidity are stable before we bring her home.

I was about to go ahead and make another rat purchase haul as some of my other snakes need sized up soon, however I am unsure what is normal for a feeding schedule/size of food. The breeders have told us that she is on one XXXL rat (475g - 600g) every 4 weeks. I didn't really question this but now I am reading a lot saying that most adult blood pythons don't need more than a large rat (not sure about frequency). I know bloods are prone to obesity so I want to be careful. I'll be asking the breeders for her exact weight as soon as I can before I decide what feeders to purchase. That being said, what do you feed your bloods and how often? Is there a body weight % rule when it comes to bloods (I usually like aiming around 10% the body weight for my ball pythons and 15-20% for my carpet)? Just wanted to see if her current feeding schedule sounds normal or if it needs adjusted when I acquire her. I appreciate any insight!

[GoingPostal]

My short tails are all adults, mostly males, I only have one female but I offer a medium or large rat or chicken or quail every 2-4 weeks, not much of a schedule I know but it depends by the snake also. Some of mine gain weight very easily and others never seem to on the same diet so I go a little lighter on the chunky ones and bigger meals on the ones that can use it. I don't feed those huge rats to anything as they are so fatty it's not really recommended. Mine are also pets only, breeders likely feed heavier as needed.

[SpookySnakes]

Honestly, I'm wondering something similar now that my girls turned 5 or so recently and I got a recommendation to change her feeding. I've been hearing some people say a large rat every 2 weeks, some say they feed adults medium rats weekly. But the recommendation I got was to feed her an ~500 g rat every 6 weeks, so it's what I've been trying with her.

I mean she's healthy looking; good color, regular activity (a chunky blood python, so hardly any activity lol), and I can only see a slight ridge on her spine only when I pick her up. She's also just a pet, not a breeder. I mean she seems alright but she is my first blood so I'm wondering too what seems to be the best feeding schedule. Is 6 weeks too extreme with a really large rat? Are people just feeding their bloods a lot more since they're breeders? I've heard that some people also feed to often because they want the snake to get as bulky as fast as possible.

It's too bad that there's not a lot of consistent information on blood python feeding.

[Malum Argenteum]

There's no one best feeding schedule. Of the snake species I keep a handful of specimens of, each has their own preferences and to some extent their own schedule. Snakes are opportunists by nature, and will eat when and whatever is available.

It is important to monitor the snake's weight (not too fat or thin; this has a lot to do with caging and temps, too), and also apparent preferences (do they refuse larger or smaller prey more often?) and feed them when they're exhibiting signs of being hungry. Honestly, feeder pricing and availability can figure into the calculation too, though hopefully the snake's needs come first -- a rat that's only a buck more but twice as large might be a reasonable option all things considered.