exhaustive subject, but what size rat should I feed my 9 month Ball Python?

[queenelvis82]

Hey all!
Just a quick question. I have a female BP that weighs about 450 grams. I have been feeding her small rats every five days that are the same size as the widest part of her body. She has been taking them, but with a lot of hesitance. Been researching online and a few people say that medium rats are the main size that female ball pythons eat. Being that my girl is not even a year old and is already eating small rats concerns me. I know that over feeding Ball Pythons is bad for their health so I just want some opinions on whether or not I am feeding her the appropriate size prey for her age.
Thanks in advance!

[Eric Alan]

A female that is grown will eat medium rats. At 450 grams, yours is far from being big enough for mediums.

If she'll take them, feed her one small rat/week. If she refuses the smalls, then offer her a weaned rat every 4 or 5 days until she has put on some more weight and is comfortable with smalls. Around 500 grams is when they typically start taking smalls without hesitation. Mine stay on small rats until they reach the 1200 gram mark or so (then they go to mediums), but that very much so depends on the specific snake.

[Mr. Misha]

I agree with Eric on this. At that weight you should be feeding her a small rat. I feed all my snakes every 7 days because it's more convenient for me.

I have a Pastave het. Pied girl who started eating mediums at about 800g, but she's a little fattie and I expect her to be a big girl with her appetite. My Normal girl who's around 1100g isn't interested in mediums at all and prefers smalls. All depends on the snake.

[200xth]

She has been taking them, but with a lot of hesitance.

Is she's hesitant about taking them, then go smaller. It doesn't matter what the caresheets or guides say...she seems to be telling you they're too big for her liking.

[Velrys]

Ditto on everyone else, you want to be feeding smalls at most not mediums yet.

What temperature is the rat when you offer it?

An animal usually wont go after something it doesn't think it can take, your snake doesn't know the rat is already dead and wont attack it unless it deems it the correct size for food. Well it may "attack" but once it wraps and figures out how large the rat is would leave it alone rather than swallow.

But it might "hesitate" if it's having a hard time recognizing it as food because is smells funny or is not hot enough (which is hotter than it would naturally be).

[queenelvis82]

The temperature of the rat is around 100 degrees F. She looks at it for a while and smells it, then she gets disinterested. I then take the rat out and reheat it and present it to her. She seems a lot more interested when the rat is freshly heated. I do have to heat it about 4-5 times before she decides to take it.

[queenelvis82]

Thanks all! I plan on continuing to feed her small rats every seven days instead of five days.

[Velrys]

It could be that 4 to 5 heatings is how long it takes to get up to a temp that looks good to her. I let mine get to at least 108 preferably 110 before offering. This way even the couple of minutes out from the heat will see the rat plenty warm.