Formal intro and a question about feeding and loose substrate

[cllong23]

Hello again,

I have asked a couple questions on here and greatly appreciate the response. I never did formally introduce myself. My name is Cristin. I have a newly acquired ball python named Penelope, AKA Penny. I have had her about 7 weeks now. She is about 3 and a half months old. She is about 120 grams. Hard to tell how long she is, it is hard to measure a snake! We estimated about 18 inches last week. She has been eating great for me. She has eaten consistently every week I have had her. The first three feedings she was eating hopper mice. The last three and the feeding she will get tonight have been fuzzy rats. I am sure she will be able to graduate to the next size soon as she is growing like a weed!

Speaking of feeding, this brings me to the reason for this post. I have read on here many differing opinions on feeding in her house VS. feeding in a separate container. I have decided that I would rather feed in her house. She has successfully eaten in her house for the last 6 times and I don't want to mess with a good thing. I have read that for some people, the one reason they decide to feed in a separate container is because they use a loose substrate. I use a loose one. Right now I am using Reptibark but plan on switching to cypress soon as I need a bit of humidity help. Are there people out there who use cypress and still feed in their house? The logic I am using is there is substrate in their natural environment, right? I want to do what is best for Penny but I am scared that if I mess with moving her it might interrupt her great feeding instinct. Plus, to tell you the truth, as she grows she will need bigger prey. I am nervous to take her out of a separate tub to move her back home, what if she is still hungry! I would love to hear what others do.

And if you missed the pic in my last post, here she is!

[GoBoilers]

What a cutie! Whereabouts in TX are you from? I'm down in the Houston area!

As for the substrate issue...not sure what you're feeding (live or f/t), but I used to put a f/t mouse on top of a paper towel or napkin to avoid mine from accidentally ingesting the substrate. In fact, she preferred being on top of newspaper anyway, so I would actually cut a square of paper to put under her hide with just enough sticking out so that I could lay a f/t mouse there (she'd then drag it into her hide).

Honestly, I don't think feeding on the substrate is that big of a deal...but others will chime in with more experience in that area!

[GoBoilers]

p.s. You can probably bump her up to twice weekly feedings with larger prey items!

[cllong23]

I am in the Dallas Metroplex! That is a good idea about laying down paper towels. Maybe I will try that tonight.

When I bought her latest batch of F/T rat fuzzies I considered going up a size but the next size up looks too big still. She looks bigger in this picture than she actually is. Maybe I can feed her a fuzzy and a pinkie?

Thanks for chiming in!

[GoBoilers]

You'd be amazed at what they can eat! Good rule of thumb is to use a prey item that is about as big around as the largest part of your BP. As a reference, my male is only slightly smaller than Penny (love her name BTW!) and eats large adult mice. The benefits being that you can go a little longer between feedings, you only have to feed one prey item as opposed to 2 or 3 at one time and appropriately-sized prey aids in proper jaw developement.

But I certainly wouldn't waste what ya got! Next feeding, I'd give her a fuzzy, let her finish, then see if she wants a second. That should help you gage a little better what she can handle in one feeding!

Jen

[Kaorte]

She could EASILY eat an adult mouse, trust me. Hatchlings straight out of the egg can eat hoppers and after 2-3 feedings of those can handle an adult mouse no problem.

10-15% of the snakes body weight is a good range for the weight of the prey animal. An adult mouse is between 12-15g so that is right on the money

If she ingests a little substrate, no big deal. As long as she isn't eating tons of it every day there is no risk of her getting impacted.

[cllong23]

Thanks for the reply on the substrate. That makes me feel better. I did lay some paper towels down last night when I fed her and it seemed to work okay. I will try not to be such a worry wart!

Oh, I have no doubt that she could eat an adult mouse. I have switched her off of mice and on to rats though. The rat fuzzies I am feeding her are bigger than the hopper mice she was eating a few weeks ago. I am afraid that the next size rat up from fuzzies are too big. At least the ones I looked at this weekend were too big. Maybe next feeding I will weigh the fuzzy rat and see if it is an appropriate size. I don't really want to go back to mice since she is eating real well on rats.

Thanks again!

[Kaorte]

Oh well in that case! A rat fuzzy should be fine for a while