Shall i start to feed more mice? :/

[DarkSmoke]

i noticed my ball python in the last 2 feedings, she's been becoming active after 48 hours from feeding. usually she becomes active 1 - 2 days before feeding day. but now after the 48hours usually less she's already in hunting mode usually at night and also some hours during the day. should i increase to a bigger size or start feeding 2 mice a week?

she's currently on 1 Adult mice every 7days.

[RichsBallPythons]

Move her to 1 adult every 5 days.

[DarkSmoke]

she's about 6-7 months old btw if that makes a difference and last i weighd her about a month ago she was about 125grams but on a kitchen scale.

[RichsBallPythons]

I feed all hatchlings every 3 days till they get to 400 grams, then are moved to 5 days.

Move to 5 days and see how that works.

[DarkSmoke]

hatchlings of what age? and what size do you feed them every 3days until 400grams, adult mice?

[kc261]

125g seems kind of small for a 6 month old female, although they do all grow at their own rate. Check out this thread on a similar topic:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=111225

Weigh her again to get a current weight, and also find out what the average weight of your feeders is. If she is big enough to comfortably take 2 at once, then you could go to feeding 2 mice on your regular weekly feeding day. A general rule of thumb is to feed 10-15% of their body weight at each feeding while they are young & growing quickly.

Another option is to switch her to rats, so you can still feed only one prey item at a time. If you want to try this, be aware that same snakes will switch without hesitation, and others will never switch. Look up some threads on how to get her to switch or just ask more questions if you want to go that route.

Increasing her feedings to once every 5 instead of every 7 days is also a perfectly viable option, regardless of her weight. It really depends on what works better for you & your snake.

[DarkSmoke]

well she got longer then when i got her so i tought she was good at weight i never tought she was underweight. the mouse is the size of her thickest part or a bit smaller. the problem is currently that i don't have a scale in my new home. i prefer to go to the feed 2 at once, but if she's not at that level yet , is there a risk of a regurg or she just won't eat the second one?

[kc261]

It is possible that she'd eat a 2nd mouse and then regurge. However, it sounds like your snake is telling you that she is ready for bigger meals, so I really think you'll be ok. You could always try something like 1 adult of the size you have been giving, and one hopper, to make the change a little more gradual. Offer the bigger one first. I figure that way if the first mouse comes close to filling them up, they'll just refuse the 2nd, whereas if the 1st one was small, they might eat the 2nd and overstuff themselves.

Without being able to get a definite weight on the snake or the feeders, you are going to have to sort of go by feel. One question is if the 1 mouse is leaving a noticable lump in her belly. If so, I don't think I'd go up to 2 mice of that same size.

If you are a numbers person, the rest of this post might help you get a better feel for things. You should be able to at least guess the weight of the feeders by looking at the pics and info on this link:
http://rodentpro.com/catalog.asp?pro...el=frozen_mice

Also, since you know your snake was 125g a month ago, you can guesstimate her current weight. Since she has been a slow grower, unless she has put on a growth spurt recently, let's assume she is 150g now. That would mean she can very comfortably eat up to 22.5g in one meal, going by the 15% rule. I don't hesitate to give mine up to 20% of their body weight (30g for your girl) or even somewhat more on occasion, like for example when I move them up from 1 mouse to 2. The increased food usually puts them in a growth spurt, so they quickly get to the point where it is no longer such a big meal for them.

30g of mouse is roughly either one big adult, or 2 small, just weaned mice. This will vary depending on where you get your feeders, so refer to the pics in the link above.

[DarkSmoke]

about the lump , she doesn't have a lump when she eats :S only a very very small one wich is hardly noticed.

[Bruceweb]

about the lump , she doesn't have a lump when she eats :S only a very very small one wich is hardly noticed.

I have a girl that takes two ex breeders at a time every 5-7 days, she is growing rapidly but not fat, try & see, if she doesnt want more than one she wont take it