food bigger than a mouse

[snakeys1996]

im convinced that i need to get buddy bigger food so i called up a local pet shop. this place is good, the lady who owns it has like 4 ball pythons herself so she know how to take good care of the snakes and other animals, anyway i was talking to her about the feeding rodents she has and what i should feed my snake and she told me i should feed him a gerbil, there 2.99, same price for a small rat, but she said i should use the gerbil what do you guys think about this

[Brandon.O]

I heard you shouldent feed gerbils, but i think people only say that becuase they are either ilegal in some states or they are more expensive or hard to find. I guess if you are willing to pay the extra money than go ahead. Maybe someone who knows more about this can help you.

[Smulkin]

AVOID THAT

They can be crack-like addicting to balls - very difficult to transition them back off to anything else from the huge number of accounts i have heard and red. Go RATS - that way when you need bigger you can STILL use rats and not have to sweat any transition. Gerbils dont get a heck of a lot bigger - imagine how many you'd have to feed. She must make a KILLING off her gerbil business.

(again kids no richard gere jokes)

[snakeys1996]

lol thats a mean buisiness practice, getting poor pythons helplessly addictid just for her own profit. il just get a rat than.

[iLLwiLL]

i bet the first couple gerbils are free . . . and after your bp is hooked the price goes skyward

~Will.

[Smulkin]

HEHEHE

Ok - "addicting" is an anthropomorphic term - but used a lot when referring to BPs and gerbils for a number of reasons - a lot of it has to do with "discriminating" eating habits some BPs can form.

Thats still hilarious, Will "Aw come on, man! All the cool kids are doing it . . . make ya feel go-oooood . . . tell you what I getchoo the first one on me, no charge, dig?"

[elevatethis]

Rats are the best food for ball pythons. They are beefy (more lean mass, where mice are just skin and bones), readily available, cheap, and can be obtained in sizes for all stages of your snake's life.

Rats are a little more aggressive than mice are, so you will DEFINITELY want to feed p/k if you do have to obtain them live. I've had stunned rats come to and bite my snake a couple of times during constriction.

Gerbils are small, expensive, and have crazy teeth. Don't feed them, just don't.